As you head into the commerce 2.0 marketplace, be sure to bring what you’ve learned from commerce 1.0 along. There’s no sense in starting over completely — especially when those operating in commerce 1.0 discovered what does and doesn’t work well.
One practice we’ve all discovered works well is the promotion of sales … more specifically, the promotion of season-focused sales.
No matter where you look this season, you’re going to see sales on just about everything simply because of the season. Whether a business promotes a The Fall Blowout of 2011 or The Autumn Savings Event, people are going to take notice and feel it’s the perfect opportunity to venture into the store and buy all the stuff they didn’t know they needed. That’s just how it works.
The first quater is split between Winter and Spring, as January and February are considered Winter — but to keep it simple, let’s take a look at each season and how you can optimize your sales every year.
1. Spring
Spring represents new beginnings and bright future, because after roughly six months of cold, harsh weather (depending where you’re located), Spring is when it starts to improve. This has a positive impact on buyers, because the weather alone encourages them to get up and out of the house. Spring also represents the beginning of school, which is a huge selling angle for a lot of niches.
Think about how you can present your products in a way that encourages improvement.
2. Summer
Summer is a huge sales angle for businesses — even schools — because it represents a lot of fun. When we think of Summer, we think of warmer weather, beaches, lakes, camping, barbecues, and baseball. Can you promote your products in a way that lines up with your potential customers’ interests?
Check out any sporting good store and clothing store for an example of this next Summer.
3. Fall
Fall is the season of change, because after nearly six months of bright weather and new beginnings, the leaves change color and the entire setting evolves. Though this is the time when leaves die and the weather gets cold, many customers look forward to spending time with their friends and families over the holidays. With a few major holidays on the horizon, a certain spirit takes to the air and impacts people in a very positive way. Not only are a lot of customers’ moods lifted despite their losses or hardships, but they also look forward to shopping for their friends and family around this time of year … partly because it makes them feel good, and partly because it’s become the thing people do around this time.
Take a moment to look around and notice how businesses are promoting their products. And watch out for that infamous day we call Black Friday … a day of insane sales and a lot of customer spending. Can you get in on this?
4. Winter
Winter is the season customers look forward to throughout the entire season of Fall. It plays host to many holidays throughout a variety of religions and cultures, and has become known for the setting of some of the most famous stories we learn as children. That said, this season can be used to your benefit by getting involved with the sales. Offer some sort of incentive for your customers based on Winter, and you’re likely to see an increase in sales.
Pay close attnetion to how commerce 1.0 executes their operations this season, and do what you can do keep up.
It’s important not to sell yourself short or under, but to offer something special to your customers. Usually the goal is to promote something on sale in hope that a customer is attracted, and not only buys the product or service, but ends up buying more than they expected. This isn’t mischievous by any means … it’s just good business.
Are you promoting a sale this season? If so, how is it going so far?
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