As I step out the front door I am greeted by natures changing moments. From the colours of the scenery to temperatures that catch me off guard. These changes begin to shift the way I think and the way I operate. As I stroll down the business corridors of the city I notice changes in window displays and promotions that are being offered. It would appear that these changes from nature & business are working in unison to alter my perception of what I should desire. I have suddenly felt myself longing for the new latte advertised in the window even though I just finished my coffee.
As seasons change so do our mindsets.
Many times we assume that our websites are not affected by the change of seasons. We think that our websites are a located in a virtual atmosphere that does not relate to our real world perspectives. However, this way of thinking is totally not the case.
As consumers we shop based on seasons in our life. This could be a calendar season such as spring, summer, winter, and fall or this could be a season in our life based on a number of events such as birthdays, cash flow, promotions, engagements, and change in direction. You may be asking why this is important. If we know that consumers will spend based off seasons of their lives, this will help us to anticipate when they will have funds to spend. Just because your business does not offer any specific fall product or service does not mean the consumer will not buy!
1. Appeal
The trick to being seasonal is to be creative with your marketing. Maybe you’re a business that operates during the summer months. Well during your off season is a great way to offer promotions for the next summer that will help you ramp up your sales. This is a great way to attract some buss about your company and keep your name in the consumers face all year round.
2. Content
Another factor is changing your content. Maybe you’re a photographer who shoots weddings and we are coming in the winter season. The last thing you want to do is show a summer wedding shot on the home page of your site. Find a winter wedding image or create a winter promo advertisement. A sale is a lot easier to obtain when the consumer can envision themselves before they purchase.
3. Price
If you are selling online then you need to frequently offer different prices. For example why would I never need to come back to your website if knew your prices would never change? Changing your prices gives your consumers an added reason to check back with you.
4. Promotions
I am a firm believer that every company should offer some sort of promotions or specials every now and then. After all who does not like getting a deal? If you’re smart about your promotions you can think of creative ways to turn them into a viral masterpiece. Let your audience do the promotion work for you and, in the end, you capture more potential consumers.
5. Lingo
Large corporations are masters at playing on words to fit the occasion. You have probably heard key phrases such as: “Winter Warm ups” or “Spring into”. Being creative with your lingo can create that extra spice that allows you to capture your consumers’ attention.
6. Featured Items
Changing the content or products on the home page is good way to keep your site looking fresh and updated. Most of your website visitors don’t view every page you have to offer. So this is a great way to present them with new information that may have never noticed before.
7. Sociable
You may be thinking that you don’t have time for Facebook or Twitter. Well that does not mean your audience does not. An amazing 86% of Canadians are using Facebook! Since 2009 Twitter has grown over 1900% in Canada. When is the last time you posted something about your company?
8. Campaign
If you are not using email marketing then you are missing out on a huge opportunity. The fact is that consumers forget your website exists. Email marketing is a great tool to give them a gentle reminder of your seasonal promotions. It also has some amazing tracking capabilities that can provide you with insight and vital information regarding each user.
9. Time
Start planning now! The last thing you want to do is throw something up last minute in an effort to hit the Boxing Day sale. You will end up losing money and giving yourself a bad image. Plan out your efforts and market them well in advance. Users have more money but they also budget it. So planning ahead gives that user time to budget for your upcoming special.
10. Measurable
One of the most valuable pieces of a website is its reporting. Having the ability to identify and or track your seasons or how consumers purchase, which pages/products they viewed, which pages they left on is vital to understanding problems and solutions.