Targeting Back-to-School Online Shoppers

“Back-to-school shopping is the first major ‘shopping season’ of the calendar year, and has the potential to set the tone for the holidays,” said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak founder.

Opportunities for Online Retailers are Abundant

Unemployment is lower than it was last year and the economy is stronger, so retail will likely see an increase in the amount of sales.  The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that the total back-to-school and back-to-college spending will reach $72.5 billion this year.

“On the whole, more people feel better about their financial situation than they did last year in August,” said Martin. “Parents are ready to spend on their children’s school necessities.”

If you sell children’s apparel or accessories you’re in luck because 95.3% of those with school-age children will spend an average of $230.85 this year.  Apparel will take the largest portion of back-to-school budgets, with shoes and school supplies next on the list.

Other products that will sell well this year are dorm and apartment furnishings, food items, and electronics for college students. The average amount spent on back-to-college shopping is projected to be $836.83 per student (NRF).

The Time to Start Marketing for the Back-to-School Season is Now

Online shoppers with children in grades K-12 are already out-and-about, shopping for the new school year.  The back-to-school shopping season is lasting longer and longer each year, and this year’s back-to-school sales are expected to extend well into mid-Fall.

“The consumers will be browsing. In order to seize this opportunity, smart retailers must prepare their marketing and operations to increase their shopper conversion rates,” said Martin.

Even if your store does not necessarily sell school-related products, think creatively to connect with your customers during this season.  Last year, a storage company called SpareFoot lauched a campaign called “Supply Memories”, which invited social media users to share what they have “stored” since elementary school.  Then, for every memory shared via Facebook or Twitter, SpareFoot donated a $3 supply kit to an at-risk student.  This marketing campaign brilliantly raised brand awareness, engagement, and percieved social responsibility. It also left a positive impression of the brand on shoppers, which likely translated into an increase in sales for the rest of the season.

Marketing Tips to Target the Back-to-School Online Shopper:

1. Optimize your product pages to keep your products at the top of search engines.
2. Share your products or promotions on your blog, on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and anywhere else your customers gather.
3. List your products on Google Shopping, and be sure to follow these best practices.
4. Target teens and college-students through social channels by promoting specials and other offers.  Enhance the customer experience by using social media in new and innovative ways.
5. Use M-Commerce to your online store’s advantage.  Try marketing strategies that incorporate opt-in text-messaging to increase brand engagement.  One third of smartphones and tablets users will use them to redeem a coupon (Shop.org).
6. Send out a “Back-to-School” email marketing campaign to all of your lists to increase sales and acquire new customers.  Email is an incredibly powerful tool to offer valuable content and offers to your customer base.
7. Decrease shopping cart abandonment and win the sale back by optimizing your shopping cart for a smooth checkout experience.
8. Back-to-School season is a great time to start a loyalty program.  Returning customers spend, on average, 67% more than first-time customers.
9. Offering Free-Shipping will incentivize customers to shop online at your store rather than at the mall.  If this isn’t feasable for your store, you can offer free shipping with a minimum purchase requirement.  Keep in mind that 95% of shoppers will be more likely to buy when shipping is free (CouponChief.com).
10. Get ready for the holiday shopping season (which will be here before you know it) by noticing purchasing trends: what works and what doesn’t.  Use these 10 Free SEO Tools to track everything from how your customers found you to which keywords you should be using on your website.