It’s almost that wonderful time of year again! And what a year it’s been! People seem to be putting up their decorations early and are itching to carve those turkeys and eat those mince pies! With that in mind, it’s important to note that a lot of people have also been doing their online Christmas shopping that extra bit sooner too. It seems online shopping has never been more prevalent (with the spread of Covid-19) and online retailers are doing their best to stand out from the ever-growing crowd.
To help your e-commerce store stand out this festive season we have combined a list of essential points for you to consider to help maximise those selling opportunities:
Review product pages and images
It is vital that the images on your website are clear and display your product appropriately. Your product descriptions must also be up to date and easy to read, with no spelling errors. Clear and concise information will help your customers understand exactly what they’re buying with little confusion or queries over product specifications.
Take advantage of paid traffic including social media
Paid advertising is becoming more and more popular, with specialised adverts targeting consumers on every social media platform. Make sure you don’t fall behind as even a little bit of paid advertising will enable your company brand and products to be seen by potential customers and with the potential to reach new audiences, opportunities can be limitless.
Simplify checkout process
Is your checkout process longer than three steps? Do you have a lengthy sign-up process that shoppers cannot skip? It may be time to simplify the experience to help shoppers get checked out faster and guarantee more sales. By reviewing your existing and internal processes, you can help to generate a better user experience, enabling customers to purchase quicker and encourage repeat business.
Use email marketing
Keeping your customer base up to date on new and existing products and deals is essential when it comes to them keeping you in their thoughts when doing their Christmas shopping, so don’t be afraid to send out a few extra marketing emails this festive period, especially if you have special offers.
Implement upsells
Upselling is a brilliant way of getting customers to buy more and can easily be implemented into your sales tactics via small, giftable items or festive treats and decorations.
Understand your customer base
The more time you spend on understanding your customers’ needs, the easier you will find to make sales as you will understand exactly what they need and want. Understanding your customers is key to providing them with a good service which in turn results in strong customer relationships and new sales through positive word of mouth recommendation.
Focus on your unique selling point
Make sure you have a clear vision of what makes your online store and what you have to offer. Stand out from the crowd, be bold and clear, and don’t be afraid to let your customers know about it.
Be prepared
The old saying “if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail” is never more true than when it comes to your business so make sure you have everything in place to make the festive season work in your favour this year.
