It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
November is here and with it comes the start of the holiday shopping season. The next two months will be filled with family, friends, joy, and maybe even some well-deserved time off. We know closing shop or having extended holiday hours can be stressful for any businesses. You will have customers/clients who want a rush on items, or need you to do one last “quick” thing for them. Of course there are always going to be customers who may rush into your store on Christmas Eve for the last-minute present.
During this busy season, it is very important to keep your customers and clients informed of your hours, inventory and sales. The web and social media offer a way to keep customers up-to-date instantly.
Here are four things your customers want to know when holiday shopping:
1. Your business hours
Will you have extended hours during the holiday shopping season? Will there be days you are closed or have reduced hours?
Notifying your customers what your hours are (in advance) during the holidays are a must. Post them on social media. Post them on your door. Include them on your website. Send out a mass email. Whichever way you choose, just make sure you let them know. There’s nothing worse than rushing to the store on a cold day only to have it be closed.
2. Holiday sales
Are you offering holiday discounts? When buying presents and decorations, people are always looking for a deal. Maybe you are offering a New Year’s special on your services? Maybe you are marking down everything for Black Friday? Share it, tweet it, snap it, and let the people know!
3. Recommended gifts
Do you have items or services that are always popular around the holidays? Share them! Too often people are stumped when trying to find something to give to a loved one. Need inspiration yourself? Take a look at some of Oprah’s favorite things. Then go and generate your own list.
4. Inventory
You know who is going to get blamed if Dad doesn’t bring home that apple pie from the store? YOU. Did you have apple pies earlier in the day? You sure did. Did Dad forget and wait until the last minute to stop by? Of course he did. But he certainly can’t come home with that explanation. Take yourself out of the equation and notify customers when you run out of inventory. Designate a person/team to update your website and social media pages as soon as items sell out.
We hope these tips will help you during this holiday shopping season. The holidays can be stressful for business owners, but don’t forget to enjoy them too!