As the year comes to an end, the holiday season is well and truly underway. It can be the busiest and most stressful time of the year, but also an excellent opportunity for small businesses. With careful planning and the right strategies, SMEs can significantly impact their revenue and connect with their customers meaningfully. By optimising a business’s online presence, offering unique products and services, and providing exceptional customer service, SMEs can stand out from the competition and create a lasting impression. Remember that every challenge is an opportunity for growth, so don’t be afraid to take risks and implement new ideas. It’s not just about making sales; but building lasting relationships with your customers and community to ensure repeat business in non-peak periods, making this holiday season one to remember.
Online presence is more important than ever in today’s digital age. Ensuring social and online profiles are up to date is essential, whether on social media or optimising a Google profile. This means making sure things like your trading hours are updated to reflect the holiday season and any special offers are communicated in an enticing way.
Social media profiles such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are great places to promote your business. Owners can use this opportunity to promote special holiday offers that may be activated during the holiday season and it’s the perfect time to run social media competitions, branded partnership gift guides, and bring-a-friend promotions; all of which promote and encourage spending during the festive season.
Email marketing is a cost-effective way to reach your customers directly. Segment your email list and send personalised holiday promotions and updates in order to highlight your best-selling products, gift ideas, and special offers. Be sure to craft compelling subject lines and use eye-catching visuals to make your emails stand out in crowded inboxes.
Businesses should offer products or services to differentiate from competitors with the aim of highlighting what makes their business unique. This may be through locally sourced goods, creating a limited-edition holiday item to generate excitement and a sense of urgency among customers or even collaborating with like-minded businesses. Try to avoid sale cannibalisation and do not promote products or services that clients have already planned to purchase. Use this chance to leverage the off-peak periods and do something unique and different from your usual business offerings.
It is also important to ensure that all shop equipment and utilities, such as stock, staff and your payment system are ready to handle the holiday rush. It is important that there is enough inventory to meet the customer’s needs and that staff have been trained on specific tasks such as replenishing stock and providing excellent customer service during these times. Ensure there are enough staff over the holiday season so the days run smoothly and depending on your business type, it may be worth investing in additional shop equipment or hiring some just for the holiday period. Most importantly, when coming to close the sale cycle, make sure the POS and EFTPOS machines are ready to take payment. Cashless payments are on the rise, and especially during the holiday season, it will be a lot more efficient to take cashless payments.
With many customers coming through your doors, every one of those EFTPOS transaction fees can add up and eat into your profits. With Smartpay Zero Cost™ EFTPOS, merchants can pocket everything they earn without worrying about those fees adding up, even more so during a peak period. We also provide 24/7 customer support, 365 days meaning if there are any questions or assistance needed at any time throughout your trading period, we are here to help.
With proper planning and preparation, businesses can utilise the busy festive season, making it a successful and seamless experience for customers and, in turn, boosting revenue.
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