Dealing With Summer Sales Slow Down

May 19th, 2011 by

As the weather warms up after a long winter, consumers are logging off their computers and taking off to beach vacations, backyard barbecues and hiking excursions. But your business can’t close for the summer — so how do you cope with the traditional slowdown in sales activity without pulling out your hair in frustration?  We have some ideas for you!

Summer Doldrums

Most companies experience a traditional decrease in sales during the summer months and are at a loss to explain what is happening.  Fear not — a seasonal decrease is normal in the digital e-commerce industry due to most of the northern hemisphere taking vacations throughout the summer. People just aren’t in their homes (and on their computers) as much.  If your annual sales charts resemble any of the following, you are experiencing the typical summer sales doldrum:

Typical Annual Sales Chart

Example 1: Annual Sales Cycle

Typical Annual Monthly Sales Chart

Example 2: Annual Sales Cycle

Obviously, the southern hemisphere is in their winter season when the northern hemisphere is in summer, so you can’t just shut down your e-commerce activities. So what can you do about this expected seasonal decline?

What to do during the off-season

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