E-Commerce Tips & Ideas for Christmas

It’s that time of the year! With the holidays now upon us, eCommerce sales are expected to bring in a whopping $910B in revenue. As a retail owner, it’s important to have a few creative ways to promote your brand to customers as they check off items on their holiday shopping lists.

In the United States, Christmas shopping traditionally begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. But most retailers start promoting season sales as early as the beginning of November. A survey conducted by Global Web Index discovered that when it comes to Christmas present shopping, over 20% of UK shoppers start planning their purchases in September, increasing to 70% by December. 

To help you reach customers early and effectively, we’ve compiled a list of the most efficient eCommerce tips and ideas to implement throughout this festive season.

Free Shipping & Multiple Delivery options

Christmas is right around the corner. People need presents, and they need them now! Holiday shopping is often stressful, but the good news is that shoppers can choose quick delivery options when placing online orders. However, they’re most likely to pay an extra $20. Many shoppers get discouraged when a store doesn’t provide free shipping, especially during the holiday season when they might be making multiple orders from different online stores.

Offering discount coupons and free shipping are two great ways to help your customers save money and encourage brand loyalty. According to a study by ComScore, 83% of US online shoppers are willing to wait an additional two days for delivery if shipping is free. Moreover, according to research done by eMarketer, respondents between the ages of 18 and 45 prefer discounts to free shipping when making a purchase online. On the other hand, older internet users prefer free shipping above discounts.

Free shipping has ceased to be a “nice-to-have” and is now expected by many customers. It’s a useful tool for promoting your brand, improving customer service, and encouraging consumers to spend more. So if you want to see sales growth during Christmas, consider including free shipping and delivery in your plans. 

Gift Cards & Customized Gift Guides

Lots of holiday shoppers struggle with choosing the right gift or simply get lost in the overwhelming variety of choices. Putting together a basic online gift guide is a terrific approach to highlighting products you think will have a unique appeal for your customers. A gift guide can simply be a list of gift ideas categorized into gifts for relatives, friends, and coworkers. Start by adding a few product categories to your online gift guide based on what you expect people to be buying this year, then fill them in with appropriate products from your inventory. 

            
According to payment service Blackhawk Network, in 2021 gift -card spending is going to rise by 19% compared to last year. Consider giving Christmas-themed gift cards to give shoppers the option of flexible gift-giving and to ensure a greater conversion rate. Gift cards can be as simple as a graphic on a landing page or a menu item in your store. 

Upselling and Cross-Selling

Now that you have your customers’ attention, what next? Upselling and cross-selling are excellent strategies to give existing customers what they want while also boosting your earnings.

Cross-selling is a terrific method to increase the order value of your client’s purchase. According to Predictive Intent’s research, promoting cross-sells at checkout can improve sales by 3%.

Upselling may make a big impact on your sales when the holidays approach and your consumers are buying gifts for others instead of themselves. After all, who doesn’t want to present a bigger and better gift to their loved ones?

Create a Christmas Calendar 

Christmas Calendars are a great way to get your customer excited for the holidays and keep your brand top-of-mind for them. This feature creates a sense of urgency, reminding clients that Christmas is approaching and that they should make their purchases as soon as possible. Adjusting themes and features to emphasize the approaching holiday season can greatly improve the customer experience and encourage people to keep shopping. 

If you integrate free shipping, upselling, gift cards, and Christmas calendars into your eCommerce during this holiday, you should get the ultimate Christmas gift: a pleased consumer who enjoys visiting your site and reaping the benefits of your efforts. Remember, every satisfied customer is a potential marketing resource for your brand in the form of positive online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations to their friends and families. If you’re indecisive on which tip to implement in your eCommerce this holiday, we would suggest going big and integrating all of them.