Cyber Monday is the single largest online shopping day of the year. In 2013 consumers spent $1.735 billion, up approximately 18 percent from 2012. That’s a large increase, and as a business owner you should see this as a prime opportunity for your business to make a profit.
Cyber Monday is a great tool for the small business that may not have a physical location just yet. Unlike Black Friday, there is no fear of people being trampled for a good deal, as all the shopping is done virtually.
The convenience of online shopping for consumers opens up new possibilities for small businesses. But without a focused plan that encompasses all aspects of your online marketing, opportunities like Cyber Monday will be completely wasted.
How Can Cyber Monday Benefit Your Business?
Opportunity awaits your business during the annual holiday sales. With the right preparation and a focused strategy, your online presence can be a great tool for increasing your sales this holiday season. It is also perfect for a small business that may not have an actual store front presence, or may have only one location. Your online marketing strategy can help increase your presence virtually, even if your physical presence is limited, ultimately resulting in more sales.
But just because the online market is much more accessible than a small, physical location, does not mean you won’t have to work hard to gain the traffic and customers that are going to bring you the sales you want.
Tips For Boosting Cyber Monday Sales:
1. Create Irresistible Deals
The basis of any successful marketing effort is an irrestable deal. Whether it be a BOGO deal or free shipping, you definitely want to focus on providing value that the costumer doesn’t want to miss if they do not purchase your product or service on Cyber Monday.
Treat this like a flash sale: a one time offer that the consumer can use or lose. And make it so good that they can’t bear to lose it! This creates a sense of urgency that will be the backbone of your Cyber Monday marketing strategy.
2. Optimize Your Website
This will be your main point of contact with your potential customers, so be sure that it is fully optimized for the best user experience possible. The idea surrounding Cyber Monday is that people can do all their shopping online from the comfort of their home or office with just a few clicks of a mouse, so make this experience simple and easy.
This means your website layout should be user friendly and intuitive, with quick load times. It should be very plain what irresistible deals you have to offer, and there should be clear Calls-To-Action (CTA) to claim these special deals throughout the website.
3. Social & Email
Social Media is a powerful sales tool, so use it! Set up some scheduled posts on the platforms you use to promote your special offers with links to the appropriate pages on your website. People will be checking their social media accounts for deals frequently throughout the day, so make sure to stay top of mind by posting your deals often.
Your email marketing strategy should also reflect your special offers and have enticing, clickable subject titles. Inboxes are a huge starting point for many consumer’s Cyber Monday shopping, so take advantage of this direct channel of communication to send your best offers to your email list.
4. Be Mobile
While yes, this could definitely fall under optimize your website, it really deserves a spot of its own. Mobile optimization really pays off: in 2013 mobile traffic accounted for 32 percent of site visits on Cyber Monday. Overall, mobile devices drove 17 percent of online purchases that day.
This is especially important as 65 percent of all emails are opened first on a mobile device. There is nothing more frustrating then trying to click a link in an email and being taken to a website that is not optimized for mobile in the least. And the same goes for Social Media users who will be browsing deals on their smart phones or tablets.
5. Don’t Forget Paid Advertising
Sometimes your social media posts will get lost in a sea of other deals and offers, and your email will be deleted without even a second glance. Paid advertising ensures that a specific targeted audience see your Cyber Monday specials, and if created correctly, shoppers won’t be able to help but click. Whether you choose to promote tweets, offer PPC ads, or both, this can be an excellent way to drive new and old leads to your website.
Conclusion
By basing your Cyber Monday marketing strategy on irresistible deals, and communicating and promoting them across a variety of online channels, you can increase your visibility and your overall sales for this specific day, as well as applying the same principals to your overall holiday marketing strategy.