Well, apparently our consistency still needs some work (looking at you, 2022). It has been a couple of weeks since the last blog post – also a WooWednesday post – was added, but we’ll look to wrap up 2021 here and get back into a better groove in 2022.
For this one, I wanted to simply share a few end-of-the-year tips for businesses running WooCommerce (or any e-commerce) stores. Hopefully, these five tips will help you start next year off fresh and ready to take on the world!
Tip 1: Make sure the numbers add up
Ideally, you’ve been watching your inventory and sales numbers all year. If you haven’t, this is the time to get everything squared back up again. Check through your site, any integrated fulfillment systems, and your accounting to make sure that all is as it should be. Make sure there aren’t any lingering orders in your site or any unfulfilled shipments.
Tip 2: Log successes and failures
Speaking of numbers, how did our store do this year? Are there any particular sales or products that proved extra fruitful? How do you know?
The end of the year is the best time to reflect back on how your store performed. Using traffic and sales data (you’re using Google Analytics Pro, right?), you can see which products performed better than others. You may want to highlight these products next year to sell even more. If a product underperformed, maybe it needs better placement within your site or a lower price.
Make sure you check your data to see what adjustments you might be able to make to your store going forward into the coming year.
Tip 3: Update, update, update
Things are usually a bit quieter around the holidays, so it’s a good time to get into the site and do some much-needed maintenance. Update your WordPress installation and all of your plugins. This is a good time to update these and make sure that everything is still working as expected.
With generally low traffic numbers, it’s a good idea to spend some time tying up loose ends and doing some virtual housekeeping.
Tip 4: Thank your customers
The last two years have been trying for us all. Everyone wants to feel appreciated and your customers are no different. A simple thank you can go a long way.
That being said, you have a few options to go above and beyond. For example, you could find your top 10 highest value customers and send them emails for a free gift or higher percentage discount in your store as a thank you.
Also, if you have a membership site, you can send all your members a thank-you email thanking them for being members this year. (Not a bad time to ask them to share your site with their friends, too!)
At the very least, a banner on your site that thanks customers can be a good way to keep folks coming back!
Tip 5: Take a break
That’s right, do nothing. Well, after you’ve done the tips I mentioned above. Everyone needs to take some time away to reset, recharge, re-evaluate, and all the other words that start with “re”. Your physical and mental health is crucial to having a great new year.
Take some time, be with family, read a book, take a hike, or just do some laundry. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it’s not related to your store and is reinvigorating (I knew I could think of another one).
