Is Your Small Business Ready for the High- Season?

A 5-step guide and housekeeping for small business owners put in place to help them shine, ahead of and in, the high-season opening and activities.

Let’s Start Off with Some Housekeeping and Small Business Basics

3 Signs That Make Customer's Feel Like Your Business is Legit

1. You Have a Google Business Profile – One of the first recommendations I make to all of my clients is to create their Google Business Profile or GBP. You do not need a website to have a GBP and it takes time to get verified. Consider starting this process before creating your website. Why do you need one? It’s inevitable that at one time or another, you will be searched via Google, so you want to be found.
   

2. Create a Website – Nothing says "professional" more than a website. Many consumers say that being able to find a business' website online, even if slightly outdated, is what makes the business legitimate for them. If you're just starting out and creating a full blown website seems too hard, time consuming or costs too much, create a one-page scrolling website. (How far it scrolls is up to you.) Just be sure to include:

   • Who You Are

   • The Services/Products You Sell (Select services or products is fine if you're not e-commerce.)

   • How to Contact You, including Hours
     

3. Purchase Your Email Domain – Owning your own email domain is mandatory if you ever plan to include email marketing - which I highly recommend. Gone are the days of using free-domains like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or dare I say AOL (though I’ve had 2 clients who clung onto their AOL accounts) if you want to reach your customers Inbox. The cost can be as low as approximately $7 per month.

I know these basic steps may seem like a lot to do, but hopefully you're on the side of just tweaking things. All in all, if you focus all of your efforts on putting these in place, you could get it all done in a week or less, depending on the platform you choose to build your site as well. I'm a big fan of Wix, other friends love SquareSpace. As a retailer or e-commerce business I'd encourage you to look at Shopify. The first are somewhat plug and play and can make your landing page/home page easier.

Now That We've Got the Basics Down, Let's Talk About What Small Businesses Need to Get Ready for Their High-Season

Here are my marketing tips and tricks to get it right this season. These include updates, planning, ideas and I've even included a few Pro Tips for you.

1. Google Business Profile Start out by updating your profile:

   • Have You Marked Your Business as Open?

   • Are Your Hours Correct?

   • Has any of the store's information or description changed?

   • Don't forget to check your reviews. Have you responded to all of them? Better late than never but as these can be a lifeline for your business, stay up-to-date on responding to the good and bad ones.

   • Create a FREE Update/Post. These look almost like a Google Ad but are FREE. You can share an update to announce your opening, a promotion, sales and more. Why wouldn't you want to have an extra billboard that pops up for others to see when they find you via Google?

     • PRO TIP: I use a 1200 x 800px graphic with a great photo and quick headline for mine. Then go into more detail in the caption. You can change up posts as often as weekly.
       

2. Social Media

   • Identify where your ideal customer is "playing." Post on those channels.

     • PRO TIP: You don't have to be on all social channels, no matter what anyone else says. The main goal is to be where your customers are looking for you.

   • Is your bio up-to-date with a snappy overview and hours? Don't forget to remove outdated links while you're there.

     • Soon Instagram is allowing accounts to include links in the captions. (I hear you need to be verified to get this perk.)

   • Plan your posts before the high-season kicks in. (Use a printed calendar if you need to -- I do.) Plot out when you're going to post and the content. If you're ambitious you can start the actual creation process too.

     • Plan to share posts on a schedule that works for you, not anyone else. The key is consistency vs. frequency. Many successful businesses only post 1-2x per week. Your business does not have share 7x per week unless you're a restaurant, and even then you may not need seven.

     • When your staff is on board for the season, you can enlist a trusted member to help with posts. This not only alleviates the pressure, but it can make staff member(s) feel valued.

   • Ensure that posts are aligned with your positioning, target audience, brand identity (colors) and values. Sure humor is great to use, but is that your personality? Make sure it feels like you or your business first and foremost.

     • Don't have these foundations in place? Set aside time now to create them, otherwise you're wasting marketing dollars reaching no one with forgettable content vs. being engaging to your ideal customer.

   • Not sure what to post? Why not try:

     • BTS of you getting ready for the season and your opening date

     • Share the store front. If you have someone unfamiliar with the area and visiting you for the first time, this post can be a guidepost for them to find you easily.

     • Give a sneak peek of your inventory

     • Share a shout out to your preferred vendors and their products

     • Ask for a review
       

3. Website Updates Your website should reflect you and what your business is doing today vs. last season. The content should also be customer-forward, meaning, talk to your customers vs. simply talking about yourself. Make your updates now before you get bogged down with the day-to-day. Here are questions to ask yourself:

   • Is your copyright date current? If it's not set up to automatically update, do this before making any updates. Keep your content protected.

