Corporate Business Solutions is a Chicago-based business consulting firm that is recognized for the ability to assist in the growth of small and medium- size businesses. Our experience allows for us to assist business leaders with the challenges they face in today’s small business marketplace.
Many savvy small business owners are thinking ahead to the holiday season. Data from Google revealed that more than a quarter of consumers begin their holiday shopping before Halloween, so retailers need to be ready for the rush. If you haven’t already started prepping your business for the holidays, now is the time to start.
Here are a few key areas your marketing and sales efforts should focus on, and what you can do now to ensure a great shopping experience for your customers all season long.
- Website optimization– As more and more businesses take their retail operations online, it’s incredibly important to provide a seamless, fast website for your customers. A recent report from website performance solutions provider found that slow websites mean fewer sales — 57 percent of consumers will abandon a site that fails to load after 3 seconds. Be sure your website is ready for holiday traffic or prepare to lose customers.
- Holiday season shipping – In an age of Amazon Prime and same-day delivery, consumer expectations about e-commerce shipping are higher than ever. Any retailer that’s selling online needs to think about realistic shipping times and cutoffs throughout the season to make sure customers get their deliveries before the holidays.
- Keeping online shoppers safe – Online sales means the potential for more businesses to get in on the holiday sales action, but it also means a greater chance for cybercriminals to hack sensitive customer data. Online retailer websites and associated back-end systems need to be up to date, compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) and able to handle the expected transaction volume throughout the holiday season.
- Marketing and social media– You may be planning some great sales for the season, but without the right marketing campaigns, your customers likely won’t know about them. Social media, email blasts and even texts play a role in holiday season marketing now, and businesses should be crafting the right messages for the right customers.
To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.