Get Your Home Business Noticed This Holiday Season

The holiday season represents a prime marketing opportunity for a work at home business owner. This is the time to maximize sales and end the year on a positive note. Whether your business offers products or services, there is an audience waiting and as the holidays near, these folks get more anxious. Put them at ease by making your company easy to find. They will flock to make purchases, causing the season to be merry and bright on both sides of the transaction.

Distinguishing your company from its competitors is always important. This becomes critical during the holiday season when other sellers are offering deals galore. Organize the company website into categories such as gifts for men, women, or children or gifts within different price ranges. Designate a prime spot for the hottest products or services of the season so shoppers will find these immediately upon landing on the site. Promote offerings through electronic newsletters, emails, and social media accounts.

By the time mid-December rolls around, many shoppers are frustrated because they have no idea what to buy. Reduce their anxiety by recommending gifts that your company offers. Suggest different products for family members, friends, and professional acquaintances. Provide special offers for products that must be moved out of inventory or services that have become less popular. This can breathe new life into these offerings before 2012 ends.

Motivate shoppers to make purchases on the spot by having one-day sales and imposing shipping deadlines. This information should be repeated in emails and on each page of the website. As the shipping deadline approaches, upgrade shipping services for faster delivery. For example, convert five-day shipping for December 18 purchases to two or three day shipping without imposing an extra fee. Last-minute shoppers will welcome the flexibility and may make all of their purchases from you.

Take a cue from other companies and express urgency in Tweets, Facebook postings, and email subject lines. Rather than the annoying, “One Day Only!” or “Act Now!” messages, opt for “It isn’t too late,” or “You still have time.” The second set of statements is reassuring, not filled with pressure. Many consumers turn off when they feel under pressure so keep them interested by showing sympathy for their situations. After all, who of us has not faced a holiday shopping deadline at one time?

Despite your best efforts, some shoppers will wait until the day before Hanukkah or December 23 or 24 to buy their gifts. Help them out by offering downloadable electronic gift cards for your business. Shoppers can purchase these online and print or email them to recipients, making the entire process quick and easy.

The apex of the holiday shopping season will arrive on Saturday, December 22. Plan special incentives for this day because it could make or break holiday revenue. Free shipping, buy one get one free, or a free gift with purchase has proven successful for many sellers. Build anticipation with “mystery” emails, Tweets, and Facebook posts so customers will anxiously await the date.