3 Goals Your Seasonal Business Should Set in the Off-Season

Some companies offer products and services that are in high demand all throughout the year, while others generate the majority of their revenue during a specific season. If your business falls into the latter category, it can be difficult to figure out what to do during the off-season. When sales are slow and revenue is down, it can be tempting to see your off-season as a time for taking it easy.

And although lower stress levels are always a welcome change of pace, there’s plenty you can do to take advantage of the downtime. So if your business is in the off-season (or will be later this year), setting goals and making a plan to accomplish them can help you drive results for your business. You might also hear these goals be sometimes referred to as objectives and key results (OKRs).

Here are three goals that can help you make the most of your off-season:

1. Tackle upgrades and renovations

Were there any projects that your company was too busy to do during the busy season? If so, now is the perfect time to get them done. In many cases, these renovations take place in your physical storefront in the form of repairs, maintenance, or new décor.

But beyond the location that customers visit in person, you can also make improvements to your website. Whether your site is simply in need of an updated design or you’re considering a new feature like ecommerce, now is the time to do it. Since traffic levels are relatively low, you won’t have to worry about any potential issues with tons of visitors on your site.

Plus, when you re-launch with a new design, you can share it across your social channels to attract attention to your business. Then, once the busy season rolls around again, you can be confident that you have a well-designed site to attract and convert customers.

2. Improve your marketing strategy

The off-season is only so long, and you’ll be looking for ways to reach new customers before you know it. This means that it’s the perfect time to work on your marketing strategy. No matter how successful your campaigns have been in past years, there’s always room for improvement.

Take the time to evaluate each of your channels in terms of ROI and consider branching out to new ones. This can be especially beneficial if your business hasn’t made any changes in a few years and mostly uses traditional marketing methods like TV, radio, and billboards. You may be surprised at how much more effective online tactics like SEO, PPC, and content marketing can be at attracting customers.

However, the only way to know for sure is to research your options and try them out. When you start developing campaigns before your busy season starts, you’ll have plenty of time to test and get them right. So if you’ve considered looking into new marketing strategies during the busy season but couldn’t fit it into your schedule, now is the time to do so.

3. Expand your audience

During busier months, it’s best to focus on a specific target audience. By directing all of your marketing messages to only the most qualified leads, you can maximize your ROI from each channel. When business is slow, however, you have the opportunity to expand your audience with new campaigns.

This can be easier said than done, but with a little creative thinking, you can identify potential customers outside of your typical demographic. For example, is your product in-season somewhere else? If so, targeting audiences in those locations could be a great way to boost ecommerce sales.

And if you don’t have an ecommerce store already, the off-season is a great time to add one to your site. Is there a holiday coming up? If so, could one of your products (or a gift card for your business) make a good gift?

Launching holiday-specific campaigns on social media can be a great way to attract new customers, and when combined with a well-managed PPC strategy, can also grow brand exposure online.

Is your business in the off-season?

Slower seasons can be a great opportunity for your business to revamp its marketing strategies before your products are in high demand again – but only if you take advantage of the downtime. If your business does this, I’d love to hear how! Do you set the goals I’ve mentioned above, or any others?

Have you had success with these strategies? Let me know in the comments below!