The Santa Barbara Web Design and Marketing Blog

Welcome Back from Your Santa Barbara Web Guy: What to Do When You Don't Have Enough Sales

As a marketing professional with decades of experience in Santa Barbara, I've helped businesses weather the unpredictability of the market, wide economic swings, and sudden changes in consumer behavior. Today, let's have a sincere conversation about a topic that weighs heavy for many business owners and entrepreneurs: what to do when you just aren't making enough sales.

There's no magic bullet or single strategy that fixes slumping sales for every business, or in every industry. But with the right perspective and some ambition, you can power through slow periods—and even come out stronger. In this comprehensive post, I’ll help you analyze what’s happening, why it’s happening, and, most importantly, what actions you can take today to turn things around.

Analyzing Why Your Sales Aren’t Adding Up

The first step to recovery is always diagnosis. It's essential to understand why your sales are dropping or stagnating. Is it your marketing? The offer? The wider economic environment? In the web and marketing world, this means looking beyond the surface numbers to understand what's shaping buyer decisions right now.

1. Consider the Economic Environment

If your business once had consistent, healthy sales and now you're seeing a slump, the broader economic climate could be a factor. Economic downturns, inflation, recessions, or even the constant drum of negative news can deeply affect consumer confidence and spending.

The truth is, during hard times—or even times of perceived uncertainty—buyers consciously adjust their habits. They aren't just spending less; they're also changing how they spend. They pause big investments, delay upgrades, and focus their budgets on essentials.

2. Analyze Customer Needs: Wants vs. Must-Haves

One of the most important things to recognize is the distinction between “want to have” and “have to have.”

- Want-to-Haves are products, services, or solutions that a customer might desire—but can live without. They’re discretionary purchases.

- Have-to-Haves are solutions, products, or services that customers must buy, regardless of circumstances; think of car repairs versus custom paint jobs, tax preparation versus luxury financial advice, basic home insurance versus vacation rental insurance.

During tough times, most people continue to buy only the things they must have. Everything else gets pushed to the back burner. As a business owner, it’s crucial to recognize this shift, and adjust your offerings—or at least your positioning—accordingly.

3. Recognize Market Segment Shifts

The next piece of the puzzle is recognizing how priorities and buying preferences grow even more focused during inflation, job insecurity, or global uncertainty. In plenty of industries, especially service-based businesses, you’ll see a powerful trend toward do-it-yourself solutions.

When wallets tighten, plenty of people decide to learn new skills and tackle repairs, upgrades, or tasks on their own, rather than pay for full-service help. This doesn’t mean they won’t buy anything. In fact, they often need resources, training, digital products, or basic supplies to accomplish their goals—but the purchase looks different.

Crafting Your Response: Concrete Steps You Can Take

Knowing the “why” behind slow sales is half the battle. Now, let's pivot to action. What concrete steps can you take to boost sales—even when the economy is out of your control?

Step 1: Redefine or Reinvent a “Must-Have” Offering

If your lead product or service is skirting the edge between a want and a need, now’s the time to revisit your marketing, features, or even your business model.

Ask yourself:

- Can you reposition what you offer as a “must-have” rather than a luxury or a nice-to-have?

- Are there elements of your service/product that are essential to a customer’s business, health, security, compliance, or productivity?

- If so, are you clearly communicating those essential qualities in your marketing materials, website, and conversations?

Example:

If you own a web design agency, your traditional market might be clients looking to refresh their aesthetic or upgrade to the latest trend (a “want”). However, in hard times, perhaps your pitch needs a rethink: focus on website security, regulatory compliance (such as ADA or privacy requirements), uptime, or emergency tech support—becoming indispensable, not optional.

Step 2: Develop Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Solutions

Sometimes, you simply can’t reposition your main offering as a “must-have.” In that case, attract cash-strapped customers by launching a scaled-down, DIY, or self-service option.

- Can you break down your expertise into smaller, affordable pieces?

- Can you create digital products (courses, templates, guides, toolkits) that empower people to tackle projects themselves?

- Can you offer group coaching, webinars, or masterminds at a lower price point than full consulting?

