Focus on these strategies to make sure you are ready for a successful holiday shopping season.
1. Mobile Optimization
Mobile purchases are quickly approaching half of all eCommerce sales. If you don't optimize your site for smartphone and tablet shoppers, you will frustrate many of the people who might try to buy from you. Eliminate pop-up ads and focus on a clean format for your mobile site.
2. Emphasize the Holidays
Holiday-specific content on your site will help people get into the buying mood. Add designs that emphasize the holidays, and push out holiday sales that bring in more traffic.
3. Testimonials
Ad copy can get annoying for users. By bringing in customer stories, you give fresh voices from those who actually use and benefit from your product and service. It helps cut through cynicism around advertisements.
4. Give Great Shipping Options
As the holidays approach, delivery becomes more time-sensitive. You need to offer options to get items out quickly. Giving low-cost and/or fast shipping for your customers can create a tremendous boost for your sales.
5. Personalize
To cut through some of the online holiday blitz, you should look at ways to personalize the shopping experience on your site. AI chatbots and wishlist creation can help a user feel more like you are working directly with him or her.
6. Offer Financing
The holidays can get expensive. If you sell products or services that cost over $100, working with a lender to give flexible payment terms can help more shoppers afford to buy from you.
7. Provide FAQs
Customers will sometimes have questions about what you offer. Compile a list of the most common questions and their answers. This helps visitors to your website help themselves, speeding up their ability and willingness to buy from you.
8. Expand Customer Service
FAQs do not resolve every customer issue. While you work to bring in more customers, you can expect some to need help navigating your site, understanding your products and services, and ultimately completing purchases. Invest in more customer service operators to help them and you.
9. Test Load Capacity
Beyond resolving questions, you need to be able to handle the traffic without your site crashing. Test early and often, and make sure you are ready to handle your best-case scenario.
10. Boost Fraud Detection
Not all of the traffic will always be friendly. Invest in ways to identify potentially fraudulent transactions. Advising on your site that you have fraud protection will both make your real customers feel more secure and warn off potential criminals.
As the holidays approach, you need to ramp up your eCommerce efforts. Taking these steps will not only bring in more customers, but ensure your site is ready to handle them.
