Maximize holiday sales for your small business

Like anything else, you have to be prepared well in advance. Starting early allows businesses to refine their strategies and address any potential challenges before the rush begins.

• Establish your goals: Define your goals for each day. Are you aiming to increase revenue, reduce excess inventory or acquire new customers – or all of the above? Your objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will shape your strategy. Write them down or post them to remind you when you’re planning. 
   

• Analyze past performance: Review data from previous years. Identify what worked, what didn’t and where there’s room for improvement. Consider product performance, customer feedback and marketing success. 
   

• Stock up: Ensure you have enough stock of your best-selling items, as nothing turns customers away faster than sold-out products. BBB Business Tip: Don’t lose customers over out of stock items. 
   

• Staff up and tech up: Be sure your staff will be available for the days of the sales. Consider hiring temporary holiday helpers if the expected volume will be high; customers may be turned away if you have long wait times or no one available to answer questions. Make sure you will have a technical support person available.

With many shoppers opting for online purchases, especially on Cyber Monday, having a seamless digital shopping experience is crucial. But even for in-person Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales, you need to be sure your technology is functioning at 100 percent.

• Ensure equipment and website stability: Be sure your payment processing equipment is in tip-top shape. If your business relies on equipment, have it checked way in advance of the sale. A surge in traffic can lead to website crashes, causing lost sales. Have a tech support person to test your website to be sure you can handle the increased traffic and have someone on-call for emergencies. How to build a website customers can trust. 
   

• Mobile optimization: Mobile shopping continues to grow, so make sure your website is mobile-friendly. This includes fast load times, easy navigation and mobile payment options. 
   

• Streamline checkout: Cart abandonment is a common problem, whether in-person or online. Figure out processes to expedite the user journey through the sale. Consider offering online guest checkouts and multiple payment options. For online purchases, be sure your shipping information is clear.

Your sales offers need to stand out in a crowded marketplace and be easy for customers to understand. 

• Offer discounts on popular items: Having “doorbusters” on your best-selling items gets attention and creates excitement that gets customers in the door. 

• Tiered discounts: Offer different discount levels based on the total purchase amount. For example, “Spend $100, get 20% off; spend $200, get 30% off.” This encourages customers to add more to their carts. 

• Time-limited deals: Create urgency by offering flash sales or time-sensitive deals throughout the day. Check out these sale ideas.

A well-planned marketing campaign is essential to stand out from others running similar sales.

• Email marketing: Use your email list to promote upcoming deals. Send teaser emails in the days leading up to the event and schedule follow-up emails during the sale to remind customers of the deals they may have missed. Don’t have an email list yet? Start collecting! Check out our 12 dos and don’ts of email marketing. 

• Social media campaigns: Engage with your audience through social media by showcasing sneak peeks of discounts, running giveaways, or offering exclusive discounts for followers. 6 easy ways to create trust on social media. 

• Retargeting ads: Use retargeting to bring back customers who have visited your site or shown interest in your products but haven’t made a purchase. A well-timed ad can turn a window shopper into a buyer.

Once the sales rush is over, it's time to focus on filling orders, handling returns, customer service and retention, and addressing any post-sale concerns.

• Get those orders filled efficiently: Be sure you handle mailed orders quickly and accurately (hopefully, you staffed up for this during planning). Delayed shipping can lead to negative reviews and damage your reputation. If you do have delays, convey them clearly and accurately. 

• Clear return policies: Make sure your return and exchange policies are clear and customer friendly. This transparency builds trust and encourages future purchases. Have adequate staff on hand to handle returns with kindness and efficiency. 

• Post-sale follow-up: Don’t let your relationship with new customers end at checkout. Follow up with thank-you emails, request feedback and offer incentives for future purchases to turn first-time buyers into loyal customers.

Acquiring customers during a sale is great but retaining them for future purchases is even better.

• Loyalty programs: Promote your loyalty program to encourage repeat purchases. Offer points, discounts or early access to future sales for those who sign up during the event. 5 ways to create a reward program for loyal customers 

• Post-sale offers: Send follow-up emails with personalized recommendations or exclusive deals for the holiday season. This keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages additional purchases. 7 tips for building and maintaining customer loyalty 

• Customer satisfaction focus: The experience customers have during these sales will affect how they perceive your brand long term. Provide excellent customer service and smooth processes to foster loyalty. 8 statistics show the value of trust for businesses.

After the busy sales days are over, it’s time to add it all up and evaluate your performance.

• Look back at your KPIs that you set when planning. Did you meet your goals? Check out metrics like conversion rates, average order value and customer acquisition costs.  
  Figure out what went well and how you can improve. 

• Analyze customer feedback: Post-sale feedback provides invaluable insights into what worked and what didn’t. Use surveys or reviews to gather feedback and improve for future sales. Top customer engagement strategies to implement 

• Review your competitors: Look at how your competitors handled their sales and analyze what you could learn or adapt from their strategies. How to implement a competitor analysis