Ultimate Guide On eCommerce Holiday Planning 2021
November 11, 2021
Every year, the holiday season is a time to rejoice and bring new appliances, accessories, technology, and other items into the house. Things will, however, be even more fascinating in 2021. Thankfully, the world is nearing the end of the pandemic, and we are all getting ready to celebrate with our loved ones aneCommerce holiday planning in 2021.
What could be a better time for online retailers to meet their revenue targets than now? Furthermore, when it comes to stats, they appear to be encouraging. From $4.28 trillion in 2020 to $5.4 trillion in 2021, global eCommerce sales will increase. Retailers, on the other hand, must prepare ahead to make the most of this time.
You can make millions over this festive period if you invest your time and money in developing a proper strategy that corresponds with your business goals. Here you will know everything you need to know about theeCommerce holiday planningin 2021, including what to expect and recommendations to help you attract and convert website visitors into buyers.
Also, as per the Deloitte, an increase of 7-9% is expected this year during the festive season. Whereas, it is predicted that the eCommerce sales will see a hike of 11-15% ranging between $210 billion to $218 billion.
While you may be pleased with this year's forecasted increase in eCommerce sales, rising consumer expectations should not dampen your spirits or drive to produce income in the final two months of the year. You can win it all and bring home more money if you go to the conflict zone equipped and employ a killer strategy.
Let's see how you have done theeCommerce holiday plansand get ready for your online store to reach the million-dollar income threshold. For you, we've compiled a list of the topeCommerce tips for holidaysand techniques.
We advise online shops to get ahead of the curve. Before we get into someholiday planning tipsand tricks, there are a few things you should keep in mind to make sure everything runs smoothly:
- Ensure that your store complies with Google's primary web update.
- Make an effort to create a storefront that scales to meet your needs to guarantee 100% uptime.
- Make sure you have an eCommerce support team in place to deal with any unexpected issues.
- Update your shop and apply security patches.
- Ensure that you have access to customer data so that you can make well-informedeCommerce businessdecisions.
While these are the bare minimum requirements for making the most of what is automatically delivered to your business, you will need to go above and beyond to persuade eCommerce buyers to consider your products.
Tips for Retailers Planning for the Holiday Season in 2021:
1. Create a Shopping Experience that is Unique to you
Page trip tracking (also known as flow visualization by Google) can monitor a customer's cursor from beginning the purchase transaction to end.
This can not only help you discover your site's strengths and problems but it can also be used to show various information and items to different clients based on their browsing history and content interaction.
2. Take Advantage of Peak Promotions
Every other firm is likely filling ad space and social feeds with festive catchphrases and Santa Claus memes leading up to theHoliday preparedness.
For most online merchants, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the year's busiest days, with December not far behind.
According to Google Trends, individuals begin holiday shopping in September and are fully committed by mid-October. This means it's better to plan ahead of time, so you are ready to go before the big buying frenzy rather than afterwards.
Determine peak purchasing times and plan campaigns to be issued ahead of time to make promotions as effective as possible.
Recommended: Black Friday eCommerce Marketing Strategies for Retailers
3. Make Customer Service a Top Priority
As the number of customers and purchases rises, so grows the quantity of queries. You don't want to end up with a disgruntled consumer or a lousy web review.
According to research, especially when we know that retaining existing consumers is cheaper (and easier) than attracting new ones. That's why, during the holidays, your e-commerce customer service is highly vital.
Here are a few common questions to anticipate:
- How long does it take to mail out a product?
- Are there any other special offers or promotions going on?
- For the holidays will it come in time ?
- How can I locate or monitor my order?
Customers can often benefit from live chat and automated chatbot options to answer common inquiries or direct them to a frequently-asked questions (FAQ) website. You might also hire a virtual assistant service provider to handle after-hours phone calls.
4. Create eCommerce Holiday Email Campaigns
When it comes to the Christmas e-commerce strategy, email is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use.
Every year, Cyber Monday generates billions of dollars in sales. You can meet your clients and potential purchasers where they already are with holiday email marketing. However, if you want to stand out in an overcrowded inbox, you need to be inventive.
When writing your emails, we suggest that you:
- Keep the message brief and use visually appealing themed graphics.
- Send aneCommerce holiday checklist 2021email to recipients, informing them of how much time they have left to place an order for overnight delivery, free shipping, and other special offers.
- Always include a clear call to action (CTA) that points back to your website.
- Include a limited-time offer (LTO) — clients are more inclined to act if they know the bargain is only available for a limited period.
- Segment your email lists so you can deliver each group the most relevant products.
- Optimize for mobile, as the number of individuals making purchases directly from their phones continues to climb.
Is your company involved in any charitable activities over the holidays? Highlight this in your email, whether it's donating to a nonprofit or volunteering. Consumers prefer brands that give back versus brands that do not.
5. Concentrate on Video Advertisements
In some cases, video advertisements on sites like YouTube and Instagram's IGTV can outperform text advertisements.
Video commercials are preferred by the current generation of buyers, and they are a more effective way to engage customers. eCommerce firms can also use live-action capabilities like Instagram Live to get traction through promotional films.
Many social media networks will introduce or adopt new ad models in 2020. For your holiday e-commerce marketing campaign, look into using Instagram Reels Advertisements or even TikTok ads.
