It seems like we’ve been Posting Valentine’s Day cards for less than five minutes. Now we’re surrounded by half-eaten Easter eggs, waiting for the next seasonal trend to hit.
Before you know it, summer is here – but is your online store ready? It is vital for any business to stay ahead of its competitors. Don’t just choose obvious summer items that every store will carry, such as plain white on-demand printed T-shirts here. Do your research and discover current fashion or gift trends, then design your inventory around them.
When you’re running a print on demand business, it’s crucial to conduct due diligence and planning ahead of time – read on for our important tips on getting your online store summer ready.
Cool product
Running a print on demand business allows you to be bolder in your sales. You don’t have to worry about empty bedrooms filled with boxes of unwanted items, and you’re free to take risks to get your product noticed.
Sales of some products, such as light clothing, are seasonal. Customers do not want to wear long-sleeved shirts and hooded tops during the warmer months, so make sure they are not the first thing customers see when they visit your online store.
Think of your online store as a real-life shop window where you can put all the best and relevant products in the most prominent place for everyone to see. During the summer, make sure your relevant seasonal products are the first things customers notice.
The focus needs to be on what will sell now, but don’t try to second guess your customers. Your goal is to get people to buy your summer products, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in your other products as well.
It’s important to look beyond the clothes and take a good look at what accessories are hot and tailor some designs to that market.Products such as tote bags are perfect for going to the beach (assuming, on a positive note, that we can still go on a beach holiday despite COVID-19). Add a great summer-style design to this product that will effortlessly appeal to any sunbathing fanatics in the audience.
Hot design
Make sure any promotional messages — whether via email or an online advertising campaign — reflect the mood of the season from a design perspective and take advantage of any annual color deviations. Trends for 2023 will include contrasting shades of gray and yellow. Bright, warm colors are always great for attracting attention and are synonymous with summer. Knowing the psychology of popular colors may not be a strategy you’re familiar with, but it can also serve as a useful consideration when choosing the perfect color palette for summer sales.
Summer discount
Once you’ve decided on the products you want to focus on and the designs that will attract customers, consider enticing potential shoppers with value offers. Don’t tweet or post on Facebook just for the sake of it, constantly promoting your product will quickly get old and the impact of your posts will fade. Keep your post in context, something like “Don’t miss out on the best tanning beds this summer and buy your beach towel today!” Attach a picture of the towel you want to sell.
This paints a good picture of how you can use the product and get your customers ready for the upcoming holiday season. For example, families going on vacation will want to pack more than one beach towel. Influence their spending habits by offering “buy one beach towel, second half off” to capture the attention of customers who will be keen to save as much money as possible.
Another option is to offer free gifts or special deals. Something like “Buy a beach towel and get a free tote bag” is a great way to advertise your store’s product mix. About 67 percent of consumers admitted to buying a product they didn’t intend to buy after seeing a coupon or discount.
Social media can be your best friend when it comes to getting noticed. You can empathize with your followers and even offer them rewards. Create a theme tag associated with your brand and offer customers rewards such as “free items worth £15” or “25% off voucher” if they send in their own photos (including the theme tag) featuring your product.
Running flash sales is another way to help you grow your business. The reason behind this is to entice customers to decide to buy your product on the spot. Flash sales are often used to help unload excess inventory, but you’re a print-on-demand store, so this won’t be an issue for you.
The main reason for flash sales is to increase brand awareness. It is seen as a short-term solution, but if executed properly, you can get your brand message to the right people.
Case maker Case-Mate, to give a good example, ran two flash sales in two weeks to see if it would be beneficial in the long run.
The first test showed a 51% increase in traffic and a 50% increase in conversion, while the second sale showed a 5% increase in traffic and a 105% increase in conversion.
Another great way to advertise your store and get your products noticed is to bundle certain items together. For example, “Great shoes, do you need a bag to go with them?”
Locate your promotions
As you can see, it’s not just a case of filling your store with product and hoping for the best. Take the time to study recent trends and plan your next moves in advance, especially when it comes to upcoming seasonal events.
Keep in mind that customers love deals and freebies, so seriously consider running a summer sale to get people talking about your product.
Conclusion
In conclusion, getting your print on demand store summer-ready is all about staying ahead of the competition and being bold in your sales. Conducting due diligence, focusing on relevant products, and using hot designs and colors are essential for attracting customers. Offering summer discounts, social media rewards, flash sales, and bundled items can also help increase brand awareness and get your products noticed. By following these tips and being creative, you can make the most of the summer season and ensure your print on demand store is ready for anything. So, let’s get ready for the summer and make it a successful one for your online business!
