E-commerce businesses warned to prepare for the festive period now
For many e-commerce businesses, the Christmas period will be a busy, and hopefully profitable time, but many online shops often loose out on business over this period, simply by not putting measures in place to deal with the surge in traffic at this busy time. The market research firm IDC Retail Insights urged companies to prepare for the Christmas period in their Top 10 Recommendations for the Holiday Season Report. Some of you may be wondering, why are we blogging about this now, Christmas is ages away! But it is so important to be prepared, that way you’ll have time to concentrate on the really important things, safe in the knowledge that your online shop is ready for Christmas. Research earlier this year from Tealeaf showed that 44% of the UK’s web-enabled adults, did at least some of their Christmas shopping online and it’s likely that this figure will rise again this year.
So, how can your get your e-commerce shop ready for the festive season?
Start thinking about your festive marketing campaign now.
Great Christmas viral campaigns don’t happen overnight, or even over a couple of weeks, start thinking about it now. Get your team together for a brainstorming session and discuss any ideas they may have. By deciding on an idea now, you have months to plan it and implement your campaign.
Let customers know now about any Christmas discounts you will be offering.
Giving customers discount at any time of the year is always a good idea, but to offer it at Christmas is an especially good incentive to get them shopping. By telling customers early, you are letting them know that you are thanking them for their loyalty, whilst reminding them to use your store for their Xmas shopping. Also, sending customers an email closer to the time will keep your e commerce shop in their minds.
Come up with your pricing offers now!
Now, more than ever it is crucial to give customers a great deal, many people will be on a tight budget for their Christmas shopping, so by giving them cost-effective solutions you will increase your sales and in turn, have very happy customers!
Don’t forget about the after Christmas sales!
As well as planning your strategy for the Christmas period, you also need to think about the sales after Xmas. For online stores, these sales often start as soon as it’s too late to deliver in time for Christmas-this could be as early as the 23rd December. Think about your marketing strategy for the sales now, so when it comes to that time, your ready!
The points mentioned above are just a few to think about. Why not get your team together in the coming weeks and begin to set up a strategy that your all happy with. The festive period is a fantastic time for e commerce stores, but its crucial to be prepared to take advantage of the extra business opportunities.
