If you are an e commerce merchant looking for your next big marketing campaign, then now is the time of year to start thinking about back-to-school sales and offers. From backpacks to stationery and accessories, there are an enormous number of products that will enable you to boost your bottom-line during this peak e-shopping period. In fact, data from the US-based National Retail Federation shows that over 73% of consumers plan to start back-to-school shopping at least three weeks before school begins again, and 22.2% plan to start back-to-school shopping at least two months before school starts.

So, if you are beginning to consider the range of products that you could offer, be sure to remember that all ages need to be considered – from preschool right up to graduate students. Read on to find out how you can make the most of one of the back to school rush…

Check your product offering

First and foremost, you will need to make sure that you are offering the right products for your consumer base. Before beginning work on your campaigns, it is vital that you research which products you should be promoting in your store. You can do this by consulting your historical data, and reviewing which products were popular during last year’s back to school sales. Use data from your retail management system or POS to help you get started.

Another way to do this is to research current market trends, from products to brands, that are proving popular with back-to-school shoppers. Check your previous sales records to identify which products will be top of consumer lists.

School related trends

What are kids, or even their parents, going crazy about this summer? If you aren’t tapping into the latest trends, then you could be missing out on those all-important sales. Consider how you plan to market your offering, from pointing out how the latest trends can be used in school, to rethinking your marketing push. You will soon notice your online sales begin to increase.

Use digital marketing

Thanks to the boom in social media, digital marketing now makes it even easier for retailers to run effortless campaigns in a few clicks – while gaining access to crucial conversion data that aids planning in the longer term. Begin by creating a back to school section and banner on your website, so that you can highlight your product range.

With an increase in traffic to your site, you may also want to consider fixing any glitches that could harm your overall user experience, from images that aren’t optimised to plugins. If your site is not yet mobile friendly, then research shows that you could be missing out, as increasing numbers of parents are looking to go mobile for ease of use and speed. So, make sure that your digital channels and marketing plan is up to date, and consider showing your online shop some love too.

Kelkoo Group has 20 years’ experience in ecommerce, digital advertising and consumer analytics. We can support your entire campaign, from set up through to tracking sales and analysing conversion data to help you get the results your business needs to succeed.

Contact us today to find out more!

Consider bloggers and influencers

Influencers or bloggers could give your business the boost that it needs. In fact, back to school season is the ideal time of year to use influencer marketing to improve your campaign, as kids and parents are more likely to be persuaded into purchasing a product that has already been endorsed.

Keen to get started? Then take time to research into popular influencers that will influence your target shopping audience. You may find that they are willing to collaborate on social media by wearing and sharing your products with their followers.

Run competitions

A giveaway is a great way to boost traffic engagement and create excitement around your products. You could even offer visitors the chance to get their hands on one of your best sellers, perhaps a new release, or simply a gift certificate, by entering their email address.

Not only will you gain new leads, but you will also have the chance to grow your email list – meaning that you can convert traffic into subscribers, and ultimately shoppers.

Contact us and let us help you beat the new term blues.