What most online retailers forget – planning for seasonal selling

February 28, 2011  

All products have a typical sales cycle that can be caused by a change in season or could just be cyclical in nature. There is a multitude of variables that can determine the sales cycle of a product. Some customers will make purchases in the beginning of the month, while others will make purchases towards the end of the month.

As an online retailer you have to make sure that you are adequately prepared for the natural sales cycles that are sure to affect your business throughout the year. By implementing the strategies below, you will be able to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, regardless of the season.

1.) You Have to Keep The Products Moving

The best way to keep your sales consistent is by properly preparing for the upcoming selling season. You need to make sure that any new seasonal products are ready to be sold to the earliest customers. You also need to begin holding sales for other products that are becoming out of season.

2. Prepare in Advance

If you know that you are moving in a season with increased activity such as back to school or the holidays, you need to make sure that your products are lined up and ready to go. You need to begin preparing your customers in advance for any special promotions that you plan on running so that they will be ready to capitalize on any specials that you decide to run.
Another benefit of planning in advance is that you allow yourself enough time for the search engines, particularly Google, to index and rank your special sales pages. This advance preparation tactic could easily be responsible for an abundance of free traffic and sales.

3. Product Packaging and Optimization

There is no need to totally revamp your product line at the beginning of each new season. It is far more important that you analyze your current inventory of products and create packages of products that can be marketed throughout the season. This is especially true if you are preparing for the holiday season as customers are looking for total solutions for their shopping needs.

4. Change Your Website

Your web site needs to reflect the current changes to your product line and the seasonal specials. You should make sure that you give your marketing materials a seasonal twist that will further enforce your specials.

Overall, these are just a few suggestions that are sure to help you plan for seasonal selling. Whatever you do make sure that you do act in accordance with more online retailers and do nothing to prepare for the upcoming season. Proper preparation is sure to add a boost to your bottom line and give you enough fuel to sustain you to the next seasonal selling opportunity.

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