Off-Season Slump
What should you do during the off-season? You can let it pass and wait for profitable times, or you can try to stimulate sales.
There is a strict seasonal prevalence in some niches when the difference in profits runs up to 100%. Stores that sell Christmas decorations, Valentine’s cards, and Easter sets earn mostly during the holiday seasons. These products don’t find a quick sale during the rest of the year. You can’t fight seasonal prevalence in this case because you won’t be able to increase sales by much anyway.
However, if the difference in revenue during the peak season and the off-season is about
1. Add Seasonal Products
Pause to think during your peak sales — what are you going to offer your customers later? How much time and money will the reorientation of your business take?
Say you make and sell summer sandals. Then you can offer a cozy collection of slippers for winter.
2. Wake Up Your Long-Time Customers
Your “old friends” can help you during the off-season. Make a base of customers who ordered something from you several months or even a year ago. Remind them of your store with a mailshot:
- Tell them about new products and shipping methods
- Offer related products to the ones they ordered before
- Make a special offer for long-time customers only (a discount, a gift, free shipping).
Set strict time frames for any offers — for example, a week, a month, until the product is in stock, or only for the first 50 customers.
3. Add Related Products
It’s always possible to offer related products. A bag goes with a storage case, shoes, a bracelet. Offer shoes or accessories to a dress. A laptop goes with a mouse, and a smartphone — with a case or a holder.
Related products don’t have to be cheaper than the main one. Try different options: inexpensive knickknacks, same-price
4. Work With Abandoned Carts
Bring back customers that put products in carts but didn’t buy them. There are several ways to do that, and sending an email is one of them.
According to our statistics, abandoned cart recovery emails in Ecwid help to recover 15% of abandoned orders. Based on your average order value, calculate how much more you can earn with this feature.
5. Give Discounts to Use Later
Give your customers a discount coupon with every purchase that they can use several months later. For example, if you sell sportswear, lower the price of winter clothes during the summer season. If people buy swimsuits now, they will return to buy ski socks later, because they already have a discount for that.
Don’t make the off-season a survival time. Think of it as an opportunity: you can build a base of future customers who will come back later to make bigger purchases.
6. Bring In a New Product
The off-season is not a bad moment for bringing in new products. You have more time to prepare the promotional campaign than you would have during the peak season when all you can think about is how to ship orders faster.
You can shoot a nice promotional video for your new product, make your product photography better, and prepare an intriguing set of Instagram posts.
7. Master a New Sales Channel
Now that you have fewer orders, there’s more time for the things you didn’t get around to during the peak season. It’s easier to promote your store on social media with more spare time on hands.
8. Improve Your Delivery
Inconvenient or long delivery is a solid reason to give up on a purchase. So consider adding more options to your standard delivery:
9. Sell Emotions
Positive emotions make products even more desirable, so we recommend turning to storytelling and using its power on your website, in your blog, newsletters, and on social media. It gives your product the image that customers remember and associate with something pleasant. When they have to choose between the usual jewelry or a piece with a “face,” be assured, they choose the latter.
Also, it is a satisfaction to know that some part of your money helps a good cause. If you support some charitable organizations, tell your customers about it, and better do it in numbers. For example: “This month our customers helped the animal shelter ‘Good boys’ to buy 10 bags of pet food. Ten well-fed dogs send you a huge ‘Thanks!’”
