Black Friday is rapidly approaching… and hopefully you – as a conscientious online seller looking to maximise every profitable opportunity will be prepared for the shopping extravaganza.
Of course, the beauty of being an online seller right now is you can get involved in the Black Friday (and Cyber Monday, too) action without having to separate any rampaging bargain hunters as they rumble on the shop floor!
Plus, there’s also the added allure of another amazing phenomenon at this time of year… the distribution of final pay packets before Christmas!
But – time is short. Black Friday is closing in. If you’re not ready for the virtual rush, you absolutely, most definitely must get cracking if you want your products to be visible online.
You need to get your products listed right now – whether on eBay, Amazon or in your own online shop – and hook those Black Friday buyers heading in your direction very soon.
Good luck… I hope you enjoy a very merry festive selling season!
20 Ways to Maximise Your Online Christmas Sales
1) Double check your product title keywords and make sure they are super relevant to your product. If buyers can’t find your items, then you won’t make any sales. Make them visible!
2) Make sure you appeal to ALL potential customers. Use eBay’s auction listings for bargain hunters and Buy It Nows for those in a rush who haven’t the time to wait for an auction to end. Use Amazon to mop up those customers who are loyal to one site only. Believe me, in the run up to Christmas, people are impatient so you need to cover all bases.
3) If you have your own website or use Amazon FBA, offer an extra service such as gift wrapping for the Christmas period. If you can help make the festive preparations easier for customers, they will appreciate it.
4) If you only have a small inventory, add a few lines to the description of your products hinting that your item is the “perfect gift”. This can be implemented for most products, with a bit of creativity, and will subconsciously play on your potential buyers’ minds, making them more likely to purchase.
5) Consider adding the keywords ‘Christmas Gift’ to your title. This can help you pick up some extra sales. But don’t remove relevant keywords just to fit those extra keywords in. Do it if you have spare space. Don’t if you don’t.
6) Consider adding a ‘Best Offer’ facility to your eBay ‘Buy It Now’ listings, then automate the ‘Accept/Decline Offer’ option to remain competitive. That should help pick up those extra sales from people who don’t want to pay the full price but still want to purchase immediately.
7) If you have an eBay shop, use ‘Markdown Manager’ to offer seasonal discounts or limited offers to buyers.
8) Create bundles of related products in different price ranges to create a unique set that can be purchased as a thoughtful seasonal gift.
9) Mention and link to other products that are related to each other within your listings to pick up those extra upsells. More sales equals more profits!
10) Buyers adore fast dispatch so consider offering super-fast delivery options to buyers over the Christmas period.
11) Let customers know when your shipping deadlines are. Always state the latest date customers can place their order and still get it delivered in time for Christmas. This can sway many buyers and prompt them into ordering so don’t overlook it!
12) Entice in more orders with the offer of fast and free shipping! What customer can resist both?!
13) Offer a free seasonal or festive gift with every purchase and enter into the spirit of goodwill! It doesn’t have to be expensive – just related to the main product. For example, a free hairband with every hairbrush sold.
14) Alternatively, to guarantee good feedback and repeat custom, add an ‘unadvertised’ free gift into every order you dispatch, giving your customer a surprise – a lollipop, sweets, keyrings or fridge magnets are good choices.
15) Offer a no quibble money back guarantee (with a longer return date for post-Christmas returns). This instils trust and will prompt more orders.
16) When possible, make sure you answer questions from potential buyers promptly. This could be the difference maker for a sale, especially in the run up to Christmas when there is plenty of choice from sellers and it’s easy for buyers to become cheesed off.
17) When marketing your products on social media, get into the festive spirit and decorate your digital presence! For example, the addition of images featuring snow, baubles, gifts and tinsel to your listings (and social accounts) lets customers know you’re totally serious about doing business during this time of year.
18) Make sure your website, your eBay and Amazon listings are mobile friendly! Remember that an estimated £2.55 billion purchases will be made via mobile this year so ensure your products can be seen easily without taking an age to load due to unncessary widgets and plugins.
19) Create a sense of urgency in your product descriptions to encourage potential customers to buy now. Use phrases such as “order by X to receive your gifts before December X” or “only X left in stock, order now to avoid missing out.”
20) If you have a stand-alone website, make sure it’s well laid out, easy to navigate, clean and clear to encourage visitors to purchase from you. Navigation is key. If your website is clunky and people can’t find what they want easily, they will leave and purchase elsewhere. So keep it simple, check that it works from a potential customer’s point of view and doesn’t just look pretty!