Flash Sale & Dropshipping Websites. How to prepare for the launch?
Flash Sale. Sounds exciting. A simple way to generate demand in a short period of time and quickly increase the profits of your website, shop and business is Flash Sale advertising.
Flash sales are a tool for prospective marketing, not for immediate profit. Dropshipping makes it possible to sell a supplier's goods at a surcharge, without having to buy them in advance; promotional sales help to study the market and target audience on a point-by-point basis. Thanks to the announced online sale, the dropshipper gets an influx of new customers and reminds the old ones of themselves. How do you prepare for the launch of an online sale?
Choose the right products
Before announcing a flash sale, decide what goals you want to achieve. Choose the right products that will drive traffic and increase profits. Prepare your website and social media in advance by announcing a flash sale with 40%, 60% or even 80% off.
Which products are popular with your customers? Identify the most profitable products in your online store's range. Announce discounts and promotions on these items. This will drive additional traffic to the site. Set a discount on targeted products that are most profitable for you to sell.
Place information about discounts on the main page of the site or create a special page for promotional products. This will help attract visitors' attention and increase the likelihood that they will check out other products in your store.
Tip. Promote discounts on specific products through social media, email newsletters or contextual advertising. This will help attract more potential buyers and increase traffic to your website.
Check product availability for the promotion
During the promotion, keep an eye on the availability of products on the site. Set up automatic product booking for a set period of time, for example 10-15 minutes. This will temporarily reserve the item for the customer and prevent other users from selling out during the promotion.
Tip. It is important to keep shoppers informed about the availability of products on the site. If an item is out of stock or sold out, highlight this on the product page to avoid frustrating customers who have added it to their basket but can't complete the purchase due to lack of availability.
Prepare your site for sales in advance
For a shop owner, an online sale begins long before the promotion starts. For a successful promotion, you need to prepare thoroughly.
-
Create a special offers section on the site. Mark discounted items with the SALE label and include the old and new prices.
-
Add feedback widgets so people can quickly contact you and ask questions.
-
Add a "See Also" section and recommend related products to users. This will help increase the average cheque.
-
Once a customer has made a payment, they should be automatically redirected to a thank you page. Don't miss the opportunity to show additional products, services or a discount on them.
-
Set up multiple payment options on the website: card on site, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Visa and Masterpass, cash on delivery and others.
Tip. Draw shoppers' attention to a particular product or category by offering them a discount. The next purchase may be at full price.
Allowable discount
Sales are one-off events, you cannot sell goods at a 40% discount on a weekly basis - you risk going into deficit. The cost of promotional goods should not be less than the purchase price. It is possible to offer goods with a minimum markup in the case of
-
a promising contract after the end of the company
-
a short-term promotion to launch a new product
-
a first purchase and repeat sales strategy (Gillette strategy).
When calculating the optimal discount, consider not only the cost of goods, but also the cost of packaging, delivery, marketing and advertising. The limit of the maximum discount without compromising profits depends on the specific product, seasonality, market competition and other factors.
Tip. Halla Systems Co. Ltd helps customers and partners to identify the target audience, select the assortment and calculate the allowable discount for online sales.
