Is It Time to Change Your Marketing Plan?

When was the last time you and your team sat down to evaluate the success of your current marketing plan? Are the current promotions working the way you were hoping? Do site visitors use the coupons sent to the via email blasts? Is the amount of effort and energy put into these strategies resulting in conversions? If “no” was an answer to any of these questions, then it might be time for you and your team to get together and address these items sooner, rather than later.

Even if your marketing plan is producing average results, it is still in your best interests to analyze and adapt the strategies in place. There are always ways to improve average results and boost numbers. “But, how do I know when I should change things up?” I’d suggest looking into it as soon as possible, but if you’re a bit reluctant, consider the following and make your decision:

View Your Current Promotions

Take a moment to look at your running promotions. Do you offer specific coupon codes for checkout, or maybe a buy X get Y free deal? Maybe the site will discount 10% off specific products. Now, here comes the big question: Do your site visitors take advantage of these promos. Now, I’m not saying “are these ever used in the general sense?”. I mean, are these promotions used enough to warrant them staying active?

If these coupons, promos, or deals are not driving guests to purchase a certain product or funnel them to the checkout process, then their effectiveness should be brought up. You should also take a look at which products/services are drawing guest attention. Plan around this instead, or at the very least, come up with a way to push more site visitors to look at your popular inventory. Remember, good marketing promos should draw in a large customer base.

Check the Data on Your Email Blasts

Email campaigns are tricky beasts. Some must be tailored to a niche crowd, while others must be generated for a wider audience. And, when business picks up and things become busier, it can be difficult trying to keep up with all of the campaigns. However, it’s best to check the data on your most recent email blasts, as it might need tweaking.

Check the open rates, see who is actively clicking on these emails and going through them, and see if any promos, coupons, etc. are actually being put to use. Small numbers in open rates means it’s time to rethink the current plan. The email needs to draw attention and give people a reason to not only open the email, but venture to your page. Place an eye-catching call-to-action in the title (nothing too over-the-top) and give guests something they can use.

Take a Look at Your Sales Reports

This is a no-brainer, but I’m going to say it anyway: Look at your sales reports. Don’t just keep track of orders, the money made, shipping costs, blah blah blah. Keep track of all promo codes, coupons, etc. that are being applied during checkout. (See the recurring theme?). Doing this will go a long way when it comes to developing your latest marketing strategy.

How is Your Social Media Developing?

Yes, social media has a lot to do with marketing your site, products, and services. You need to be active on Facebook and Twitter. You might also need to look into creating a Pinterest page and Instagram account (usefulness might vary, depending on types of goods/services provided on your platform). Engage with potential customers, reach out to potentials, list new deals, show off new inventory, and keep followers current with the latest store updates. You can even provide a bit of customer service on your social media. Just keep it active and watch the benefits bloom.

In Conclusion…

Look, I’m not going to tell you that your marketing plan is wrong. In fact, you might be doing really well and don’t need the tips listed above. However, for those who are busy, haven’t updated any strategies lately, or don’t have any in place, it might be time to take a moment and make some plans. Simply spend a little extra time thinking, evaluating, and testing, and put something into motion. Keep track of everything, adapt, repeat. Do it enough, and your site will be flourishing with new and repeat visitors.