The holiday season is right around the corner (unless you’ve walked in to any department or craft store; then it’s been here since September). As economists predict how consumer spending will stack up this year and consumers start researching the perfect gifts and services and getting ready for holiday events, you should take time to prep your business for the holiday season. To help get you inspired, here are seven holiday business tips illustrated by some adorable baby animals.
1. Staff up to keep from running around in circles.
Don’t get stuck running around in circles during the holiday season. Whether you have a physical location or operate a service business, making sure you have the right amount of people on staff can significantly help you handle the influx in consumer information requests and sales while still maintaining a great level of customer service.
2. As busy as you may be, don’t skimp on rest.
The holiday season can be incredibly busy for all types of businesses, and research has shown that small business owners often sacrifice sleep to put in more time at work. But it’s important for your health – and the health of your business – to get enough sleep, especially in busy, stressful times. So, this holiday, give yourself the gift of more rest by setting a schedule that has enough time for sleep and regular rest. You can also try using a sleep tracker app to help you see how well you’re sleeping, and consider using other services and technologies to take some of the stress out of your day-to-day so you can focus your time on running your business. For example, technologies like a live chat service on your website can help you maintain a 24-hour presence with potential customers by answering questions from consumers who visit your website so that you never miss a potential sale.
3. Clean up your online presence.
Consumers will be kicking their research into high gear for the holiday shopping season, looking for deals and promotions for holiday and seasonal gifts and services. So, make sure you aren’t still promoting expired offers or promotions online, and ensure your web presence conveys a cohesive, compelling image of your business. Make sure your local listings are up to date with correct information. Remove out-of-date offers and old promotions featured in search ads, landing pages, and on main pages of your website. Also, if your business uses seasonal images as your header images on your social media pages, now is a good time to switch those out for newer images as well with a quick social media refresh. The holiday season is the time you want your business to look extra-great online when consumers go to search for you.
4. Feed your social media pages with great, timely content.
Use the season to reflect images of the holiday in your social media content and photos. You can add information about seasonal greetings, offers, and promotions that you are plan to run in your social media headers and posts as well. You can use a free or inexpensive smartphone image creator app to build custom, fun images our of your own photos to post to your social media pages, so take advantage of them to give your profiles the fuel they need to reach consumers and drive fan engagement.
5. Build a great presence across the rest of the web.
During the holiday season, consumers use their mobile phones to find and research local businesses. How many? A lot. Take this impressive stat: 93% of those who researched businesses via mobile made a purchase. As a local business owner, this means that search results are a powerful tool for gaining new customers in the holiday season. In order to build a dominating presence in search, make sure to claim your business on top local listing sites. Also, fill them with relevant information like special hours of operation or location, expanded holiday area of service, and more to improve the chance that consumers find and choose your business.
6. Show some holiday love!
Since holidays are wonderful time to show your thanks and get involved in the community, why not get your local business involved by donating time, resources, or money to causes you support? And, take some extra time this holiday season to encourage your customers to do the same! You could promote one day when part of your sales go directly to a charity you support. Or, host a food drive and donate all the goods to your local food bank. Don’t forget to use images and stories about these events on your social media pages, emails, and blog posts to generate even more awareness and help for the organization you’re supporting.
7. Don’t forget to enjoy the season!
Make time this holiday season to celebrate and enjoy your own friends, family, and colleagues. When things get stressful, take a few deep breaths. And if that doesn’t work, then just take a look at this happy little corgi excited about the holidays.
What are your tips for handling the holiday season in a local business? How do you celebrate the season with your team or customers? We’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment!
Ready for the Holidays? 7 Important Tips for Local Business Owners
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