If you've found your online sales have started to slow down lately, just know, it's not you. Blame it on the summertime. These months can often be the slowest of all for many online retailers, big and small, in a good economy or bad. Why?
Mother's Day, Father's Day and graduation season are officially over, and there will be no more big gift-giving pushes until holiday season rolls around. Unless you're in the wedding business, the summer may leave you coming up a bit short.
Also, people just spend less time on the computer during summer. We're outside more, going on vacation, doing household projects. Much more of our free time right now is spent offline (thank goodness!) but that means less online sales across the board.
So what are you going to do about it?
- Stay busy.
Use slower periods to work on the things you don't have time for when you're too busy sending out orders. Fix or re-take your photos. Update your shop header or logo. Get those business cards printed finally. Come up with new cute packaging. Make a marketing plan for the holiday season. There's always always something you can be doing to better your business other than packing up orders, if they just aren't coming in right now.
- Say hello to bloggers.
I showed you how last week and now's a great time to get in touch with bloggers as we have less submissions coming in during the summer, in general. Some exposure on a blog could help drum up some sales during the slower months, or at least get you enough attention to keep your spirits up during a slump, hmm? - Advertise.
They say you gotta spend money to make money, and it's true. If you can't afford the slump in sales, place an ad on a blog you read regularly that your products are a great fit for. A few blogs even. It may not result in sales immediately, but it'll certainly result in more eyeballs on your goods and more exposure for you brand to give you good footing going into the holiday season. - Focus on selling locally.
Now may be one of the slowest seasons for online sales, but it's one of the hottest seasons for selling locally. If you sell handmade goods, get a booth at a craft fair or the farmer's market- seek out whatever selling venues there are for artists in your town and take advantage of summer selling opportunities. Now's also a good time to reach out to local stores for selling via consignment or wholesale to show them what stuff you're working on for fall. You could get big orders now for the goods they want in their shops by September! - Have a summer blowout sale.
If you really need some moola to make rent this month, a big sale could do the trick. Think of it like a garage sale for your shop- if you have items you know you're not continuing in the fall, old items you have laying around that you have since taken off the site, stick them up on sale with a really good discount. Then tell as many people as you can about it. - Go on vacation yourself!
With all your customers out playing in the summer sun, now's the best time for you to take a little break yourself. If sales aren't coming in right now, use the opportunity to close up shop for a bit, take a breather, let yourself relax and have a summer vacation, too. It'll surely help your business in the long run, and you can return re-invigorated and inspired to make this fall your best season yet.
