7 Ways to Increase Online Sales During Diwali

Festival seasons are eagerly looked forward to by the Indian eCommerce segment. The reason is surely a no-brainer. Simply put, it is when consumers tend to loosen their purse strings and go on a shopping spree. The months of October-November, especially, see a big push, as Diwali is celebrated at this time. For Diwali, which is one of the biggest festivals in India, people buy new clothes, jewelry, household appliances, vehicles, etc. 

It’s been estimated that at least 40-50 percent of the total annual retail sales happen during Diwali season. Hence there is a big flurry of activity in the market place as different companies and brands compete to offer a wide range of products and services at attractive prices, with heavy discounts. 

The players who are most proactive are the ones who get to rake in the profits. To stay on top of the competition, effective marketing strategies have to be adopted. New brand strategies can go a long way to grab eyeballs and attract customers to a site. In these Covid-19 times, as many people are hesitating to walk into brick and mortar stores, the online retail segment is poised to reap a rich harvest. In fact, even offline players have climbed on the online bandwagon, while those who were already present are trying to reinforce their online presence with innovative strategies so that they don’t lose out to the established competitors in the online space. 

Here is a list of seven best strategies which can help you increase your sales this festive season:

1. Dedicated Landing Page

The first thing is to embellish your website/store to highlight the festive mood. This can definitely establish a good connect between your online store and your customers. Create a dedicated banner for your website’s home page, which communicates the best site-wide offers. You can also design a detailed landing page highlighting the exclusive Diwali offers and deals.

In order to boost rankings, you can use targeted keywords like “Best Diwali Deals and Diwali Offers”. Such keywords can be identified, along with their average monthly search volume. All you need to do is use Free Google Keyword Planner tool.

2.Create Co-Branding Networks

When using affiliate marketing for your online business, the risks are very low while the conversion is high. The best payment gateway solutions should be adopted only when a customer converts, meaning when a sale occurs. So it's a clever idea to team up with various Coupon sites and start co-branding initiatives. These websites can effect more conversions by channeling traffic to your website.

Enter into affiliate marketing deals with popular websites for running banner ads of your special offers. Use a creative approach to reach the right audience. 

3.Email Marketing

The best way to connect with customers is email marketing. It can also help to increase reach and boost sales. When the email marketing is effective, it can mean more qualified lead for the online business. Make sure that the best Diwali offers and deals are being communicated to your customers in all your mailers. By incorporating value proposition into your customers’ minds, you can create interest and generate more traffic to your site. 

4. Social Media Push

The target audience should know about the offers and exclusive deals that you are planning for the festive season. As Social Media comes with a huge customer base and easy-to-navigate interface plus reasonable cost, Social Media Marketing is an excellent tool to boost customer engagement directly.

Festive contests can be run across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These can establish a social media connect with your festive marketing. If you are fortunate to have a loyal customer base, they are likely to engage with your brand by posting their pictures which show them using your products or services. Dedicated hashtags should be created for your festival offerings.

Ensure that all your social profiles are inter-linked and have updates on the offers. On each platform, the call for action should be to go to your website.

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing is very important during the festive season. Content should be delivered in the best possible way so that your brand will connect with your audience. Optimize your website content so that it highlights the deals you are offering. Increase engagement by having a dedicated Diwali Blog. This will help connect your online business with your customers.

6. Re-target Customers

The most crucial step to boost sales is to re-target the customers who have expressed interest in your product/service, on earlier occasions. Identify the customers who abandoned your shopping cart and offer them value preposition in terms of exclusive deals and offers through Search and Display ads. 

7.Surprise gifts with purchases

Include a special surprise with each delivery this festive season. It may be in the form of an exclusive/additional discount voucher for the next purchase. .Or it could be a small ‘Thank You’ gift. What is important is to use the gift (however small) to create a memory for the customer. Whether it’s a special voucher or a gift, make sure it is creatively designed.

As the Diwali festive season rolls in, use these strategies, and you will be pleasantly surprised to find the sales for your online business booming!.

Wish You All a Happy & Prosperous Diwali!