For some, holiday shopping season is right around the corner–but for many, it’s already in full swing.
In fact, the National Retail Federation reported that in 2014, the average holiday shopper had already completed 53% of his or her shopping by December 10th.
That means that right now is the time to be finalizing your eCommerce strategy. Not sure where to begin? Let’s start by looking at some of the most high-traffic days for online retailers so you can plan your holiday marketing accordingly.
Top Days for Online Holiday Shopping
ComScore reported that holiday spending in 2014 was up by 15% from 2013, and that November 1-December 31 accounted for more than $53 billion in eCommerce spending.
The top performing day for holiday eCommerce was no surprise–Cyber Monday. On this day alone, online retailers brought in more than $2 billion. The other top days are reflected in the chart below:
The study also noted that holiday shopping peaked around December 14th, or week seven of the holiday season, after which it dropped off dramatically.
So what can we take away from this data when forming our eCommerce strategy and holiday marketing plans? Start early.
In the next phase of planning, you’ll want to assemble a variety of holiday marketing promotions that drive up traffic to your site and keep your inventory moving.
We’ve all heard the standard tips like, “Offer a discount!” or, “Try free shipping!”, but we’ve got some more in-depth strategies you may want to consider.
1. Leverage User-Generated Content
With so many options for online shoppers, a recommendation from a trusted friend can go a long way.
For example, one study from eMarketer found that of moms who were researching products online, only 7.7% relied on the company’s marketing messages, while 92.3% relied on reviews from other customers. 40-50% of these users also wanted to see user-generated video reviews to compare different types of products. These reviews act as social proof for eCommerce shoppers, which provide a reference point for shoppers who look to external resources for affirmation of their beliefs.
Think about it like this: If you’re looking for the perfect sweater, and you see one of your most stylish friends post a photo of herself on Instagram raving about a particular store’s sweater selection, would you take her word for it and go see for yourself? Probably… or at least us shopaholics would.
Anthropologie tapped into this holiday eCommerce strategy by leveraging user-generated content in the #DearAnthro section of their website. In this gallery, users can submit photos of what they’re putting on their holiday wishlists–either through uploading directly or via social platforms. As they share their content, friends and connections get the insider scoop on where to find new things they might want for themselves.
2. Start Remarketing
Remarketing is a PPC strategy that uses cookies to help brands reconnect with people who have visited their website or used their app in the past. These visitors will see a brand’s ads displayed as they peruse websites in the search tool’s network, or when searching for terms related to similar products or services.
As far as search queries are concerned, one study showed that retargeting offers the highest lift in this form of traffic comparison to other options like premium and contextual placements. In regard to CTR, remarketing also has a much higher success rate, with the average click-through rate for display ads hovering around 0.07%, while the average CTR for retargeted ads is about 0.7%.
Using remarketing in your holiday eCommerce strategy might play out like this:
Say your online store offers skateboard accessories. A customer comes to your site high in the conversion funnel, just browsing for a potential holiday gift (but not ready to make a purchase.) As time goes on, the customer continues to search for skateboard accessories, and each time is reminded of your offerings via the retargeted ads that display alongside the search results.
Another option with remarketing is to use it to leverage a coupon code, some compelling copy, or a limited time discount that acts as the last little push your buyer needs to convert. By appearing when it’s highly relevant, this eCommerce strategy helps make it easier for your customers to make a purchase when they’re in the right mindset.
3. Prepare for Increased Site Traffic
In 2014, even some of the biggest eCommerce retailers weren’t prepared for the increased volume of site visitors during peak holiday shopping times. Walmart, Belk, and Motorola all had sites that crashed when they exceeded server bandwidth.
While the initial reaction to a site crash might be, “Whoa! That’s incredible!”, it’s quickly followed up by, “And now no one can make purchases. We’re losing money!”
If you’re expecting an influx of traffic, there are a few ways you can adjust your eCommerce strategy so you can accommodate more holiday visitors:
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Minimize the number of scripts, images, and style sheets so pages load quickly by combining them into one CSS file
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Upgrade your hosting service to ensure you can handle higher online traffic
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Create a simplified version of your website with static HTML pages
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Test your page speed using a tool like Google’s Page Speed
4. Use Email Marketing, But Smarter
You’ve probably already heard how important it is to collect email addresses and continue the conversation with customers in their inboxes. But your holiday marketing strategy needs to kick your email efforts into high gear.
One study showed that email open rates went as high as 50% on mobile devices during the 2014 holiday season as hungry deal-hunters searched for coupons and deals galore. That being said, it’s clear that the audience is there and is receptive to communication. The question is, how can you make your email marketing more effective?
Setting up a series of automated emails is a simple way to stay in touch with customers during the weeks of intense holiday shopping. These drip campaigns can be triggered by dates or by actions, and keep customers informed about new promotions, special deals, and limited-time offers that create a sense of urgency.
You should also look at segmenting your list to ensure you’re communicating with the right people at the right time. Rather than mass-sending an email, think about dividing customers into lists based on frequency of purchase, types of purchases, geographic location, or purchase habits. Look for trends in purchase habits from your online customers and decide which segmentation strategies you think are most worth testing.
Conclusion
You can’t afford to wait another day when it comes to perfecting your eCommerce strategy for the holiday season.
The market for online shoppers is more competitive than ever, so your job is to think about how you’ll stand out from the crowd to reach new audiences and also how you’ll cater to your loyal customers.
Use these tips as a starting point, and then plan out how your holiday marketing will help make 2015 your most profitable holiday season yet.
