Bytestart - The online small business portal
Search over 2000 Articles!


FREE Business banking forever
With Abbey you can enjoy free day-to-day business banking, forever! Call us now on 0800 085 3099 or click here to find out how.


5 ways to get more sales this summer

 print  e-mail 

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.


Related Articles

Posted May 30, 2008


Easy Accountancy


  • For an essential business insurance cover quote, visit Hiscox
  • You can set up a Limited Company online right away via our partner - Duport
  • Online accounting system for small companies - for under £60 per month
  • Compare Business Insurance - with Simply Business

Latest articles in Sales Guides
 
Six steps to improve your sales results
How start-ups can improve their sales and marketing by looking at a similar set of core issues, such as finding your market, identifying your USP, getting your message across, and making sure you have the right tools for the job. [July 3, 2009]
 
10 ways to keep customers happy during the downturn
Small business owners will be working hard (and longer hours) to offset the effects of the economic downturn. Whereas customers may have flocked to you during the boom, now you need to go that extra mile to keep existing customers happy, and gain some new ones. Here are some top tips. [February 4, 2009]
 
Sales promotions - alternatives to price cutting
Increasingly, companies of all sizes, and especially brands and those with a defined image, are aware that price cutting can have disastrous long term effects on both the general public’s perception of the brand and on company profits. Here's how you can win more business by using sales promotions instead of cutting your prices. [January 23, 2009]
 
How to convert more leads into sales
One of the biggest sales and marketing problems businesses can face is getting people who seem interested in buying something to actually take the plunge and hand over their money. Here are some ideas to improve your sales conversion rate. [January 7, 2009]
 
Rapport building and product knowledge - the keys to effective selling
Why do so many people and organisations insist on following a script when they are selling? It’s obvious that it’s insulting and it does nothing to build rapport. Here's a guide to generating sales effectively without using a script. [December 19, 2008]
 
How to keep winning clients during a recession
There are two key things small business owners should look out for throughout 2009. The first is to hang on to the clients you already have. Secondly, get out there and keep winning new clients. Here are some ideas to help you achieve these aims. [December 15, 2008]
 
Make it harder for customers to walk away
The easiest money your business can get is from existing clients. Someone who has a relationship with you is much more likely to spend money with you again. Here are seven ways you can make it harder for existing customers to walk away from your business: [December 8, 2008]
 
Improve your sales by understanding the numbers
How to put into place a successful sales model, and how to effectively understand the numbers that affect leads turning into revenue. How to test changes in order to generate more revenue. [October 27, 2008]
 
Why we fear selling and how you can overcome it
The fear of selling is something which most first time business owners suffer from. In this article we look at what lies behind a fear of selling and what you can do to overcome it. [October 20, 2008]
 
Turn the credit crunch into a powerful sales tool
Why smaller businesses may be better placed that their larger rivals to profit during a downturn. We look at how you can capitalise on the credit crunch and turn it into a powerful sales tool for your business. [October 20, 2008]
 
10 tips to maximise online sales over the festive season
As more and more people shop online, web-based retailers are hoping for record sales this Christmas, despite a downturn in High Street retail figures. Here are some tips to maximise your sales over the festive season. [September 11, 2008]
 
Sales prospects - do you speak their language?
In this guide we look at one of the areas that can make a big difference on results - how we communicate with our prospects and clients [June 17, 2008]
 
5 ways to get more sales this summer
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. Here are five ideas to get more sales this summer. [May 30, 2008]
 
How to sell to the big retailers
If your new business makes a product that you want to sell to the general public, then one of the most important factors in your future success will be great distribution. [April 30, 2008]
 
Do you know what your sales people are saying to your customers?
Do you really know what your sales people are saying to your customers? Here are some of the common mistakes you must stop your sales people from making, otherwise your customers will desert you. [March 18, 2008]
 
 Our Partners
Hiscox Office Insurance
Instant Online Quotation
Free Day-to-Day Banking
Abbey - 0800 085 3099
Barclays Business
Banking for Start-ups
Sole Trader Accounts
Just £30+VAT/month
Warehouse & Distribution
Solutions from Royal Mail
Form a Limited Company
Complete Online Service
Compare Quotes
Business Insurance Cover
2 Years FREE Banking
Alliance & Leicester

Click Here

 Key Services
£20 Free Postage
& 30 Day No Ties Trial
Virtual Office Service
For full details click here.
Crunch Online Accounts
Under £60 per month!
Public Liability Cover
Are You Insured?
Cashflow Problems?
Try Invoice Financing
Client Credit Checking
Online Company Reports
Broadband, Hosting & IT
Small Business Specialists








Click Here