2020 has been a rollercoaster ride for most of us, and after these challenging times, everyone is looking to make the most of the holiday season. The holiday season is ideal for brands to bring out their best as the season sees some of the highest sales in the year.
We’ve rounded up the most relevant ecommerce holiday trends and predictions for this year and can conclude one thing: fail to prepare for the holiday rush and you’ll miss a golden opportunity!
Read on to know more about how you can buckle up your online business for this festive and hectic time.
The Ultimate Holiday Guide for Your Online Business
Finalise your deals and promotions
Before you start your holiday advertising and preparations, it’s important to lay the groundwork. Holiday discounts should be irresistible for your customers, but make sure you don’t end up making huge losses because of them.
Focus on providing deals that are a win-win by analysing the best pricing you can provide while ensuring your business retains strong profits.
Some of the questions you need to address when finalizing promotions are:
- Which are the products and deals to aim for?
- What is the best time to run the promotion?
- Where do you provide discounts? For instance, online sellers that want to promote their website or app can provide an additional discount on that particular platform and get higher downloads while making the sale.
Finalising the deals in advance will also help your team create the right excitement and boost your overall reach. But make sure to cover the finer aspects like the offer timelines, terms and conditions, etc.
Anticipate what your customers want
When creating a successful holiday campaign, it’s important to know what your customers want. Retailers have noticed a change in buying patterns since customers are now spending more time indoors.
Products that add value to gardening, cooking at home, exercising indoors, or enhancing the new lifestyle should be your prime focus for the holiday season.
If you’re a food and beverage business, consider streamlining your online ordering system by creating an app on top of your website.
And while you’re at it, remember that not all customers are the same. Consider several target groups to make sure you have something appealing to every segment. Personalise the campaigns and deals for online shoppers using SEO and targeted advertising to get the best clickthrough rates!
Start your marketing campaigns ahead of time
Once your strategy and deals are in place, it is time to start reaching out to your customers. Whether it is online advertising, email marketing, social media campaigns, or offline ads, make sure your customers know the upcoming sales.
The increasing online presence of brands will make the market competitive, so get a headstart by starting your campaigns earlier.
Start with friendly campaigns like Save The Date. Help build excitement by providing insider access to exclusive members. Remember that the holiday season is just as exciting for the customer as it is for you. So more than being sales-focused, empathy is the way to go!
READ: Your Small Business Marketing Guide for the Holidays 2020
Optimise your online presence
A web interface or social presence is no longer the game-changer, as there is huge competition in the digital sphere. So, create a strategy that’s unique and personalised.
Ensure that you can reach your customers on the platform of their choice—may it be mobile browsers, social media, websites, or a combination of physical and online stores. This way, your campaign and advertising will have the maximum impact to a wider target audience.
Use video marketing to grab attention
Businesses gain 66% more qualified leads per year through video marketing. With today’s social microcontent trend, it’s no surprise why.
The new-age shopper won’t only be pleased with a fancy-looking webpage. You can double that experience by including video marketing to your strategy. Businesses are leveraging YouTube and Instagram TV (IGTV) for their brand marketing and advertising, while websites can have embedded video options.
A rising number of shoppers also tend to research online before buying a product, so make sure they have enough video and visual materials to help them make the right purchase decision.
Improvise and automate as you progress
Once your online campaigns and discounts begin to kick in, don’t forget to always check on your progress. Determine if you need to amp up the discounts or increase the stock of your best-selling products. Use automation to help you keep track of your inventory and manage discounts to make the most of a successful holiday season.
Brace yourself for the festivity
According to the popular saying, Rome was not built in a day—and neither are campaigns or logistics for your holiday sales! Do your holiday marketing right by taking a close look at your target customers’ needs and desires. More importantly, prepare in advance for greater chances of success.
For more marketing tips for your online business, click here.
