Many Black Friday and Cyber Monday and general holiday-season sales are built upon customers visiting stores they’ve already frequented, but lots of businesses are seizing the opportunity to convert a first-time buyer. These sorts of hyped events are made for stores to release loss-leaders in an effort to stimulate additional full-price purchases. While much of this seems like a temporary cash-grab, long-term customer loyalty is at stake.

It’s important to remember that your customers are inundated with marketing messages from literally hundreds (if not thousands) of other types of stores, especially around the holidays. Some of these may even be your direct competitors. However, when you begin to take into account the scores of radio and TV commercials, online ads, newspaper inserts, postcards, catalogs, billboards, and newsletters that the average family encounters around the holiday, it’s truly staggering. How can you hope to compete with all of the noise?

Below are three strategic steps on how you can make sure your brand differentiates and dominates during the holiday blitz.

Step 1: Be consistent. (Or, Don’t do anything stupid.)

Merchants that wait until the last minute to plan a holiday promotion can sometimes shoot themselves in the foot from a branding perspective. If you are not traditionally known for being a “low price leader,” you don’t want to start now. Just because you’re nervously eyeing your current inventory shouldn’t be a reason to slap disproportionately huge discounts on your site. People are absolutely looking for deals, but don’t go wild if that’s not part of your existing brand.

Step 2: Make your marketing merry.

Don’t just focus on what you’re doing on the website. Your brand extends to every aspect of how your customers interact with you. If you’ve been reading my other columns, you already know I’m a big proponent of branded marketing such as newsletters. Be sure to give your social media outlets some holiday love as well. Putting up a holiday theme on your Twitter background and customizing your Facebook page shows your customers you’re going the extra mile. Buying is an emotional experience. Ignoring your inner-Scrooge and tapping into the rampant emotions of the holiday season will help to spur sales.

Step 3: Don’t make your customers think.

Remember, the holidays are often a very stressful time for American families. You don’t want to add to their stress by trying to figure out exactly what to buy. They simply don’t have the time or the inclination to sort through hundreds of products on your store. If you follow Steps #1 and #2, that’s going to increase the perception of you as the authority on your products. As the authority, make recommendations on the hottest deals and most popular items. Holiday Buyer’s Guides and specific Deals Pages are great ways to lead your customers’ eyes to the prizes you want them to buy.

Even if you’ve waited this late, there are still many opportunities to maximize your holiday sales effectiveness. If you need help on how to put these three strategic steps in place for your store, fill out our Contact Form or let your EYStudios Account Manager know you’re interested. We’ll get you fixed up!

Happy Holidays!





P.S. Want some proven sales-boosters to help attract and convert customers? Dozens of our awesome EY clients are already getting their stores ready for the holiday frenzy—don’t be left behind!