How to Deal with eCommerce Slow Season
FAQs
What causes slow seasons in eCommerce?
Slow seasons occur after busy shopping holidays when consumers have overspent and need time to recover financially. Times of year when people focus more on health, fitness and summer activities also bring dips in online shopping.
How much can sales drop during slow periods?
eCommerce sales can decline by 30% or more during slow seasons compared to busy shopping times around the winter holidays and summer vacation.
What's the #1 way to boost sales in slow seasons?
Running creative contests, giveaways and other promotions is the most effective tactic for engaging both existing and new customers during slumps.
Why focus on loyal customers?
Your most reliable shoppers provide a steady revenue stream year-round. Giving them VIP perks helps maintain sales plus earns referrals and organic word-of-mouth promotion.
How can you use slow times to help future sales?
Downtime provides the perfect opportunity to overhaul product info, images, descriptions, support articles and other website content. Improving content quality and usefulness pays dividends.
What about offering discounts during slow periods?
Strategic deals and sales can certainly help move inventory. But avoid going overboard with sitewide promotions that diminish the perceived value of your products and brand.
How else can you bring in revenue besides sales?
Consider introducing affiliate promotions, advertising, sponsored content opportunities and other non-sales revenue streams to help stabilize your bottom line year round.
