By now, we’ve all wound down from the holiday season rush.
That doesn’t mean that we can sit back and relax, though.
This recession means that a rough road lies ahead for some business owners. For them, coming up with strategies to attract prospects is still at the top of their wish lists.
I know that there are business owners who tried bundling during the holiday season to keep up with comparable offers from competitors or competitors who just plain offered free shipping. I’m sure that profits were made. But now, those same business owners are probably back the same ol’ standard shipping option. I’d like to give them some reasons to keep bundling after the holidays. And there are more than a few.
Birthdays
Christmas comes only once a year, but birthdays occur every day. Recognize that prospects who shop for gifts often shop for multiple items for the same person and may even pick up something for themselves. For them, bundling items is a logical solution to the problem of ordering very different items at once.
Incentive
Bundling items can do more than ensure that purchases arrive in one package. Grouping items together can save customers money on shipping. It can also encourage them to buy more products if you’re up-selling or cross-selling. Showing prospects all that they can have often results in a desire to obtain it.
Clear out stock
There are going to be a few times in every business owner’s life when an inventory cleansing should take place. However, it can be especially difficult to get rid of standalone, low-end items. A great way to do this easily and quickly is to appealingly group the items and promote them. Robert E. Cell suggests getting creative with their presentation and offering them as part of a special promotion.
Attractiveness
There are lots of reason why bundling will appeal to the average online shopper. Money is one of them, but one shouldn’t discount the art of marketing. Do you know who your prospects are? Can you anticipate what would appeal to them? Wendy Maynard suggests trying to sell the idea of bundles by offering themes. For example, if some of your products include pencils, erasers, composition books and other associated supplies, you could put together a “Back to School” bundle that could appeal to anyone who has a child attending school or is going to school themselves. “Starter packs” like Linda Bustos says, are good way to market and bundle products, too.
Combat shipping sticker shock
A lot of online shoppers merrily make their way through the checkout process…until they reach the review page. Then, they stop in their tracks. Why? Because the price of shipping turns them off. You’ll be creating a sense of a “deal” if you combine shipping and- even better- show them how much they saved by choosing to bundle.
Meet clients’ needs
It’s no secret that prospects’ attention spans are short. In fact, they can be so short that prospects often fail to look around your website for another item that they need or want. Anticipate their need for related items by offering them in conjunction with a bundling option. You can bet that there will be takers.
While I think bundling is a great idea year-round, there are going to be some businesses that aren’t particularly suited for it. This group is usually characterized by those that don’t own their own inventory or have the resources to handle packaging within the business. The cost of bundling can significantly increase if another company has to step in for them and oversee shipping. Similarly, items that have to be backordered or are in different locations run the risk of having to be shipped individually and can cost business owners more than what customers saved.
Are you bundling after the holidays? What have your results been like so far?
