For e-commerce companies, the summer months may be difficult as sales decline. A decrease in sales in the summer months most likely has to do with how people prioritize outdoor activities and vacations in the summer. But, by employing the appropriate tactics, you may not only sustain but also increase your online sales during these customarily slower months. In this blog, we will go over the many strategies to sustain and even improve your sales in the summer season.

Understanding Why Sales Slow Down in the Summer

It is important to understand why this slow season is happening to sustain/increase your sales. In the summer, there is a 30% decrease in e-commerce sales compared to December. Also, businesses may generate 85% more income in September than in August. Let’s look at some factors explaining the decrease in sales:

Content/Email Marketing

• Summer Blogs/Newsletters - Stay up to date with blogs and make the summer blogs a little different than typical blogs throughout the year.
  
• Personalized Offers - Leverage prior purchase information to deliver personalized deals and product suggestions.
  
• Re-engagement strategies - Reach out to inactive customers through email, with special summer offers to re-engage them.

Optimize Your Website for Seasonal Traffic

• Performance Optimization - Make sure your website loads effectively and fast. Potential buyers can be turned off by a slow website, which can also hurt your SEO.
  
• SEO - Include keywords associated with summertime in your updated SEO plan.

Shipping and Returns

• Free shipping - Encourage free shipping if a customer spends a certain amount of money.
  
• Simple and Easy Returns - Emphasize your simple return policy to boost customer confidence and promote sales.
  
• Limited Time Free Shipping - To generate urgency and increase purchases, advertise temporary free delivery offers.
  
• Live Customer Support - Offer live customer support service so that customers can get their questions answered immediately.

Conclusion

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To sustain strong e-commerce sales throughout the summer, you need a combination of strategic promotions, a well-optimized online presence, engaging content, and efficient customer service. By applying these strategies and staying consistent during these slower months, you can maintain sales and satisfied customers all summer long. You will not only maintain sales, but you will increase sales if you take the time to perfect a summer strategy.  Similarly to the months following the holiday season, it can be hard to stay motivated when sales fall. Allow the slower seasons of sales to be time to perfect your marketing strategy and rise above.