Cyber Monday is really just Black Friday 2.0 – and often more fruitful for small businesses. Not everyone is willing to pile into a department store after their big turkey dinner, but they are willing to pile on the blankets and camp out by the computer for hours on end. And guess what? So, you’re going to need to suit up your business now if you want to be ready to handle the swarms of sale-hungry shoppers who will spend all day hunting for deals. Here is how to prepare:
What’s the fun in just putting all your stock on sale for 24 hours and not saying a word about it? Put a few feelers out on social media before the cyber holiday even starts to get your audience excited. It helps you grab attention for your shop before the big day (which is always great), and your customers will appreciate the reminder. Even better if you can get them to sign up for your push notifications. People lead very busy lives, and they might forget just how close the day of mind-blowing online deals actually is. They want to take advantage of the sales you offer to cover gifts for the entire family, close friends, and even the next-door neighbor’s dog. You may be telling everyone they don’t want to miss out – but no, really, they don’t. So, do everyone a favor and start a fun Cyber Monday countdown on your accounts. Create polls featuring your products or services, make sneak-peak videos showing off your inventory – anything. Just keep it real and find ways for your audience to engage with you to help secure some pre-Cyber Monday loyalty.
Now that you just won over all that attention and loyalty, congrats! But…now you need to be ready for the e-commerce bonanza that is inevitably approaching. Are you feeling nervous now? Well, there’s no reason to be because that’s why we are here to tell you that one of the most important strategies to the cyber selling game is printing labels. For everything! Shipping labels, packaging labels – even office organizational labels. Trust us, you’ll need it all. Printing labels helps ensure your customers are going to get the right item at the right place, and that’s arguably one of the most important factors when it comes to holiday shopping. (Who doesn’t love to receive a package they paid for?) Beyond logistics efficiencies, labels are the secret sauce to your holiday season operations and give your goods a special edge above the competition. People may be making a mad dash to confirm their orders, but they still care about the presentation of goods and overall experience when it’s all said and done – and you’re asking them kindly to leave a glowing online review.
And hey, if you really want to blow everyone’s minds with your Cyber Monday tactics, throw in a return shipping label with every order. Peak shopping season typically quickly transitions to peak returns season, and people want an easy, flexible and practical returns experience if they must send something back. Trust us, people will be loyal to stores who put their customers’ experience first. But no matter what extra service flare you add to your business, you’ll want to make sure every product has an easy-to-read and scan label on it to help you manage your inventory as the orders start pouring in.
We know it has taken you months to get enough inventory prepared for the huge wave of orders headed your way, and there are a lot of moving pieces to keep track of. How do you make sure you don’t oversell or over promise to those crazy sale lovers? Do yourself a favor and team up with a mobile device (and the right business apps). Put away the pen and paper and don’t look back because you will fall victim to the inter-web of virtual chaos if you even try to do anything the old-school way. People want the items they ordered – not an “I’m sorry, but we can’t fulfill your order” email. Even if you offer an alternative and they accept, they may still be a bit disappointed. Of course, they also want items on time. That’s why having a trusted mobile computer to keep accurate count of all your inventory at all times – what items you have left and where they need to go – will help you fulfill faster and help customers feel happier than they did before they clicked “add to cart.” Plus, having a mobile device allows you to respond to customer inquiries as fast as they come in. Every entrepreneur needs an ally, and this one may come in a small, handheld form, but it’s one that can change the entire game. The e-commerce world better watch out for you.
We won’t lie, things could get hairy in the Cyber Monday shopping world. But if you take these steps beforehand, you can feel good knowing you are setting yourself up for a potential triumph. You will go down in history as a cyber legend and every nation far and wide will know you as their e-commerce champion. Okay, that may be overkill. But just remember: Cyber Monday is inevitable – and you can choose to either merely hope for the best or to prepare (and prove to be the best). So, choose to prepare. And be confident that you and your business are capable of conquering any holiday… even good ole Cyber Monday.
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When you finish prepping for peak cyber shopping season, head on back to the ZSB blog to find out what other legendary business tips we have in store for you.