Posted by Carrie Keplinger
Oh my goodness, Cyber Monday is coming and you haven’t prepared for it at all! What are you going to do?
For those of you not in the know, the Monday after Thanksgiving is now considered the biggest internet shopping day of the year. Cyber Monday is to online shopping as black friday is to the mall, and many indie biz owners hold specials and promos to drive sales that day.
So, right, you haven’t done anything yet. Or maybe you have but are a little stuck on what to do next. Here are my quick tips for setting up and promoting your sale.
Step 1: Think about your customers
What do your customers love? What gets them excited? Is it free shipping? Buy one, get one offers? Discounts? Coupons? Once you know what drives your customers to buy, you’ll know what sort of sale to hold.
Step 2: Advertise
I don’t mean you need to pay for advertising. It’s too late for that, anyway. What I mean is, get the word out about your sale. You probably already have some great places to do this.
Your website: Include a message about your Cyber Monday sale on your shop website. Be sure to post it in a prominent location so visitors know right away that something great is happening here.
Your blog: Create a blog post about your sale. Give all the juicy details.
Social media: Don’t forget to talk up your sale on social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. If you have specific sale items, post pictures to get your customers salivating.
Step 3: Get ready
You are going to need inventory, yes, but you should also think about your packaging. The majority of your Cyber Monday sales will be gifts, after all. Make sure your packages look good, and make sure you offer gift wrapping options (great post about that coming later this week). You’ll also want to take some time to set up a packaging and wrapping station to make your work go faster. Check out Polly Danger’s article on streamlining your pack and ship process for some great tips.
Do you have any other tricks for holding a great sale, Cyber Monday or otherwise? What are you planning to do for November 28, 2010?