Example:

Let’s stick with the web design agency analogy. Instead of a $5,000 site overhaul, offer a $99 crash course on DIY website fixes, bundled checklists for basic optimization, or a video walkthrough for integrating security features. This allows you to capture customers who can't afford done-for-you services but are still willing to invest in learning.

Step 3: Combine the Approaches – Tiered Offerings

One of the most effective tactics is to offer a menu of choices that appeals to different budget levels and levels of need:

- DIY Option: For the budget-conscious who want to do it themselves.

- Done-With-You Option: Moderate pricing; you guide or assist but the client does some work.

- Done-For-You Option: Premium service for clients who need complete solutions.

By diversifying your offerings, you can capture and nurture a wider range of prospects. This tiered approach is especially potent in unstable economic periods.

Step 4: Review and Refine Your Messaging

Even if you make no changes to your actual product, a shift in messaging can have a massive impact. Ask:

- Are your sales pages and ads reinforcing urgency and necessity?

- Have you clearly articulated the consequences of not buying now? (e.g. lost revenue, legal issues, wasted time)

- Are you speaking directly to pain points that are acute in this moment?

The right language can transform the perception of a product from optional to indispensable.

Step 5: Stay Visible and Engaged—Even When Things Are Slow

It’s tempting to pull back on marketing spend or “go quiet” when sales slow down. But visibility breeds opportunity. Continue producing educational social content, value-packed emails, helpful blog posts, and free resources. Teach, support, nurture.

Remember: When budgets recover, buyers will remember who showed up for them in tough times.

Real World Examples: Market Leaders Who Pivoted

Let's look at how some real-world companies have applied these principles:

- Home Improvement Stores: In downturns, Lowe’s and Home Depot promote DIY classes, affordable tools, and “fix-it-yourself” projects far more heavily. They know homeowners with less disposable income may forego hiring contractors but will still spend on materials and expertise.

- Accounting Software: During tax season or economic stress, companies like Intuit (TurboTax) market to filers who can't afford a CPA, emphasizing low-cost, self-guided options—but keeping premium assisted options visible as upsells.

- Web Platforms: SaaS companies routinely offer a free/cheap version for DIYers, with easy upgrades to “pro” plans as businesses grow out of a slump.

- Fitness Industry: When gym memberships dropped, trainers and gyms exploded into the online market with on-demand classes, remote coaching, and budget memberships for home exercisers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How can I tell if my product can become a "must-have"?

Look at your existing client base. Who sticks with you regardless of the economy—and why? What recurring problems must your best customers solve? Focus on outcomes, not features.

Q2: Should I drop my price to increase sales?

Discounting can work (temporarily), but it’s risky to compete on price alone. Consider value-added offers or limited-time bundles before slashing prices across the board.

Q3: My service really IS a "want," not a "need." What do I do?

Get creative with DIY resources or a membership model. Consider repositioning your expertise: can you train, coach, or consult remotely? Can you partner with organizations for bulk sales?

Action Plan: Take the First Steps Today

If you relate to these challenges, here’s a simple checklist to get started:

1. Audit Your Offerings: List all products/services. Group by “wants” and “musts.”

2. Refine Messaging: Update your website, ads, and emails to reflect urgency and necessity.

3. Brainstorm DIY Resources: Can you teach, write, or record something valuable for a leaner price?

4. Connect With Your Audience: Ask your audience what’s changed for them. Address their new concerns directly—on social, in emails, or through a quick survey.

5. Test and Iterate: Launch new offers. Track results. Double down on what works.

Final Thoughts: Weathering the Storm, Building for the Future

Economic uncertainty will always shift consumer priorities. The businesses that thrive—regardless of market conditions—are the ones agile enough to pivot, empathetic enough to listen, and courageous enough to try new things.

You don’t need to overhaul your business overnight. Even small tweaks in how you position, deliver, or communicate value can reignite sales and build long-term loyalty.

And finally, remember: The best time to strengthen your sales strategy isn’t just when you’re in a slump. When you future-proof your business by appealing to “needs” and providing DIY value, you build resilience for any market cycle—ready to surge when the tide turns.

Have questions or want feedback on your strategy? Jump into the comments below—I’m here to help. Until next time, this is your Santa Barbara Web Guy signing off. Take care and keep building!