5 ways to get more sales this summer

The UK’s been blessed with some fantastic weather over the last few weeks; certainly a lot better than some areas saw last year.

Summer is definitely here and it’s looking like it could be a hot one. Great news if you have an ice cream van; bad news if you rely on people not enjoying themselves outside. If 80% of your turnover comes through the internet, hot weather and the holiday season is going to mean fewer people sat behind a computer at night buying things.

And with the UK determined to talk itself into a recession, you should take every step you can to keep your revenue as high as you can now.

In every problem lies the seed of opportunity. Here are five ideas from the Bytestart team to get more sales this summer.

1) Offer a summer bargain

If people aren’t buying as much, then take it as an opportunity to sell more product, albeit for less profit. A summer sale is a great excuse to clear out old stock or push a new item. You can give a straight discount, or bundle products more attractively, such as buy one get one free, etc.

If you sell services why not give some of your add-on services away free? It’s a great way to get clients sampling something that they may go on to buy after the summer.

Whatever you do remember to promote it long and hard. Sales are there to attract attention; they won’t work if you hide them away.

2) Capitalise on the weather

People buy for one of two reasons: to fix a problem or to feel good. If the sun’s shining they’ll probably be feeling great, so grab hold of that and use it. If you sell summer products, especially impulse buys, don’t be afraid to put your prices up. At the point they absolutely want it; people will pay a little more without thinking.

Can you add products or services that are perfect for the summer? Even if they become loss leaders, that’s great if they attract new people to your business. Unexpected bad weather can also be a potential boost. If yours is the only shop selling umbrellas during August showers, you’ll make a mint.

3) Appeal to stressed parents

The summer means no school for children and six weeks of hell for parents! What does your business do that can make it easier for them? Can your service give them some valuable time back? Would your product keep the kids busy for a whole day, guaranteed? Maybe you could give a family pass to a theme park away with every purchase over £100?

A key starting point of great marketing is to put yourself in the shoes of the customer and look at their needs and wants. Hassled parents with bored kids make this easy for you.

4) Change your packaging

As people’s moods change, so should the way you package whatever you sell to suit the season. Changing packaging is about altering the way people perceive the product or service.

If people need what you sell to go on holiday, package it so they feel good buying it. Imagine if your travel insurance company sent you a little postcard wishing you a good trip just before you went away?

If you make something people buy all year round, change the way it is perceived to sell more in the summer. If you make little padlocks, you could repackage them as “travel locks” for the summer.

There’s also an opportunity to bundle products together to shift unpopular items with hot ones (you can position the bundled item as a ‘free gift’).

5) Look ahead

At all times of the year people look ahead to what’s next. Nothing is more annoying to a teenager than seeing the words “back to school” in every shop in mid-August. But it’s the retailer’s way of reminding parents what’s around the corner.

In reminding people, you can push the things you want to sell now. A heating company could offer a 10% discount to anyone that has their boiler serviced or replaced during the summer, knowing it will reduce their crazy workload at the sign of the first cold snap (when boilers tend to break).

Could your shop become famous for always being the first to stock Christmas decorations each year? Or only take orders and deposits for unique handmade Christmas cakes up to September? Look at the key seasonal trends that affect your business and work them.