Attention, small businesses: Shoppers love you.
According to a the Deluxe Annual Holiday Shopping Survey, 35 percent of consumers (up from last year's 27 percent) claim that they're going to head towards small, local businesses to get their shopping done this holiday season. 57 percent of this number is doing so because they believe that it is “important to support local businesses.”
The survey is riddled with nuggets of wisdom, so all small businesses should listen closely.
Online Visibility is Critical.
A whopping 78 percent of surveyors reported that they would be looking online for holiday gifts online this season. This makes internet marketing all the more important for small businesses; provided that consumers can find you online, they will choose you over bigger competitors. A lot of different facets go into a successful marketing campaign: social media, blogs and an aesthetic site are all key components.
SEO is the Key to Success.
Consumers have short attention spans. 51 percent of survey respondents reported that they typically do not look past the first two search engine results pages if they're looking online for gifts. In order to make sure that you feature prominently in search results, give your SEO a boost.
Show Your Love.... Early.
Customers are getting an early start this year. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are big events for shoppers, only 15 percent of consumers claim that that will be when they do the bulk of their holiday shopping. In fact, 42 percent of respondents claim that they will get started in early November. Boost your business with special promotions and sales early in the season... And help your shoppers beat the rush.
If you feel too consumed by the day-to-day of your business, why not ask an online marketing company to help you out? Armed with a little bit of SEO and internet marketing bolstering, your small business will be in the position to take corporate giants by storm this year.
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