December 6, 2013

The holiday season is undoubtedly an exciting time for online business owners the world over, with the sales peaking at an all-time high. However, the inevitable reality that follows this thrilling period, is the slump that is sure to follow. Business persons are increasingly focusing on how to work their way around the valley that follows their seasonal peak, and break the trend of their sales cycles. Aptly referred to as a “hangover cure”, the basic goal of this strategy is to find a way to convert possibly one-time customers to repeat customers, or even better, lifetime customers.

The first step to achieving this goal is understanding the potential scenarios through which these one-time customers could be encouraged to make a repeat purchase. Considering the fact that the mentality of customers shopping during the holiday season is usually one of purchasing a one-time gift, these scenarios could include:

  • Buying again for themselves- It could be possible that while buying a gift, they could like something for themselves, which could prompt them to revisit your website to make the purchase.
  • Buying another gift– If they have a positive experience while buying a gift from your website the first time it is possible that they would want to return later during the year to buy the same gift, or something similar, for someone else.
  • Recommending the website to others: Finally, if the holiday shopper is impressed with your services, there is a strong chance of them telling others about it, which could result in more customers for you.

So how exactly can you keep in touch with these customers and prompt them to take one of these actions? Some of the most effective channels to do this include:

  • Email marketing: Design an email marketing campaign with a personal touch exclusively targeting customers who made a purchase during the holiday season.
  • Social media: If you find a way to make these customers follow you on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, your job of being able to get back to them is half done.
  • Special offers: Considering that a special holiday offer is what first brought them to your website, presenting them with more exciting offers could be just what is needed to tap on their mentality.
  • New products: Launching new products and announcing them through emails and social media is a good way to maintain your brand’s visibility and encourage one-time customers to revisit you in the low-tide months.