Don't go it alone
Thinking other local businesses are your biggest competitors during Black Friday weekend may not do you any good. A lot of cities and towns celebrate their small businesses with block parties on the main street, concerts – essentially businesses who flourish on Thanksgiving weekend are the ones who band together.
Start creative partnerships with other local businesses that complement yours and vice versa. That way families can make a day of it. Remember, your LOCAL business can offer an experience that no eCommerce website can. If you connect with your customers, they’ll appreciate and remember it.
Focus on customer service, not the sale
Crazy advice, right? Hear me out though. Making a sale is always great, but you’re not in the business to make one sale. You’re in the business of making people happy and creating a loyal customer base. Make sure all of your associates are brushed up on your customer service policies and are light-hearted in general.
Don't fall behind (eCommerce)
As mentioned above, there were more Americans who shopped exclusively online than there were shopped only in-store. While the numbers are close, it would be naïve to think your business wouldn’t benefit greatly from operating an eCommerce website. Not only is Cyber Monday the busiest day for online shopping of the year ($7.9 billion in 2018, over $1 billion more than 2017), the numbers for online sales continue to grow on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and through the rest of the holiday season. Is your website eCommerce-ready? And is your website mobile friendly? The Balance reports 40 percent of 2017's online sales over the 4-day weekend were mobile purchases.
There’s still time to plan and execute your holiday strategies, but it’s time to get going now. Be sure to check out Office Depot for services for your business that could save you stress, time and money this holiday season. It's shopping season, solved.
References and Resources:
Adobe Digital Insights 2018
Digital Commerce360
Business Wire
CNBC
About the Author
Jason Eisenberg is the Community Program Manager for Office Depot, specializing in small business and entrepreneurship. Based in one of the most exciting cities for startups — Austin, TX — Jason is plugged into the business community, often connecting with thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and strategists to help identify and find solutions to common pain points all business owners share.
All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is,” and neither the author nor Office Depot warrants the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.