Get a head start in preparing your online shop for the holiday season to attract the early planners and the last minute shoppers alike.
The last few years have thrown everyone for a whirl. While there was little room for tidings and good cheer during the holiday seasons of the last few years, the lack of gatherings meant that more people were shopping online and gifts were mainly delivered by the post – a great thing for e-commerce stores. This holiday season is set to look much different, but changing habits regarding holiday shopping may remain.
What to expect this holiday season
This holiday season is set to look similar to holiday seasons of years past, but with a few small differences. In hopes of making up for lost time, businesses and companies are planning grandiose holiday parties and get-togethers, families and friends will gather and exchange gifts, and cities across the world will once again see bustling holiday markets spill out among their city centers. So, how exactly will this year be different?
- Holiday shopping will begin early
Though the threat of illness and harm have waned somewhat, another unforeseen burden seems to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind – inflation and the cost of living. Amid rising inflation consumers are looking for ways to stretch their money even further which means spreading out the holiday shopping over several months. Preparing your online shop for the holiday season is essential if you’re going to catch your customers' eye before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, especially as people start their holiday shopping as early as August.
- E-commerce will continue to thrive
Over the last ten years, consumer habits have seen a steady shift away from brick and mortar stores towards online and e-commerce. Online shopping was made even more prevalent during the global shutdown which forced people indoors. Now there’s an even greater affinity for placing orders online.
Stores have since reopened their doors, decorated their storefronts, and stocked their shelves, but consumers have not reentered stores at the rate retailers once believed. This is great news for online retailers preparing for e-commerce peak season! The pandemic-induced shifting attitudes about online shopping across all age groups and demographics is a helpful shift for e-commerce stores.
How to prepare your online shop for holiday season
Make a content plan
Ideally your holiday planning began at the beginning of the year. If you haven’t started planning for the holidays, get started as soon as possible.
- Plan early for holiday content. Prepare for e-commerce peak season so you aren’t stuck brainstorming holiday ideas and content at the last minute. There are a number of moving parts in creating content such as photographing, scheduling, posting, and copywriting. Make sure your shop is content ready for the holidays well in advance.
- Create a content calendar. Marketers know that content is king in the age of social media. A content calendar will help with the scheduling, planning, and creation of holiday content.
- Create content for web and social media. Update your content with the holidays in mind. Holiday inspired photoshoot, anyone?
Prioritize customer communication
Communication is key! Customers are increasingly interested not only in quality products, but being able to communicate with the brands they love.
- Offer live chat. With consumers relying less on brick and mortar stores and more on online shopping, it’s more important than ever to meet your customers' needs with great communication.
- Streamline channels of communication. Customer communication comes in many forms and from an array of channels including email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. Sifting through each platform can be tedious. There are a number of tools available like Zimply that help retailers and online stores receive customer communication and feedback in one place.
- Consider a blog. A blog is a great way to attract new customers. SEO, search engine optimization will determine how your store is discovered online. Frequent blog posts are a great way to rank higher on search engines and have the added bonus of instilling trust in your customer base.
- Hire seasonal workers. The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for online retailers with some doing more than 40% of their yearly revenue in the last quarter. To keep customers happy and at ease, consider hiring seasonal customer service representatives.
Organize holiday ad campaigns
- Create a solid email marketing campaign. Arguably, those on your email list are some of your most loyal customers. Make sure you’re appealing to your primary customer base with clever holiday emails.
- Create a social media strategy. Social media is a great free advertising tool so use it to your advantage. Great content can skyrocket a businesses sales so use the tips above to plan and execute great content ahead of the holidays.
- Determine the best paid advertising. Whether it’s Google, Facebook, Instagram, or another avenue completely, there are a number of factors that go into choosing the best paid advertising for your customers including target audience, budget, and your understanding of SEO concepts. Google ads pay-per-click ads are also a great option, but they can be costly so make sure they work for your business.
- Target customers who have already shown interest. Retargeting is another great way to reach loyal customers and those who have already shown interest in your store. Retargeting is the practice of targeting those who have already visited your site via Google or Facebook ads.
Shoppers’ changing habits over the last several years sow seeds of bounty for online stores and e-commerce retailers. This year, shoppers are looking to stretch their money further by beginning the holiday shopping as early as August. Make sure your online store is ready for the holiday season by making a content plan early, prioritizing customer communication, and prioritizing a strategy for holiday ads.
The good news is that the team at Zimply are here to help! Our tool helps streamline customer communication. Spend less time sifting through customer communication on multiple platforms and more time running your business. Reach out to the team at Zimply today to see how we can save your online business time and money this holiday season.