Now I totally appreciate that August is far too early to be talking about Christmas, however that said it is vital that online retailers forward plan for what is for most, their busiest time of year and a period that can provide upwards of 40% of their annual sales.
This year of course you’ll not only have the traditional Christmas opening hours but you’ll also need to consider taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, both tradition’s cynically adopted from across the pond to celebrate the Friday and first Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday.
Here are five of the more important aspects of online retailing that you need to plan ahead for in good time, in order for you maximise your Christmas bonus…
1. Delivery & Shipping
Like most people I like my Christmas purchases to appear well before the 25th December. This being a priority for seasonal shoppers do make sure that you clearly display your delivery and shipping information, in particular your last shipping dates.
Ensure that you manage expectations, in recent years bad weather has resulted in late deliveries, so guaranteeing next day delivery up until the 23rd of December may not be a wise move.
Top Tip: Free delivery still remains a strong attraction for consumers, if not an illogical one at times considering the cost involved in traveling to a high street store to pick an item up. Nevertheless providing free delivery either on all your items or perhaps over a particular threshold, such as £30 is proven to increase sales, even if the item is more expensive as a result of incorporating the delivery cost into the price.
2. Christmas Makeover
For the many thousands of sales assistants, cashiers, security guards and shelf stackers there’s few thrills in life that compare to donning a Santa hat through most of November and December, or perhaps being forced to dress up as one of his vertically challenged helpers. So just as you’d garnish your staff or perhaps dress a window display, ensure that you dress your online store.
For the many thousands of sales assistants, cashiers, security guards and shelf stackers there’s few thrills in life that compare to donning a Santa hat through most of November and December, or perhaps being forced to dress up as one of his vertically challenged helpers. So just as you’d garnish your staff or perhaps dress a window display, ensure that you dress your online store.
Plan for a seasonal makeover of your website including promotional banners and key messages. In turn make sure that whatever you do on your website is reflected within your email marketing, social media profiles and preferably in store merchandising if you’re really organised.
Top Tip: If your website company is likely to be involved with any of the above do make sure you notify them in good time, they may not work the seasonal opening hours that you do.
3. Best Sellers & Gifts
Now is the time to be looking at this years best sellers as well as what did well last year. Ensure that the product pages for these items are as good as you can make them - with engaging and informative descriptions, high quality images and video if applicable, and complemented by related products and accessories aimed at maximising basket values.
Now is the time to be looking at this years best sellers as well as what did well last year. Ensure that the product pages for these items are as good as you can make them - with engaging and informative descriptions, high quality images and video if applicable, and complemented by related products and accessories aimed at maximising basket values.
Best sellers ought to be given prominence upon your website and within marketing material such as email campaigns.
If you haven’t already got ‘gift categories’ or ‘gift guides’ on your website consider making use of these. Essentially these are categories where you can feature items that are suitable as gifts for say men and women, or perhaps “gifs for granny”. This technique is widely used among department stores and helps customers find the products they’re looking for more easily.
Top Tip: If you offer gift vouchers Christmas is the time to shout about them as they’ll be a popular choice for many of us who haven’t got a clue what to buy anyone.
4. January Sales & Follow-up Marketing
Put in place a strong post-Christmas marketing plan. If someone buys from you this Christmas then target them in your January sales. Perhaps consider particular offers such as voucher codes that can be emailed to those that bought from you over the festive period.
Top Tip: Publicise the dates of any sales and offers in good time on your website and within your marketing so your customer know when to visit your website to take advantage of them.
As much as it feels odd to do in the August sun, its well worth beginning to plan for Christmas now so that you can quickly and effectively deliver your marketing campaigns.
