Christmas is coming: a very special time in the ecommerce world. Wondering if you got it right with your ecommerce sales strategy this year?
Probably you can already tell whether your ecommerce results thus far are what you’ve been expecting. Or maybe you see what might have gone better.
Either way, just a few more days left until Christmas. Let’s recap some useful ecommerce Christmas tips.
Here’s the deal:
Last Updated on December 8, 2023 by Zeljko Drazovic
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So how to sell more online at Christmas?
Offer free delivery, even a single Free Shipping Day. Learn more about how to use free shipping to boost your ecommerce sales.
Offer fast delivery on top of the standard delivery option. The thought of Christmas gifts not arriving on time is a source of great distress for many buyers. Offering multiple delivery options helps online sellers increase their checkout conversion rates.
Send your customers delivery updates: tell your buyers that you will keep them informed about the delivery status. They will feel more confident, also about you as the service provider.
Plan your stock. Your stock levels will fluctuate during the festive season so you should ensure that there’s a backup when you run out of certain items. You can also give your customers an option to sign up for an email alert that will notify them when items are available.
Planning your stock is extra important during the time of coronavirus pandemic with ecommerce orders on the rise and the general logistics landscape less predictable.
Organize and let others know about your sales offer. You have a flash sale or a new bestseller? Put it out there!
Start acquiring potential customers a few months before Christmas. When planning your SEO & ecommerce activities and campaigns for Christmas, you may want to concentrate most of your efforts towards the end of the coming year. However, your ecommerce activities and marketing campaigns should be planned far in advance.
What will help you with successful planning is keeping track of the ecommerce calendar.
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Make your returns policy easy: especially when stressed last-minute shoppers come into play.
Highlight gift wrapping options.
Retarget your Christmas customers in January: especially if you have post-Christmas deals in store for them. Plan your ecommerce activities wisely.
Offer vouchers that can be redeemed in the future. Many buyers will come back to shop with you again.
Offer gift cards: their recipients usually spend 40% more than the card’s value, which can mean extra revenue for you.
Use social media channels to promote your Christmas content and deals. Learn how to use Facebook and Instagram to your ecommerce advantage.
Use results from previous years and collect the current ones. Plan for the next Christmas season.
Don’t offer discounts too early. Savvy customers know that they should wait for final price cuts. Thus, leave yourself some time in which to get the full price for your items.
Don’t make your items too cheap: this may devalue your brand.
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Many online sellers are convinced that they will see big Christmas sales figures by trading on their domestic markets only.
In fact, there’s a good chance that the numbers will be pretty impressive, especially if gift items are being sold. Yet, domestic markets are only a small part of the big ecommerce landscape.
Consider the fact that many shoppers want to buy unique gifts that are different to what is available locally. Imagine you’re a shopper and you’re looking for gifts at the festive time.
What can happen if most local high-street retailers and local online shops offer similar items?
Your nearest and dearest can end up buying exactly the same gift for you as you purchased for them.
Awkward? Funny? Both?
Of course, every such situation can be turned into a joke, but in many cases the feeling of awkwardness is likely to prevail. Hence, it is wise to make sure the gift is unique.
To avoid situations as above, one solution is to look for gifts elsewhere than on your local market. A good source of unique, rare items are foreign countries. Many buyers and gift givers realize that if they order abroad, their pressie is not that likely to be duplicated.
Hence, consider localizing your Christmas offers on international markets.
During challenging times, such as the current pandemic (or even Brexit), selling on international markets often allows sellers to plan and balance the sales between markets, spread their risk and make the most of diversification.
The lockdown and social distancing usually encourage additional populations to purchase online. However, consumer behavior related to cross-border ecommerce imports differs depending on the stage of the pandemic in each market.
If the country is within the peak of the outbreak, a slowdown of cross-border imports can be expected. It’s important for international merchants to try to minimize potential shipping delays and keep their clients informed. Reliable parcel tracking tools and simple return options should also help in reassuring buyers.
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2021 is coming to an end and many of us may have experienced numerous challenges this year.
Now it’s time to take a step back and relax. May the coming holiday season be full of joy and peace for all of us!
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