How to get more E-commerce Sales during the Holidays

While some might say it is the most wonderful time of the year, for those websites which rely on retail sales this can be one of the most stressful. Within certain industries, the holiday season can account for twenty percent of annual sales which is why boosting sales is often a top priority in December. As a top digital marketing firm, we are often asked how you can get more E-commerce sales during the holidays. Even this late in the season there are still a few tips and tricks you can employ to create additional conversions and ensure your business has a Happy New Year!

Tips to Boost E-commerce Sales

• Increase website speed – The faster your site loads and operates, the faster customers can do what they want to do. Happy customers are repeat customers as well as brand ambassadors. There are a few things that can be done relatively quickly that can give your site a quick push on the accelerator such as increasing server response time, using browser caching, and optimizing images.
• Send additional email offers – Even if you have recently sent out emails, time is short and additional offers should be used to encourage more site visitors. Try using different formats for your content and ads to make it easier for these offers to stand out.
• Use urgency and scarcity – Just because it is the holidays, that doesn’t mean people buy at will. Urgency and scarcity are both powerful triggers and can be used during the holidays to help speed up a customer’s decision-making process. By clearly communicating to consumer’s the number of an item left or remaining days to qualify for free shipping, they will understand that things do expire.
• Free shipping – One of the best ways to increase sales is to offer free shipping. By far this is the most popular perk that consumers look for when making a transaction with price matching and easy returns being the next most popular aspects that add value. Consumers are expecting to get more for less this time of year.
• Retarget visitors – Just because a customer already made a purchase, it doesn’t mean their shopping needs are all fulfilled. Use email and social media to follow-up with these customers and consider additional unique offers to entice more conversions.
• Host a contest – Social media can be the perfect platform to host a holiday-themed contest such as holiday photos, a story contest, or something related to your specific niche. By linking the contest from social media platforms to your website you can drive additional traffic for those hoping to win.
• Offer personal recommendations – For those companies with detailed customer information, providing personalized help, especially around the holidays can pay big dividends. Recommendations for gifts or gift guides can be a good option. You can also use personalized offers and coupons to help entice stale borrowers to revisit what you have to offer.
• Offer fast shipping – Free shipping is great for those who plan ahead, but rush shipping becomes critical as the days tick away before Christmas. If you don’t have a 2-day shipping option available, then get one. If you have one, then highlight it on your website and channels.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that thousands upon thousands of other e-commerce merchants are out there competing against you for slices of the holiday revenue pie. At this stage, it is important to understand how to get more E-commerce sales during the holidays because that clock is ticking, and the end of the year is almost here.

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