3 TIPS TO INCREASE HOLIDAY JEWELRY SALES
a guest post by Erin Mooney
November and December are the busiest shopping months of the year and for a lot of handmade vendors, a time to bring in enough revenue to get through the slower months. Take advantage of the busy season and use the following 3 tips to boost sales.
GET SHOPPERS IN THE SPIRIT
Out of sight, out of mind so give shoppers a little nudge to get started on holiday shopping by using subtle cues. Consider when Starbucks introduces a new drink. Eggnog Latte and Peppermint Mocha posters are put up and red Christmas cups are swapped in. Those visual cues remind people to change up their drink order and take advantage of holiday flavors while they can.
Update your website or online shop with festive images or new shopping sections (e.g. Gifts for Her Under $50). You could snap a few new product shots adding faux snow, wrapped presents or a Christmas tree in the background. If you’re selling at craft fairs, use similar props in your space. Wrap empty boxes to look like presents and use them as risers, display necklaces on Styrofoam snowmen or hang items from a mini Christmas tree. Just a few small touches are all you need.
HELP SHOPPERS OUT
Everybody stresses about getting ready for the holidays so make shopping easy. Offer gift ideas to cross off each person on their list and appeal to multiple budgets. Stocking stuffers are typically under $20, gifts for acquaintances may be $20 and up, friends’ gifts may be closer to $50 and over $100 can be spent on family. Do you offer products in each price range? Perhaps you could make smaller ornaments in the lower-price range and bundle products together to create gift sets in the higher-price range.
No matter how much someone is spending, they want the recipient to see the thought they’ve put in. Can you add any extra details to increase the perceived value of your products? Perhaps you could offer gift boxes, gift-wrapping or personalized tags. Add it as a perk for the holidays or as an additional cost.
CREATE URGENCY
When I run a promotion I send multiple emails to my subscribers. The closer the email is to the promotion expiry date, the greater the response. When there’s a ticking clock, we tend to move a task up the to-do list. Add a little urgency to your sales technique by creating a limited time offer, exclusive product line or “must have orders in by” date.
You can add a banner to the top of your website counting down the days left to get orders in. Or send a promo code to your newsletter subscribers that expires in 7 days (be sure to remind them as that date gets closer!). At craft fairs, add a chalkboard sign to update stock levels on popular items (e.g. Only 3 left!). Or use social media to let followers know you’re offering a free gift with purchase or discount to the first 20 shoppers. Never create fake urgency (e.g. “Only 3 left” when there’s 10 more under the table) or price yourself out of a profit to offer a discount.
Erin Mooney is the founder of the 100% free online marketplace, Made Urban. She is also a craft fair veteran, starting and growing her own handmade business for over a decade and learning all the ins and out, do’s and don’ts and secrets to small business success along the way. She shares all her knowledge on Made Urban’s NEWS page and through her ebook MAKE MORE MONEY AT CRAFT FAIRS – How to be the Busiest Booth.