Cyber Monday brings a major boost to online sales each year, and with the growing shift towards eCommerce, it has become a pivotal opportunity for businesses of all kinds. While this is great for retailers who have products that are easy to sell online, what if you own a service-oriented business that doesn’t offer anything quite tangible?
Whether you run a cleaning service, an auto repair shop, a financial investment firm or another kind of service business, there are smart ways to make the most of the special sales holiday. Here are a few bright ideas.
Create a custom landing page
Cyber Monday is a major opportunity to boost sales, but you need a way to convince all digital window shoppers to buy what you’re selling. That’s where a compelling landing page comes in.
Your landing page acts as the gateway for visitors to your website. By tailoring this page to the Cyber Monday theme, you can create a sense of excitement and urgency that will encourage visitors to explore your offerings and make purchases. It’s an effective way to capture the attention of potential customers and make sure they don’t miss out on the great deals you have for this special shopping day.
Here are a few tips for creating a high-converting Cyber Monday landing page:
- Start with a clear and concise headline. What’s the biggest benefit of your product or service? What are your best deals? Tell shoppers in your headline so they know exactly what they’re getting.
- Highlight your best deals. Don’t make shoppers dig for your best deals. Put them front and center on your landing page.
- Make it easy to shop. Your landing page should be easy to navigate, with large, clear calls to action.
Promote Cyber Monday incentives
Although you won’t be providing a service for all of your customers on Cyber Monday, why not offer an incentive to those who join, book a session, or take whatever initial step to guarantee you increase business on this day?
Also, just because Cyber Monday is a time when customers are accustomed to snagging a deal doesn’t mean you need to offer your service at a discount. Adding a free complementary product to accompany your service (think a hair care product for a client who purchases a series of five haircuts) or an add-on to enhance the customer’s experience (a free fertilizer treatment added to a lawn care service) can trigger that same psychological push to get your customer to make a purchase. Be sure to use your social media channels and your website to promote whatever incentive you choose or create a contest that offers followers a chance to win a prize for commenting on or sharing your post to increase its visibility and engagement.
Partner with influencers
Depending on your target market segment, your customers are likely active on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Each of these platforms has its own merits as a non-traditional advertising channel, and using an influencer on your market’s preferred platform is a great way to take advantage of Cyber Monday.
If your services are fashion or beauty-related, look to Instagram and find a fashion influencer with a significant number of followers who would be willing to promote your business. If you cater to more business-minded customers, you can apply the same logic and find a LinkedIn source with a significant number of followers to set up an endorsement. You will gain the exposure of that individual’s followers along with the credibility of a testimonial from a source your potential customers already know and trust.
Launch a new offering
Use the suspense of the impending Cyber Monday (which inevitably goes longer than the one day) to launch a new or rebranded service. Maybe you’re a microblading eyebrow artist who has decided to branch out and offer training for others who are attracted to the trending field, or perhaps you are a nail technician or a pet groomer who has added mobile visits to alleviate concerns of being in a crowded public setting. Whether it’s brand new or not, you can capitalize on the hype of shoppers’ expectations for Cyber Monday by unveiling your latest offering on your website to coincide with the big day. A promotional video to highlight the new service is an ideal way to make this happen since videos typically add to the length of time a visitor stays on your site which helps to generate brand engagement and revenue.
Build an email campaign
Email campaigns are a great way to leverage your existing customer base and nurture relationships while driving sales during the Cyber Monday rush. You can segment your email list to send targeted emails to different groups of customers. For example, you can send reminder emails with special discount codes to customers who have abandoned their carts. Or, you can send exclusive Cyber Monday deals to past customers. You can also send emails to prospective customers highlighting the value of your services and your limited-time Cyber Monday discounts.
Each email should have an engaging subject line, high-quality visuals, and a clear call to action. You can schedule and automate your email campaigns to reach customers at the best times. And you can monitor your performance to fine-tune your strategy.
Create urgency
Cyber Monday is a limited-time event, so it’s important to create a sense of urgency to encourage customers to shop. You can do this by offering exclusive deals that are only available for a limited time or by offering discounts that decrease as Cyber Monday goes on.
Here are some additional tips for creating urgency:
- Use countdown timers on your website and social media posts.
- Offer early access to deals to loyal customers or email subscribers.
- Promote limited-time deals and flash sales.
- Create a sense of scarcity by highlighting limited inventory or limited time offers.
- Use urgency-inducing language in your marketing materials, such as “limited time offer,” “while supplies last,” and “don’t miss out.”
Look to Web.com for online solutions
When you’re looking to make the most of business opportunities during the holiday season and beyond, Web.com has the online solutions you need. From building a website and website hosting packages to professional email accounts and eCommerce tools, look to us to help take your business to new levels of success. We’ve helped over 3 million small businesses enhance their online images and we’re ready to do the same for you.
Plan for Cyber Monday Success
Think of Cyber Monday as an opportunity to engage with your customer base online while engaging new potential customers. It may seem as though the day is geared towards retail-oriented companies, but there is certainly a place for service providers too. Use these tips to help make the most of this opportunity and create lasting customer engagement.
