Every year, customers call businesses that are closed for the holidays, or drive to shops that changed their hours, because the website and Google listing still show the usual times. It's frustrating for them, and it can cost you their trust.
A few minutes of preparation before the holiday season fixes this, and it's a good chance to make the most of the busy weeks too.
- Update holiday hours everywhere customers look.
- Use Google's special hours feature.
- Make any holiday offer easy to find, with a clear end date.
- Set a reminder to change everything back.
Holiday hours, everywhere
Customers will look for your hours in several places. The one you forget is usually the one they check.
It helps to do them all at once, with the list in front of you. Updating your website but forgetting Google, or the other way around, means customers see two different answers and don't know which one to trust.
Start with the places customers check most, your website and your Google profile, and leave the voicemail greeting for last, since it's the quickest to change on the day you close.
If you're closing for a while
A short, friendly note on your website saves a lot of confusion. Say when you're closed, when you're back, and how people can still reach you or book for the new year.
Put the notice where people will see it without looking for it: near the top of the homepage, and on the contact page. A short, friendly message is enough. People appreciate knowing, and many will happily wait until you're back.
"We're closed from December 24 to January 2 to spend time with family. Leave us a message and we'll call you back on January 3. Happy holidays!"
Holiday offers
If you run a holiday offer, make it easy to find and clear about the details. Vague offers create questions; clear ones create calls.
Say exactly what the offer is, who it's for and when it ends. If it's only for new customers, or only for certain services, put that right next to the offer, where people read it before they call.
If you're not sure an offer is worth it, keep it simple or skip it. A clear, honest website with correct hours does more for your business during the holidays than a confusing promotion.
- A specific offer: "10% off interior painting booked before Dec 15"
- A clear end date
- One mention on the homepage, with a button
- "Holiday specials, call for details"
- Offers with no end date
- Offers that stay online long after they expired
Make the busy weeks easier
For many businesses, the weeks before the holidays are the busiest of the year. Customers want work finished before family arrives, or gift cards bought in time. A few small changes on your website can take pressure off your phone.
If you have a booking cutoff, like the last day to schedule work before Christmas, put it on the website early and in plain words. It answers the question before anyone needs to call, and it encourages people to book sooner.
If you sell gift cards or vouchers, link to them from the homepage. Holiday shoppers are often in a hurry and will only look for a few seconds.
After the holidays
Put a reminder in your calendar for the first working day after the holidays. Remove the holiday notice, check that your regular hours show everywhere, and take down any expired offers.
This is the step most businesses forget, which is why so many websites still show Christmas notices in February. Five minutes on your first day back keeps the website looking cared for all year.
While you're at it, look back at the season. Which questions came in most? Did people find your holiday hours? A few notes now make next year's checklist even shorter.
