I posted this content several years ago, but as we approach the holidays, much of this information is still relevant. Plus I’ve added a bonus gift for my readers. Read the entire article and get yours! (Link is at the end).
As business owners, most of us are very aware that the majority of retail sales occur during the last week of November through the Christmas holiday. But the truth is, you probably aren’t going to get a flood of new visitors to your website this holiday season – instead everyone is going to go to the big chains. Your website is simply not visible – but you can change that! The way to drive a lot more traffic and sales this holiday season is by using digital advertising. It’s not too late – but you do have to hurry if you want to take advantage of these special shopping days.
And, it’s not just about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are other days that can help you increase sales this holiday season.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday continue to capture the bulk of holiday sales, however, big shopping days aren’t so big anymore, especially with small businesses. Other days are providing much needed sales during this time of the year. Besides, these sales days tend to be dominated by national brands. That’s why it’s a good idea for small businesses to focus on less-congested peak days where merchants can generate a larger share. If you want to make a big splash this holiday season, digital ads can have a huge impact that can even carry you forward into the new year. At the end of this blog, I’ll show you how you can get started right away, but first, here’s a breakdown of the special shopping days before Christmas…
Gray Thursday: Thanksgiving is now a shopping day in its own right.
When: November 28, 2019
Why it matters: As more and more national, big box stores open on Thanksgiving, Internet businesses must be creative. In fact, Internet sales can be huge on days when other stores are not open.
Black Friday: Still the biggest shopping day of the year. It’s also Green Friday, or anti-Black Friday, a movement sor sustainable consumption rather than consumerism. We have at least one company, a Christmas tree farm, riding these coattails. And REI is choosing to #OptOutside again this year. It could be that NOT having a special Black Friday sale and NOT competing head-to-head with the giants can give you an advantage if you let your customers know about it.
When: November 29, 2019
Why it matters: Over 50% of holiday shoppers were or plan to be in stores and online over Thanksgiving weekend. Don’t think of Black Friday as a one-day event, starting point, or the finish line. To build momentum and keep sales steady, you need to spread your holiday message and invest ad dollars across multiple days and marketing channels.
Small Business Saturday: When local businesses have a chance to win big.
When: November 30, 2019
Why it matters: In 2014, consumers spent a whopping $5.9 billion at locally owned stores and restaurants on Small Business Saturday. If you own both a physical store as well as your online store, this is a good chance to spread the word about why it is important to support small businesses rather than the big chains.
Cyber Monday: The biggest day for online shoppers.
When: December 2, 2019
Why it matters: Cyber Monday and beyond, online shopping is bigger than ever and continuing to grow. And it’s not just about computers—think mobile. comScore found that 21% percent of Black Friday online sales and 17% Cyber Monday sales came directly from mobile devices. Do you have an advertising plan in place to attract mobile shoppers? Even if you don’t sell online, you can use digital marketing on Cyber Monday to make sales that can be completed at your brick-and-mortar location.
Giving Tuesday: Show that you give back locally.
When:December 3, 2019
Why it matters: Differentiate yourself from bigger competitors by showing the impact that your local business has on the local economy. The idea is to have a day when Americans give back to others after the long weekend of spending. Giving Tuesday is a great day to focus your marketing efforts around telling your customers about the different ways your business is involved in and gives back to local community and charities.
Green Monday: Not the green you think—it’s all about the cash!
When: December 9, 2019
Why it matters: Historically, the second Monday in December is the busiest shopping day of the month. While Green Monday sales don’t trump Cyber Monday’s, they do come pretty close. The biggest difference between Green Monday and Cyber Monday is that consumers won’t be exposed to nearly as many deals. This makes Green Monday a great opportunity focus on the quality of your goods and services, increasing your visibility in a crowded marketplace.
Free Shipping Day: Get it to them free by Christmas Eve.
When: December 13, 2019
Why it matters: In 2012, more than 2,600 retailers participated and saw more than $1 billion in online sales—making Free Shipping Day the third-busiest day for online shopping in the U.S. Free shipping is a big draw for online shoppers. In fact, it’s a primary condition of purchase for many consumers. But don’t let the potential cost scare you away, shoppers tend to spend more when the shipping is free. So, offering and promoting free shipping is an inexpensive way to boost your average dollars per sale.
Super Saturday: Get in on that frantic, last-minute spending.
When: December 21, 2019
Why it matters: Promotions on this day typically attract thousands of last-minute shoppers. The final Saturday before Christmas is the most popular of all the holiday shopping days in December. Super Saturday is a great time to capture last-minute shoppers who are in search of deeply discounted items for the holiday. While Internet orders can’t be filled by Christmas this year, you can still using digital advertising to drive people into your store.
That’s 8 days you can advertise specials on in the next 4 weeks, plus any events you might be having or customer specials!
Here’s the bottom line: Unless you advertise, no one is ever going to find you this holiday season. Your website is buried under thousands (or millions) of others. Digital advertising can solve this problem for you. Have you ever noticed those ads that seem to follow you around all over the internet on every site you visit? Those are called re-targeting ads, and they can appear on any website, including Facebook. These are a great way to significantly enhance your visibility. So, WebStores Ltd is making our own Black Friday Offer (Actually, it’s good starting now through Christmas Eve.)
Sign up for a 6 Month Digital Advertising Plan and get the 7th month absolutely free! Good for all new advertising plans from WebStores Ltd. Offer expires December 24th. Hurry while it can still make a difference in the year’s sales! Call WebStores Ltd at 877-924-1414.
And don’t forget about gifts for your employees and those you do business with!
So my gift that I promised you at the beginning of this post:
This is a 8″x10″ 300 page planner to help you with all your blog, social media and other content posts for the upcoming year. It is my gift to you, absolutely free. You can grab your PDF copy by filling out this form:
If you would prefer a printed version, I have also made this available on Amazon for the lowest possible printing price. Simply visit: https://amzn.to/2POntWy
Greg Jameson has been writing blog articles on ecommerce and internet marketing for over 10 years. Learn more about Greg at https://webstoresltd.com/about/
Guest Posting
