Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everybody! Just before you close down the office and start your long-awaited, much anticipated Christmas holiday – here are a few things you need to publish on your website just before your vacation begins. There are a few important details that your customers may be searching for specifically on your website, that you might not have given a second thought to.
Update your holiday hours
If you intend to be completely closed during the Christmas – New Year period, your customers need to know when you intend to re-open in the new year. Instead of closing entirely, you might instead have reduced hours – so publish the altered hours/days on your website.
Your customers will visit your website and check your opening and closing hours, so make sure your website, Facebook page and other social media networks are all displaying the same consistent information. People often go online looking for this key information.
Alter your contact page
If customers are looking to contact you, your Contact page is often the first page they will visit on your website. It is important you prepare their expectations beforehand so that before they email or ring you, they know when they should expect a reply. This is necessary you maintain that trust you have already established with your customers and they know without a doubt that they are important to you.
Record a new voicemail message
It’s often easy to overlook re-recording a new voicemail message, as I imagine you don’t ring yourself very often. But recording your opening hours and days is valuable to your business. Your customers will ring and listen to your recorded message – they may not leave a message, but will remember to ring you when you are back in the office.
Turn on your out of office reply
Did you remember to set an ‘Out of office’ reply on all incoming emails before you started your Christmas vacation? As it is not something you see when you first login and start to read/clear your emails – but it is important you remember turn it off on your return to the office. People who have sent you an email while you have been away on holiday will be expecting a reply when you return and will remember the date you are returning to the office.
Adjust your email signature
Some business owners in the lead-up to their vacations have already added their Christmas closing times in their email signatures. This is a good practice to get into. But do remember to change it when you’re back.
Add some achievements to your About page
Often the About page is written when you first launch your website and then forgotten about. While you may have already analysed and celebrated your success at your end-of-year party, it is a good idea to go in and update some of your key achievements during the year. Publish a few bullet points that you think customers might be interested to learn about and include them on your About page. (It’s ok to brag a little sometimes.)
Publish a post update on Facebook or a Tweet on Twitter
Let your customers know when you are back and ready to work with them. Publish a photo and a short update – show your enthusiasm to re-connect and eagerness to work with them. Let them know you’re back from your holiday and open for business.
Communicating with your customers and making the necessary tweaks and updates to your website, email, voicemail or email settings need not be too onerous but it is worth doing to help you finish the year on a successful note. You can safely leave your business for a few days and enjoy some time off without your customers thinking you have gone forever and they will look forward to your return to the office in the new year.
Enjoy your holiday and I look forward to your return, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready for running your business for another enjoyable year.
