How to deal with a sales drop during the summer

There are multiple factors that can influence the growth of the business: In fact, in addition to the daily management of orders, shipments and marketing activities, it is now essential to implement a series of strategies aimed at avoiding the so-called e-commerce summer slump, also known as the decline in sales during the summer season. The summer months are among the busiest periods for managing an e-Commerce business: there is less user engagement, a higher cart abandonment rate and a subsequent decline in conversions. This is primarily due to consumers allocating their budgets towards travel, vacations, and outdoor activities, resulting in less time spent on online shopping and reduced use of electronic devices and engagement with e-Commerce platforms. Globally, e-Commerce traffic drops by 30% between July and September, before picking up with Black Friday promotions, according to research conducted by Parcel Monitor.

To avoid this decline, it is possible to influence users' decisions and guide them throughout the online purchasing process.However, a number of strategies can be implemented to capitalize on the opportunities present during this period , which are expected to increase in the future as well: according to data provided by Insider Intelligence, online sales are expected to reach 7 trillion dollars worldwide within the next two years.Let us look at the best strategies to adopt to optimize sales during the summer.

Strategies to optimize sales during the summer

Companies that are experiencing  an e-commerce summer slump and intercepting new business opportunities can undertake a series of activities aimed at stimulating customer engagement and enhancing the performance of their online business.  By adopting more suitable digital solutions it is possible to maintain a strong online presence and identify the needs of the target audience even during the summer months. Modern digital tools for the development of e-Commerce enable companies to  best meet their customers’ needs and overcome the risks associated with seasonality.

There are many strategies that can be implemented to optimize summer sales:

Generating  a sense of urgency and exclusivity. To encourage the purchase of summer products, it is possible to implement timed promotions on specific categories of items.  Limited-time offers, both on a daily and weekly basis, along with customized promotions, can be useful for clearing out inventories. A psychological principle that can be exploited in this context is scarcity: Communicating a sense of urgency and scarcity surrounding  products can increase the perception of their value, leading to an increased likelihood of conversions.This strategy can create an atmosphere of exclusivity and prompt customers to make quicker purchasing decisions. 

Increasing  visibility on social media. It is important to expand your marketing efforts to reach an increasingly large audience segment. One effective way to achieve this is by leveraging the opportunities provided by social networks, which enable continuous engagement with the target audience throughout the entire purchasing journey.  After updating your social networking pages with personalized cover images for the summer period, it is fundamental to  create a well-structured editorial plan that creates engagement with  the public. Customers will then be more inclined to conclude an online purchase.

Using live shopping. To captivate the audience's attention,   you can explore the latest digital marketing trend of  live shopping, also known as live commerce. This innovative format involves leveraging live streaming to sell products, providing an interactive and engaging shopping experience for the audience. According to the latest data from Statista, last year, in the United States alone, the purchase of products in live shopping reached 17 billion dollars and is expected to triple within the next three years.

Improving  user experience. One of the most  effective strategies for dealing with the summer period involves  activities aimed at improving the customer experience on the brand's website. Identifying bottlenecks in the purchasing process and optimizing every aspect of the online platform can help you improve the overall customer experience, increasing customers retention and acquiring  new ones. According to data reported by Exploding Topics, 92.3% of users worldwide access the internet using a mobile device and approximately 55.4% use it to purchase a product or service online. Therefore, it becomes essential to implement necessary changes such as improving website loading speed, streamlining the product addition process to the cart, and ensuring the platform is mobile-friendly. 

Building customer loyalty. A comprehensive  and effective marketing plan must also take into account the post-purchase stage, when users start to get familiar  with the goods  or services they have chosen. During this stage, it's important to maintain an active dialogue with customers, which may include requests for feedback, promotional offers, or personalized content to encourage  further purchases. Direct mailing stands out as one of the most impactful solutions for establishing a lasting relationship with customers. It ensures a positive and consistent brand image and can be seamlessly integrated with digital mailing services.  

To overcome the e-commerce summer slump challenges and foster the development of its online business, Mail Boxes Etc. offers professional and complete digital solutions to help companies build and maintain a solid online presence.

The digital services for MBE e-Commerce support companies during the sale of products in the main marketplaces and are compatible with the most popular online sales platforms. Optimize your online business with MBE digital services.