The sun is shining, the weather is warm, and everyone is in vacation mode making this one of the most wonderful times of the year. This got me thinking about the other most wonderful time of the year- the holiday season! I know not many people want to think about those days when the sun goes into hiding, the weather sends a chill down your spine, and snow blowers and shovels are commonplace; but as a business owner, you need to get to work on your Christmas list (and don't forget to check it twice) to make sure you have a holiday season that has everything on your wishlist.
Success over the holidays is something all businesses wish for and you need to make sure that your ecommerce website is prepared for the shopping frenzy just 4 months away. No one wants to give their customers a mediocre experience nor do they want to see a drop in sales. You don’t have to grab your gloves and scarves quite yet; but it’s time to get into the holiday spirit!
Before you make any big changes, though, you need to take a serious look at the sales you are expecting over the holidays. Once you have done that you then need take a hard look at your site and focus on creating a great experience for your customers so you can meet those sales expectations.
1. Product descriptions and Images
You need to ensure that all your product descriptions and images are both accurate and interesting. Be sure to highlight the advantages of using your product to further entice your customers. You also must have high quality product images. Betsy Emery, CEO of TELLUS, says “consistency and quality of product images directly impact conversion rate.” Think of it this way, your online product images are worth more than words, they’re worth dollars.
2. Delivery
Don’t forget that everyone wants their gifts for the holiday so make sure you estimate the time it will take for delivery when you have an increase in traffic to your site. Getting this worked out in advance ensures your customers will have exactly what they want on time.
3. Payment methods.
Customers use a variety of payment methods when making online purchases and in order to get the sale, you need to offer those options. The more options you have, the more likely you are to get the sale.
4. Speed
As user expectation continues to increase speed is vital factor in bounce rate, customer satisfaction, loyalty and conversion. In fact, 47% of consumers expect your site to load in 2 seconds or less.
5. Get Social
It seems that more and more customers and potential customers are very social media savvy and they expect to see social sharing tools on every site. This is not to say that the absence of social links would lose a sale; but you want customers to spread the word about your product and what better way to do so than to have a social platform? Today’s customers expect these links so maybe this holiday season is the perfect time for you to join the conversation. And who knows, maybe you will see an increase in the popularity of your products and brand!
6. Extras
Maybe you can offer an option for gift wrapping, a discount or gift card for a specific product purchase or dollar amount purchase, join a loyalty program for free, or even offer free holiday shipping. Additional services like these add value to your product and will be appreciated by your customer.
It’s time to get the elves in your workshop moving, because those Christmas lists will be hitting the mail sooner than you think and you want it to be the best holiday season ever!