3 Cyber Monday Hints for Small Businesses

It’s upon us. The most hectic, stressful, and utterly beautiful week in the retail calendar year is here.

Of course, Black Friday is the first thing that comes to mind. But, Cyber Monday has gained ground in recent years as a preferred online alternative to the hustle, bustle, and downright fistfighting in Targets and Walmarts across the nation.

Small business owners and ecommerce retailers may find themselves lost at this time of year. Big box stores reign the Black Friday shopping market, while Amazon monopolizes everything else for Cyber Monday. Let’s face it, they know what they’re doing, and they do it well.

But, there are ways that smaller operations and retailers can take advantage of Cyber Monday without playing into their game and their style. Trust me, you’ll lose.

The Price is Wrong

The “game” that big box retailers and companies like Amazon play on Cyber Monday is the “price game.” It sounds fun when you put it that way, like The Price is Right. In reality though, it’s more like the Drew Carey version of the show and nobody watches anymore (I’m not kidding look at the numbers).

Jokes aside, larger retailers and businesses like Amazon price out the competition on shopping holidays like Cyber Monday. According to Forbes, “they are…the leader in adjusting prices to the lowest level in order to motivate buying.” But, that doesn’t just mean actual prices are lowered. Deals are ultimately better. Bundles, percent-off deals, and anything else you can imagine is leveraged to make Cyber Monday the most lucrative day of the year for Jeff Bezos & Co.

Think about it, this is one of the most profitable companies in the world headed by the richest person on the planet. Small business retailers will not win the pricing game. Even if they leverage next-generation payments technologies.

So, what can you do? Don’t play.

Do What You do Best

Small business owners and retailers don’t have the resources to consistently remain competitive on price during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday rush, that’s true. But, that’s also true of the rest of the year, right?

Amazon and other big businesses don’t just show up on Cyber Monday to ruin your Thanksgiving and steal your customers. Your business is constantly waging an attention war with everyone looking to buy their retail goods online. Everyday, you have to find and implement better ways of staving off the allure of low prices and bringing eyes to your website and/or products.

That might sound like obvious advice, but stick to what you’re good at. What makes your product and business stand out on any other day? Do you make your products with recycled materials? Are your products designed, sourced, and manufactured in the US? Is it used by Bob Barker? These are the important questions you need to ask yourself before Cyber Monday hits.

If the answer to any of those is yes, you need to ramp up your marketing, social media influence, and whatever other ways you promote that aspect of your business to grab even more attention from that 80+ Bob Barker fanbase that’s so allusive to the average retailer.

Experience

Something that’s unfortunately lost in the online space as big business continues to take over ecommerce is the lack of experience. Physical stores have the distinct advantage of having a real life person (crazy I know) walk into their store and navigate it.

But, that all goes out the window when Black Friday and Cyber Monday hit. Physical stores are an utter disaster. Merchandise is scattered everywhere, people are screaming, staff are crying, and you’re just doing your best not to have an emotional breakdown along with them. Hence the popularity of Cyber Monday.

But, websites lack some creativity in the buying journey and experience department. The tricky thing about it is finding a way to make your website fun and different while still keeping it as simple, and easy-to-use as possible. Of course, support staff and instant message capability can help if someone has an issue, but you don’t have time for that. Your website has a little over 24 hours to get every person that lands on your site to buy something. But, you have to keep them there first.

The layout and design of your website is the first and most important thing to focus on. Put everything out there. When someone lands on your page, don’t make them search every nook and cranny to find what they’re looking for. They’ll go somewhere else long before they find anything.

Here are a few examples of some great layouts by smaller ecommerce retailers. I’m not going to go through why they all work individually because they all have a common theme: they’re different, and they’re not Amazon, and neither are you.

There’s something to be said for not being the biggest. Nobody’s quite like you.

This Cyber Monday, be sure to remember that and take advantage of your uniqueness. In a sea of sales and swinging fists, someone a little further from the crowd is a welcomed sight.