Do you sell toys for children, home accessories, or maybe computers online? Do you want your online store to generate higher profits before Christmas? We have a few tips to boost sales and start New Year with a smile.
How to increase sales before Christmas:
- Important dates for e-commerce
- Take care of the website
- Expand payment and delivery options
- Package your order neatly
- Extend the return period
- Invest in online marketing
People keep spending more and more money every Christmas. If you run an online store, make sure that as much of that money as possible goes right to your cash register. Wondering how to increase sales before Christmas? Check out our tips on how to achieve higher profits in the run-up to Christmas
Important dates for e-commerce
Apart from Black Friday, which is considered the beginning of the pre-holiday frenzy, there are several other dates with the marketing potential that mustn’t be passed unnoticed when running an online shop. One of them is Cyber Monday (26th November) , which is a day of promotions in online stores. What other dates should you watch out for?
- Free Delivery Day (5th of December)
- St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6th)
- Green Monday (December 10)
- The weekend before Christmas (15-16 December)
If your store can afford it, take part in such activities, because you can attract a wider range of customers this way (more on this later in the article).
WIthout a doubt, this is the day all children in most countries will get a present, large or small. That is why even a special discount code or a banner on the website informing about a “Santa Claus” discount can attract latecomers and drive sales.
When eBay reported historically high sales on the second Monday in December more than a decade ago, it became known as Green Monday. It’s the day consumers realize how little time there is left until Christmas and start storming stores in search of gifts.
Many people buy gifts at the last minute, so for many online shops, the peak sales may fall on this time.
Take care of your website
If your website does not yet have an SSL certificate , which guarantees the safety and reliability of the domain, think about installing this tool. Thanks to it you will also improve your position in Google. All the more reasons to go for it.
Another important aspect is the loading time of the website. If images and content take a long time to load, potential customers will quickly move on to a competitor’s site. It is worth taking care not only of the speed of the website on the desktop but also in the mobile version. For many people, a smartphone is the fastest tool to search for gifts. In your spare time – during a break at work or during traffic jams.
Sometimes even adding a festive touch to your company logo or putting a countdown timer on your website can motivate customers to buy more. What’s more, you can insert such elements on the site yourself – you can find instructional videos and articles online.
Expand your payment and delivery options
Not every shop’s turnover is high enough to introduce free delivery regardless of the order value. Nevertheless, there are a few ways to make sure that such action doesn’t hit smaller online shops too hard in the pocket, and still contribute to an increase in sales before Christmas.
Free shipping can be set, for example, from a specific amount – 5, 10, or 30 dollars depending on the number of products in your shopping cart. For example, if you buy at least 3 products, you will be charged free shipping. Instead of completely free shipping costs, you can decide on only one free form – for example, courier or delivery to a parcel machine. And importantly, for many customers, it is the form of delivery itself that matters. Not everyone can wait at home for a courier or a postman, so the lack of the delivery option to an automated parcel machine (APM), a newsagent, kiosk or closest post office can make the customer give up shopping.
Another element that can still attract consumers is the form of payment, so ensure that the available options include a fast transfer system, which is a convenient way to make payments online.
Package your order neatly
It would seem that it is not the packaging that is important, but what is in it. However, for online shops, the way the order is packed may turn out to be important. It should be as aesthetic and crafty as possible. Then there is a high probability that the customer will want to celebrate the purchase with a photo and then post it on social media. Free advertising.
How then to package your assortment to please the customer’s eye? Instead of a cardboard box, you can use a personalized box or print a “thank you” note on the box. You can put 2-3 candies in the package in a company wrap or a company sticker. A lot depends on the nature of your e-commerce business. One thing you should avoid – saving on shipping materials and careless way of packaging. Despite appearances, customers pay attention to details.
Extend the return period
Christmas gifts are usually given on December 24th or 25th, depending on the country, and their purchase is usually much earlier. In this case, the 30-day return period, let alone the 14-day return period may be too short. That’s why you should extend it to 60 days and preferably put this information in a prominent place on the website of the online shop.
Invest in online marketing
Admittedly, the best time to plan a pre-Christmas promotional campaign is right after the summer holidays. With the right mobilization, you can achieve a lot quickly. For this reason, when planning the revenues and expenses of your online store before Christmas, also include the cost of marketing activities – Facebook ads or Google AdWords campaigns. Nonetheless, as experts claim, the most effective way to get traffic before Christmas is email marketing. Consider then your email marketing activities wisely. Send out your offer well in advance, make sure you have the right template and the right links in your emails.
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