   • Does the site copy reflect who you are, what you do/sell and for whom? (Keep the language customer-centric for success.)

   • Are there any changes to the type of inventory or services that you offer that need updating? This includes removing old products and uploading new ones.

   • Can you refresh any of your testimonials or reviews? Reviews prompt 85% more sales.

   • How fast does your site load? Does the flow make for a great user experience?
     

4. B-Roll Video & Content Planning For the High-Season B-Roll are videos of you doing mundane, everyday tasks that make your business run. While you may think no one cares, loyal customers and fans DO CARE. They want to see the "secret sauce" behind what you do. And prepping for the re-opening, yeah they are getting excited just like you to come back and shop. For those camera-shy owners, B-Roll video is great for video posts/reels where you place text on top. You'll get the visibility bang for the video without sharing your face. Don't forget to schedule and plan for filming any events or special reoccurring promos in the upcoming season now -- when you're in the thick of things, this can fall off your radar. Plot these on the camera - with reminders ahead and on the day-of.
   

   Example: I work with one non-profit who did an annual egg hunt. When it came time to promote it, I asked if they had any photos or videos to share - they did not. We made do, but when the event happened, I was on scene to film it, from the pre-hunt, to capturing the kids running around looking for eggs. They thanked me when the following year rolled around and they had actual footage to drum up excitement.) Here are some great B-Roll Ideas to film:

   • Unpacking/unboxing new merchandise for the season. I know some businesses who sold out their new merch before it even hit the floor using this technique

   • Shipping out orders Yes share the wrapping it up, labeling and even dropping it in the mailbox.

   • Working on emails or social (For privacy don't have camera pointed directly at screen.)

   • Taking a walk "Main Street" where your business resides. I love this one as it also gives context to your location for those only familiar with you online. When searching in person, it gives them landmarks to look out for.

   • What your town/location looks like in different seasons. If you're a tourist destination you'll have customers longing to get back and excited to see what it looks like when they're not there.

   There are so many more B-Roll videos you can film. Plan and film what you can now. Once you're in high gear you won't have time or won't remember or likely have time to film as often. Next off-season, keep the momentum going! Don't forget to plan for high-season video content. Not only do videos help quickly share your store's personality, they are also great for staff profiles, promotions and merchandise drops!
   

5. Email Collection Email can seem daunting but we've all had to start somewhere. The most common response I get when I talk to clients who run email marketing campaigns, "I wish I started collecting emails sooner." Whether you are ready to initiate an email marketing plan or not, having a way to capture them as soon as possible in your business is a good thing. Here are some ways you can do it:

   • Create a QR Code at your cash register for quick capture.

     • You can make a free QR Code at QR Code Monkey that includes your logo.

       • Note: QR Codes aren't necessary just faster. It's 100% OK to go old school and have a small form customers fill out and drop in a jar.

   • Run a promotion where an email is the entry point to win

   • Add a capture on your website - either in the footer or a pop-up box.

   • Include as part of your check out process - just be sure to disclose.

   • Service Providers, create a lead magnet (sharing valuable content in exchange for personal information).

In terms of messaging, be transparent about the use. (You don't have to guarantee the timing.) Next share the value of signing up. It can be for VIP/First access to promotions, deals or discounts or simply a newsletter. The VIP Status/First Access is great because everyone loves a good deal and early access. PRO TIP: make sure when you do execute any email marketing that you include an easy way to unsubscribe. (It does happen and it's the law.)

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So much goes into running retail and seasonal, small businesses, I know it can feel overwhelming at times. While there are many more things that you can do ahead of your season, I'm of the mindset of starting small. See if you can break down the tasks above into smaller ones first. Doing it slowly and systematically will add up. You can always add more if you get through any tasks or To Do List quickly.

The same is true for posting. While you may feel your customers expect 3-4 posts a week, they do not. They do however, look for you to be active - and stories (not mentioned here) can "appear" to be posts in the minds of your customers. (They're also easier to do.) Just be consistent. Add a consistent number of posts as is feasible until your seasonal-help arrives. Someone on staff may be able to help lighten the load.

In all things marketing, consistency is key. You want to be consistent in your frequency but more importantly with your brand positioning; knowing and speaking to your target audience; and writing with the customer in mind vs. you, the business owner. It's about "them" vs. "you."

Let me know if you think I've missed anything or what tips you have on your list. I'm always looking for new ideas to share.

Need more support? We go over many of these concepts tips in more detail in our Off-Season Survival Guide Workshop. While an excellent resource and guide to marketing in the off-season, may businesses continue to employ the tips and tactics when they return to their high-season activities, which makes this a great workshop to attend at any time of year.