SUMMER SPECIAL FOR E-SHOPS: How to boost sales in summer and be productive?

Online sales tend to slow down in the summer in a wide range of sectors, from stationery to home appliances. There are several reasons for this:

1. School holidays. When school-age children go on holiday, sales of stationery as well as children's clothing and footwear may decrease significantly. However, don't be too discouraged – sales of such products will see a huge spike in the run-up to September, so it's worth preparing in advance for.


2. Good weather. As the weather gets warmer, many people will naturally spend less time in front of the computer and more time in the countryside and the city. This can certainly have an impact on online sales. Also, when walking around the city, people prefer to visit physical stores, cool down in air-conditioned spaces, and check out the items in person, unlike in winter, when it is more convenient to shop online from the warmth and comfort of their own homes.


3. Holiday plans. Often, when summer starts, travel-loving shoppers are far more willing to spend part of their budget on travelling rather than online shopping. Also, some items, especially clothing, are usually something that travellers plan to buy during their holidays. "I won't buy the dress now, maybe I'll find something nice in Italy", "My friend's birthday is coming up, maybe I'll find something unique during my trip to Greece", etc. This also explains the slowdown in online shopping during summer.


4. Experiences vs. things. Also, during summer, shoppers are more likely to treat themselves and their friends to some fun activities rather than things. Gifts such as skydiving, hot-air ballooning, concerts, restaurant dinners, or kayaking become more popular. Wanting to spend time together in summer when the days are longer is something of a contrast to winter when the days are short and dark and everyone is caught up in the Christmas rush, often choosing to give a physical, beautifully wrapped gift, rather than spend time together.

Although a slight drop in online sales is a fairly normal sign of the summer season, it's certainly best not to sit back and relax. Here are our tips and ideas on how you can reduce, if not eliminate, the drop.

1. Sell and promote seasonal products
   A fairly common practice, certainly used by all clothing and footwear stores, which can be adapted across other sectors. For example, there is some seasonality even in book sales. It is quite common to give books as gifts in winter because it is so nice to spend the long, cold winter evenings reading a novel or biography. In summer, on the other hand, you might want to read something lighter, something that you can take with you to the beach, read outside and enjoy the sunshine, something like travel books, popular psychology books, etc.

2. Do not rely solely on online advertising
   As already mentioned, people spend less time browsing the internet in summer, including social networks. If your business relies solely on social networks and their advertising, consider other options as well. If people are spending more time in the city and in the countryside, perhaps you should try advertising outdoors? Or you could create flyers, banners, and posters for your business and distribute them in crowded places, parks, festivals, and markets, depending on the nature of your business.

3. Try to sell your leftover seasonal products
   Summer is a great time to get organised and tidy. Review the items left over after winter and advertise them at special prices and offers. Don't want to lose money on promotions? Invite your customers to buy more at a better price or offer free delivery.
   
   More on how to boost sales without hurting your business >

4. Partnership with other businesses
   Summer is also a good time to get to know your business partners better, something you often do not have time for, especially around Christmastime. Perhaps you can even get creative and let your customers know about your successful partnerships and launch a promotional campaign together, introducing each other to your audience. Perhaps you produce handmade treats and use local produce? Introduce your suppliers to your followers. Ask your suppliers to share your partnership on their social networks, link to your website on the partner page, etc.
   
   Are you using Paysera toaccept payments online? Let your customers know that thanks to this partnership, they can pay for their purchases with a number of different payment methods, and they can also get some of their money back when they pay with Paysera.
   
   Maybe you and your partners can even send out a press release on a common topic? For example, you and your payment processing partner could both add a comment about the drop in sales during summer, etc.

5. There's never a bad time for creative campaigns
   Slower summer sales mean more time for retailers to design and execute creative campaigns. How to get your customers' attention? What value can I offer? Get together with your team, if you have one, and share your ideas. Maybe you'll find a creative way to get your customers to start buying Christmas presents even now? Or maybe you'll launch a '½ Christmas' campaign to inspire people to celebrate 'half Christmas' in June, six months before the actual holiday? After all, we often don't have time for even our best friends during the actual Christmas!

6. Make the most of tourism
   Summer is undoubtedly the peak season for both domestic and international tourism. Consider how you can use this to your advantage? Partnerships with hotels are just one of many ideas. From basic in-room promotional leaflets to special discounts for hotel guests only, the possibilities are endless.

In addition to the marketing ideas above, which you can introduce during summer to boost your sales, the season is also perfect for some business hygiene that will benefit you throughout the rest of the year.

1. Live meetings with partners
   Summer is the perfect time to step away from the virtual meetings that have become a daily routine and meet your business partners or colleagues for a coffee and in person. Such gestures undoubtedly strengthen bonds and can develop into joint projects or friendships.

2. Online shop hygiene
   A quieter sales period is also a great time to review your website – maybe you could organise a photoshoot and update your product images? Or maybe it's time to review product descriptions, titles, page, and photo metadata – all of which will help potential customers find your products.
   
   You can also set a goal to write a couple of longer texts according to SEO requirements that will bring customers to your website – TOP 10 gift ideas for Christmas 2023, etc.

3. Customer surveys
   Have you built an email database of customers, or maybe you communicate with them on social networks? Ask your customers to fill in a detailed survey about your products or services – analyse what your customers find lacking and what they like the most, and try to implement changes before the autumn and winter sales.

4. Improving the shopping process
   Do you offer enough payment options to your customers? Is the payment process clear and reliable? It's a good time to review your payment gateway partner, update your payment gateway plugins if you use them, review your settings, and check for new features.

Paysera is one of the most popular payment processing partners in the Baltic States. Thousands of e-shops use Paysera Checkout and provide their customers with the opportunity to pay via electronic banking, by card, and sometimes even by SMS or cash at partner locations.

5. Improving product delivery
   It's also worth reviewing whether you offer enough delivery options for your customers before the Christmas shopping boom starts. It can be time-consuming to sign contracts with each courier company separately and to integrate delivery service providers. To save some time, you can use Paysera's delivery service – by integrating just one plugin, you'll give your customers a choice of the country's most popular delivery options: Omniva, LP Express, Venipak, etc.

6. Planning for the year ahead
   Buy your bike in winter and your skis in summer. Use the summer season to prepare for winter and Christmas sales, as well as for Black Friday promotions and campaigns. You can also start planning what gifts you will give to your partners, customers, or colleagues.

7. Analysing competitors
   If you have more time, you can also conduct an analysis of your competitors. Often, when we get caught up in our day-to-day tasks, we don't notice how the market has changed. Perform a detailed analysis of your competitors – how they position themselves, and how they present their products – as well as assess your strengths and consider how you can highlight them in future communications.

8. Development opportunities
   Although sales may have dropped in the summer, the business has been going strong for some time now? Maybe it's time to think about expansion? Customers in the Baltic countries have very similar consumer habits and tastes. And those who are using Paysera for online payment processing can also accept payments through the most popular banks in Latvia and Estonia without any problems. Could these be countries to expand your business to?