6. Take Advantage of Ad Extensions and Site Links
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns are at the top of most eCommerce firms' wish lists since they drive focused traffic. When your company's ad appears, allow clients to click on sales products, unique holiday gifts, bonus offers, and other similar incentives.
You may add extra context to the ads you publish by using ad extensions and site links. Sitelinks can display below the ad's primary URL when a brand is searched for on Google.
Similarly, Google Ads can contain ad extensions that, through copy, provide additional information about whatever your ad is about.
These site links and extensions make it easier for customers to click the link by reducing the amount of work they have to perform. Price reductions, unique holiday shipping details, and more can all be mentioned using review ad extensions.
7. Concentrate on the Eco-consumer
Customers are increasingly concerned about sustainability, which can influence their purchasing decisions.
Get creative by promoting any eco-friendly initiatives your organization is making (hopefully, you have a few).
Consider the following strategies to reassure buyers concerned about their purchases’ environmental impact:
- Less packing material is used
- Reusable containers
- Packing materials that have been recycled (or are recyclable)
- Package transportation that is environmentally friendly
- Using as few packets as possible to bundle a multi-item order
8. Make a Gift Guide for the Holidays
Including a fun branded gift suggestion in your email newsletter can be a great way to catch people's attention and enhance Christmas eCommerce sales.
It's a reasonable assumption that your subscribers are already familiar with your brand, so these guides appeal to them on a practical level.
It prevents customers from navigating through page after page or list after list of outdated or irrelevant products. Instead, it highlights new products or services, coupled with (hopefully) great offers and ways to save.
You might also explore developing holiday-specific content if you simply have a few products or a gift guide that doesn't fit your business. This may be a gated guide or e-book that gives the customer value while also incorporating your goods.
9. Use Social — and Mobile — to your Advantage
According to Statista, 28% of holiday shoppers are more likely to use social media platforms for purchasing. Not only that, but they discovered that during the Christmas and Cyber weeks, mobile ordering and traffic shares soar compared to the rest of theeCommerce holiday season 2021.
It's just another reason why your website must provide a pleasant and straightforward experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop.
10. Pay Special Attention to the Review Parts
As per hosting tribunal, 89% of Online customers are prone to overlook products that have no reviews or have a high number of unfavourable ratings.
Adding review sections will make the products having positive reviews more prominent on the sites. You should also invite past satisfied customers to give feedback via automated emails to boost your trustworthiness.
User-generated content (UGC) is also becoming a key component of practical e-commerce marketing efforts. Positive internet reviews with the UGC can prove to be beneficial as it will help the enterprise to get an edge over the competitors during and beyond the Christmas season.
11. Pay Attention to the Millennial Generation
According to Adweek, nearly half of millennials in the United States said they expect to do more online shopping in the future, even when the pandemic is over. That doesn't simply apply to well-known brands and retailers.
They also claim that more than half of millennials intend to buy most of their holiday gifts from small local businesses.
Depending on your products, coming up with new ways to target millennials specifically for the holidays may be worthwhile.
You need to figure out the products to strike a chord with them the most. Coming up with fresh strategies to attract the demographic via organic and sponsored social media will give you positive outcomes.
12. Make Sure your Website Loads Quickly
How wonderful it is to shop on a site that takes less than two seconds to load! Most consumers will abandon a website if it does not load within 3 seconds, according to experts.
Source:- hostingmanual.net
You can do a few things to speed up your site's loading time, but working with a developer or your existing development team is the best option. They can help you speed up your website by doing things like:
- Reducing server response time
- Minimizing HTTP requests
- Compressing your site's resources
- Scaling down images
13. Take Advantage of Influencer Marketing
If you haven't already, theecommerce holidays 2021is an excellent time to begin investigating collaborations with industry influencers.
According to Forbes, micro-influencers (those with tens of thousands of followers) have a 60% higher engagement rate and a 20% higher conversion rate than their larger-follower counterparts.
Micro-influencers are frequently less expensive, making it easier to sell your products to your target audience without going broke. In addition, during the holiday season, influencer engagement rates tend to rise.
14. Instant Customer Gratification with BOPIS
Using the benefit of the Buy Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) option for your customers, you can ensure a smart experience for your buyers. With customers wanting to have immediate gratification when it comes to shopping during the holidays, BOPIS is an easy way to offer that.
The option enables the customer to make the reservation for the product online with a quick and easier pickup option at the consumer's convenience. It also proves to be beneficial for the business owner. Often a consumer visiting the store to pick up the item can go for some impulse buying.
With the BOPIS, the customer can also return the item in the store when they go for the pickup. Thus, the entire process helps the customers avail themselves of a worry-free service of not missing the return policy window, repacking the item and other logistics associated with shipping when buying an item online.
The BOPIS feature has become a win-win situation for both the retailer and the consumer.
Wrapping it up!
Are you seeking assistance or management services for yourecommerce holiday planning in 2021? You're in good hands with our specialists!MageAnts team can help online businesses create a flawless shopping experience over the holiday season by providing next level security, improved conversion rate, and all around the clock support services. Connect with us today, and let's make the most money possible witheCommerce holiday strategy.
