Summer is fast approaching, and people are already making plans to seize it. While this could mean beach trips, cold desserts, and vacations for most people, it could also mean quiet days for pet care business facilities. According to statistics, over half of regular pet grooming, training, and daycare clients go away on vacation and spend their days elsewhere during the summer season.
And while you may end up with zero customers on some days during this time, there are many conceivable ways to make it exciting and keep customers coming despite the season. With appropriate dog booking scheduling software, you can smoothly implement new strategies and ideas to help fight the slow traffic in your business and make considerable revenue during the summer season.
Here are some great tips for your pet business with dog booking software.
With Mobile Grooming Software, You Can Offer Seasonal Promotions
Your clients’ needs change during summer. As this season is remarkable with a significant increase in temperature, you can consider some possible activities and create promotions related to them. One good example is creating promos and packages for cool summer pet haircuts, including preventive flea and tick baths. This can be their primary need during the hot season, and if you are offering these services, then it’s not a bad season for you! You can also have some fun with your promotions relating to summer and buy some festive decorations for important celebrations.
When you offer seasonal promotions, pet grooming scheduling software can help you advertise them more easily and conveniently and reach a broad audience.
Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New
Summer is for the bold spirit! If you have unique services in mind that you’ve always wanted to roll out, this could be the right season to do it. Have you ever considered adding more retail products to your grooming business? Perhaps this is the time to add a mini retail section in your shop.
You can add costumes or products relating to important events, such as Independence Day outfits. Try them on your dog or one of your loyal customers’ pets for a photo op and advertise it through your software. Busy clients may not put grooming salon visits at the top of their minds, but rolling out some marketing strategies and offering new things might attract them.
Check in with Your Clients Often
Summer usually means busy days for vacation plans and last-minute beach trips. Thus, your customers are more likely to forget their pet appointments.
You and your daycare check-in software can get into the picture here. Check in with your clients earlier than usual to ensure they won’t miss their appointments while planning their summer activities. Using software accessible to any device, such as Mac’s grooming software for iPad, you can quickly check in with your clients through its automated features. All you have to do is set the date and time to send out these reminders. It will significantly help you reduce no-shows, thus saving you high costs.
How about for your regular and repeat customers? If it has been a while since they last made an appointment with you, you can use the software to send an automated message and invite them to come in or book an appointment.
Dog booking software records your customers’ activities and previous appointments and tracks those who haven’t been in recently. It then automatically selects clients to send messages to and gives them a promotional coupon. These messages can be something like:
“It’s been quite a long time since we last saw you. Here’s 30% off on your next visit!”
“How are you and your pup? Because we are excited to see you again, here’s a discount voucher for your next visit!”
Indeed, these little things can spark great joy in your customers!
Summer is a Great Time to Analyze Your Business Performance
June is the beginning of summer and also the midpoint of the year. If you have been running the business for quite some time, this is the perfect time for you to look at your reports and analyze them as you review your business mid-year. It will surprise and motivate you to change and improve some things in your pet business.
Identify your best sellers and improve other products that do not attract clients’ attention. Make necessary adjustments to your marketing strategies and staff management. Offer your customers more of what they want to increase sales and keep your business running for the next half of the year.
Trying out new marketing campaigns and adding new services can also help you make your business a haven for your customers. With many great deals, they won’t mind missing a couple of hours of sunbathing.
Of course, to help you easily and efficiently review your business performance, it is best to use dog booking scheduling software. It automatically generates monthly reports and provides essential records regarding your monthly activities and areas in your business that need improvement.
Cutting Prices May Not Be the Solution
You may think marking down your price during the summer is good for attracting clients and boosting traffic. But that will significantly reduce your profits as well. Instead of cutting costs on your products and services, try to sell them at a total price but with an increased perceived value. For example, giving a dog grooming service at its regular price, but this time with an additional nail trim or another minor service that you think your clients love.
Strategies like this can make your customers feel you’re taking a big step to give them VIP treatment. In return, your business’s customer loyalty will increase.
Offer and Sell More Memberships through Dog Booking Software
What if you want to cut your prices? Well, there is one exception: when you are selling memberships for your pet business. Memberships with great deals and discounts are also an excellent way to gain repeat clients.
For example, you can offer “5+1” grooming promos or monthly packages that include different services for a lesser price. This will keep your clients coming and increase your business’s sales.
Your mobile grooming software can help you advertise and disseminate the latest information, promos, and packages in your shop. It can also help you with membership systems by tracking which memberships are still active and inactive, simplifying and automating the process for you, your employees, and your clients.
Upselling is One Good Way, too!
Another way to save your sales during the summer is by upselling to your customers. While this is one of the many effective ways to increase your revenue, it can be as simple as exposing your clients to other options and upgrades that they may not have considered at first.
Encourage your groomers and pet sitters to try out new products for your pet clients and explain the benefits of these products to their owners. You may also try adding some services and offering these while explaining why they can be a better option. Most dog owners may not know what their pets need. By knowing that you are an expert in this field, you can let them know how to keep their pets in good shape.
Another way of upselling is to create and offer product bundles. Sell shampoo and conditioner as a set, assuring them that they are excellent when used together. You can also include nail polish and clippers that come as a kit with any other product you want. How about a 4th of July packaging for these bundles? That’s sure good, too!
You may also combine less popular products with your best sellers and sell them in a package. You will have your merchandise constantly flowing through this, and who knows, your customers might discover and find their new favorites!
With efficient pet grooming scheduling software, you can have a proper inventory of your products and determine how well each product is selling. Thus, you can easily group the remaining into bundles.
Put Up a Social Media Contest
Fuel up and the excitement for your pet business, and make the summer hotter through a social media contest. It will help increase customer engagement, loyalty, and of course, sales and revenue. Additionally, it will boost your business visibility and social media presence.
Brainstorm various ways to create fun and excitement through social media and use seasonal marketing opportunities to promote your contests. One good example is a contest for the best photo of their pets for the Fourth of July. Whoever gets the most likes and shares wins the contest.
As this is also a way of advertising your business and reaching out to new potential customers, it is best to set up your online booking through a Mac or an iPad’s grooming software so they can quickly contact you and book with you.
Affiliate with Another Local Business
Besides the marketing and sales techniques, you can partner with local businesses nearby and increase sales and customers. For example, you partner with a nearby restaurant or coffee shop in your area. Customers who avail of your services up to $30 are entitled to a voucher worth $10 to your partner’s store and vice versa. While their puppy enjoys pamper time, they can go to the other store to grab coffee while waiting.
You may do this seasonally, but it would still be worth offering at any time of the year. When businesses may be quiet and the traffic is slow, helping each other through partnerships won’t hurt.
Choose the Right Dog Booking Software for Your Business
The right dog booking scheduling software will support you through any season of the year. No matter how busy or quiet the days may be, it will still be helpful and help you create endless ways to grow your business and keep clients coming.
Some businesses struggle during the summer season. Still, with the right marketing tips and daycare check-in software, there are always ways to attract customers and enjoy the summer months while generating revenues as usual.
