How to fight for online store customers when the off-season comes

Tips for running an online store in the off-season

When you're on vacation, you don't always want to sit in front of a computer. In nice sunny weather, there is a great desire to take a walk in the fresh air, rather than surfing the Internet and looking for products to buy. Therefore, the owner of an online store that has not sold out of household items and light clothing before the onset of the summer months should be prepared to see fewer visitors when they arrive.

In such a situation, there are two approaches for online store owners who sell "summer" products: take a month or two off or go on a "hunt" for customers. The first thing that may come to mind is promotions and sales, but there are other approaches.

So, it was time to tackle what had been put off for later.

Improve the forms of delivery of goods.

The length of delivery or the inconvenience that accompanies it are good reasons to refuse to make purchases. Therefore, consider different options to speed up the receipt of goods by customers:

• expedited delivery: for example, a customer wants to go on vacation in a couple of days, but he needs comfortable shoes for the trip - in case of prompt delivery, he is ready to buy shoes even at a higher price
• delivery by courier: practice delivering goods to customers both in the city and in the countryside
• organization of pickup: in summer, the buyer is more likely to pick up the purchase himself

Use this opportunity to improve the organization of your business. And you can tell about the amenities on your website or on the page of the online store in the social network.

Resuscitate old customers

Old clients can also help out in the off-season. Bring up information about customers who have contacted you throughout the year and remind them of your existence:

• a story about updating the assortment and introducing new delivery methods
• аnalyze what related products you can offer old customers to the products they have previously purchased
• make an offer to re-purchase the product at a certain discount, attaching a message about the available novelties of product groups
• organize a promotional sale for customers who have not contacted you for a long time, providing them with one of the benefits - free delivery, a gift for a purchase or a percentage discount on the purchase amount
• think about and consider for customers who regularly (once a month) buy from you

Don't forget that offers with restrictions will be very valuable. Within each promotion, set a time limit for its validity or for a certain number of customers, after which the price indicators are restored to the previous level.

During the off-season, create the most loyal service mode.

You shouldn't let new visitors in when there are few of them in the off-season. A potential customer may leave you without buying for several reasons:

• the cost of the goods was more than he could afford
• delivery significantly increases the cost of goods, it is inconvenient in terms of terms and options
• payment methods do not satisfy the buyer
• your web resource is not entirely user-friendly, and the user has difficulties in understanding the order of goods
• access to the site is difficult.

It is worth analyzing customer service activities and eliminating customer leakage. Try to inspire maximum trust among new customers.

Work with customers who have not paid for their orders

Work with those customers who have put items in the cart but have not paid for them. Two-thirds of customers who have not paid want to have the pending item for some time, so work with them properly. Send a message to these customers that their pending items can still be paid for and received, and they will receive a discount on shipping or a gift for their purchase. If you have related products to the ones already on hold, make an offer. Sometimes a returning customer can spend more than the one who immediately placed the order.

Offer related products

It is important to offer several or at least one related product to the main product. It is not necessary that the related product be cheaper than the main product. You can offer different options: a few small things cheaper or an equivalent product, and sometimes a more expensive one.