The holidays should be a time of joy, not a time to struggle to keep up with your company’s demands. Having a solid holiday e-commerce strategy in place that maps out how you plan to manage this busy season can assist you and your team in pushing through together – and entering the new year with positive growth. Let’s get into it!
Create a Personalized Shopping Experience
E-commerce stores may approach personalization in different ways. Of course, there is remarketing, in which you retarget visitors who have previously seen an item or even put it in their cart but abandoned it before purchasing it. October and November are the ideal times to elevate your prospecting ads, especially if your products have a more extended purchase consideration period.
For instance, some apparel brands might have a pop-up on their website allowing visitors to select the category or size they want. This helps them narrow their options and develop a more customized shopping experience. Not only can this assist you in identifying strengths and weaknesses on your website, but you may also use these details to reveal various information and products to customers based on their content interaction and browsing history.
Prioritize Excellent Customer Service
You want to avoid the risk of receiving an unsatisfied customer or a negative online review. Overall, e-commerce customer service is imperative around the holidays. In addition, live chat and automated chatbot options may often help answer common questions. Also, you may consider outsourcing after-hours phone calls to a virtual assistant. Here are just a couple of FAQs to be ready for:
- Do you provide gift cards?
- How many days does it take to ship an item out?
- Are there any additional deals or promos going on?
- Will my purchase arrive by the holidays?
- How do I track or find my purchase?
- What’s your company’s return policy?
Develop Holiday Email Campaigns
Email is one of the most effective marketing methods you can use, so it’s worth a spot in your holiday e-commerce marketing strategy. Plus, email marketing highlights holiday promos and may be a great way to increase sales. We recommend you craft your emails in the following way:
- Create a “holiday countdown” email telling recipients how much time they have remaining for free shipping, etc.
- Shorten the message and include captivating visuals
- Always include a straightforward CTA that leads back to a landing page on your website.
- Segment your email lists so you may send the most relevant products per group
- Optimize for mobile, since people continue to purchase from their phones
Consider Video Marketing
Video advertising on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok can generate better results than text advertisements. Regarding social media, the younger generation of shoppers today mostly favor video ads. Besides paid ads, you can use video content throughout your site to increase search engine optimization (SEO). These videos could display your apparel on various body types or walk viewers through the easiest way to set up and utilize your product. It’s helpful to consider the following when publishing SEO-minded video content:
- Optimize titles and descriptions
- Adding captions
- Developing a video sitemap
- Selecting the right hosting option
Ensure Your Website is Fast
Most customers prefer to shop on an e-commerce site with an average load time of under two seconds. There are ways to reduce your site’s loading speed, but working with your existing dev team or a developer is your best bet. Other ways to speed up your e-commerce website include:
- Scale down images
- Reduce HTTP requests
- Compress your site’s files
- Enable browser caching
- Minimize server response time
If it makes sense for your business brand, audience, and budget, adding these elements to your holiday marketing strategy could bring impressive ROI. The good news is that collaborating with an accomplished e-commerce web design company can enhance your efficiency and help you satisfy your customers every step of the way.
Craig Kahl is the President and CEO of Adventure Web Interactive. AWI has been recognized as Baltimore’s Top Web Design Firm by The Daily Record and named one of Silicon Review Magazine’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies in the country. Before founding Adventure Web Interactive in 1997, he was VP of Operations for Campus Concepts, Inc., and the youngest division head in history for Pitney Bowes at age 24. He has a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Loyola University. Craig is a member of the International CEO Club and Rolling Road Golf Club and loves spending time outdoors with his wife and son.
