As the days of summer come to an end, it is time to start preparing for the holidays. As the owner of an ecommerce site, it is essential that you prepare early. When the temperatures cool, and the first snowfall covers the ground, people will begin to start the planning and ordering process. Are you ready to start capturing those sales?
The holiday season is a hectic time of year – the last thing you want to deal with is prepping at the last minute. By getting your ecommerce site ready for the holidays well in advance, you will have a less stressful season. And a more successful one too.
Put your focus where it belongs – on your customer’s satisfaction. And use these tips to get ready for the holiday season.
Get your customer service in order
Your customers count on quality customer service all year long, but even more so during the holidays. Make sure you have plenty of representatives to handle the influx of customer questions, concerns and those inevitable returns. Hire temporary help for the season, if needed, and make sure everyone is trained and ready before the season hits. Consider online services where you can connect online 24/7 if your customers have questions.
Make sure your site is user-friendly
Customers are busy during the holiday season, too, and they want to find what they need as fast as possible. Keep your contact information visible to instill a sense of security and make the purchase process as fast and painless as possible. Add FAQ sections to answer questions you hear again and again. And anticipate your customers needs, and provide them with the answers along the way. You may also want to work on your keyword optimization as there can be a heap of sellers trying to compete. It can also help your customers to find their desired product easily. If you are an Amazon seller, you can read https://www.sunkenstone.com/blog/amazon-keyword-tools/ to discover different Amazon tools that can enhance your SEO strategy.
Be clear about deadlines
Make sure your rules about cut-off dates for holiday delivery are clear and concise.
Update your product information
Make sure all of your products contain clear descriptions and pictures. Customers are buying gifts and they need as much information as possible to make sure they get what they want. Otherwise, they will look elsewhere for their shopping needs.
Don’t forget the “extras”
Things like gift-wrapping and gift cards need to be prominently displayed and promoted to encourage your customers to choose these extra options. Be clear about any additional charges.
Label, label, label
When a customer is in a hurry to buy a last-minute gift, labels can make it easier for them to find what they need. Label your products in useful groups, such as “Gifts under $10” or “Gifts for Boys” so customers will see exactly where they need to go without having to sort through pages and pages of items.
Consider customer reviews
By allowing your customers to interact and leave reviews, it can give future customers more confidence in making a purchase. When they see others are enjoying a product, and understand its strengths and weaknesses, they will make a more informed purchase, and be less surprised when it arrives in the mail.