1 - Target HOT Prospects
Think about the businesses you might have spoken to in the past as well as new prospects who you know depend heavily on holiday sales. Use SiteSwan's Local Prospecting Tool to target hot industries like restaurants, retail stores, salons and spas, caterers, travel agencies and many more. Any business that gets busier during the months of October through December really needs to get their website in tip top shape.
2 - Offer a "Back-to-School" Promotion
Retailers do it, car dealerships do it, restaurants do it, why shouldn't you? September is a great time to offer clients a back-to-school promotion to help you close some website sales. Consider discounting the setup fee for all new customers during the month of September or adding a free month to their website service.
3 - Leverage the Upcoming Holiday Season for a Sense of Urgency
The earlier you act, the better. Don't give any weight to the excuse "come see me AFTER the holidays". Remind businesses that NOW is the time to invest in a new website before the holidays so they can maximize holiday sales - instead of losing out on potential sales. Especially since there's barely any work needed on their part to get the new site built & launched, it's very feasible to get them going now.
4 - Focus on the Benefits
Highlight all of the ways a new website will help them this holiday season including attracting new customers, promoting upcoming specials, sharing holiday menus, selling gift certificates, and communicating things like holiday hours. Anticipating what shoppers might be looking for will help maximize the site's impact.
5 - Deliver Quickly
September is the perfect time to get a site sold quickly. Because the holidays are right around the corner, everyone is incentivized to get the site completed and launched ASAP. Make sure you don't take on too many projects so that you can offer timely delivery and keep everyone happy.