The holiday season has arrived with a bang, and traditional retail and online business owners alike have an opportunity to grow greatly during this time. Typically, 40 percent of shoppers plan to jumpstart their holiday shopping by the end of October. During the holiday season, average online order values have been steadily increasing year-over-year with AOV of $153 in 2020. Being very strategic with how product listings are written can help convert customers and increase sales.
Part of preparing for the holidays includes adding fun and festive seasonal touches to your website. Now is the time for business owners to spruce up their online listings to entice holiday and end-of-year shoppers. Listing your products online is more like an art form than a simple administrative task. Your listings are your patrons’ first look at what you have to offer and, if done right, can significantly increase sales and even form lifelong customers.
Listings
Let’s take a look at some ways to optimize your listings to gain the most traffic – and sales – during the holidays and the end of the year.
1. Use holiday descriptive keywords to pique interest.
Entice your patrons with creatively used words. Include keywords such as “gift,” “last-minute gift,” “Christmas,” and so on. Words have a way of putting someone in the holiday spirit, and hence the holiday SHOPPING spirit. Here’s a creative example from Old Navy:
2. Experiment with different holiday-themed titles.
People don’t always read the description, so it’s extremely important to be intentional and descriptive with your product titles. Keep search engine optimization in mind when identifying your holiday keywords.
3. Include gift recipient ideas in your descriptions.
People already have holiday shopping on their minds, and if you put out suggestions, there’s a good chance someone will come to mind that would love some of the amazing items you have to offer!
4. Update your product images with gift-wrapped items and festive backgrounds.
Get your customers in the holiday spirit by taking photos of your products packaged for Christmas. A carefully crafted image can turn a “window shopping” patron into a regular buyer!
5. Include free shipping for your holiday items.
It’s no secret that shoppers love free shipping. Why not close the deal by offering free holiday shipping (if you don’t already)?
6. Bundle items into gift packages.
People are looking for more bang for their buck – especially during the holidays. Use the holiday as an opportunity to share seasonal gift sets or bundles to gain maximum sales.
7. Create a holiday coupon for certain listings
Who doesn’t love to save money? Giving your customers a uniquely festive way to save money will make your shop memorable and likely increase sales.
Bonus Holiday Tip
While bringing the holidays into your product listings, consider putting together a gift guide of holiday ideas to give to your patrons. In 2020, over 45% of holiday shoppers said they would be using gift guides to help influence their purchases. Gift guides are an excellent way to attract more buyers and the people buying gifts for them, especially for small businesses that may be struggling to get noticed.
The Numbers
Holiday sales in November and December average about 19 percent of total annual retail sales. Additionally, in 2020 online sales accounted for about 18.7 percent of the holiday sales, up by 16.3 percent from the previous year. Typically, 40 percent of shoppers plan to jumpstart their holiday shopping by the end of October.
Ensure that your online store is prepared for the influx of holiday shoppers by providing accommodations in place for as many different payment methods as possible. Utilizing payment gateways and money-sharing apps gives the best opportunity for making sales.
Payment gateways are essential bridges between merchants and their customers. They are additional eCommerce solutions for accepting debit and credit cards purchases. Additionally, in the digital age, money-sharing apps like CashApp or Venmo are becoming more and more popular for online and brick-and-mortar stores alike. Incorporating lesser-known payment options into your business model is a great way to scoop up customers who might have gone elsewhere.
Marketing
Business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) marketing are ongoing actions for eCommerce business owners, and end-of-year holidays provide marketing opportunities like no other. Many prospective buyers that have had their eye on products to purchase for loved ones all year long will finally close the deal when the holidays hit.
Furthermore, giving your social media channels a seasonal overhaul will allure new customers who are doing their online shopping. Keep in mind that in 2020, 17.5 percent of total holiday sales made in the United States were made online, a trend that is expected to continue this year. Share fun and festive photos of your products, and maybe add some images of your behind-the-scenes operations.
The holidays are ideal for your audience to learn more about your business and how the person (or people) behind the company. Share your story and information about your seasonal listings on your social media platforms.
Conclusion
Traditional retail and eCommerce business owners can capitalize on the holiday shopping festivities by being deliberate with how they position and sell products or services. Including festive descriptions in your listings and creative images can put your items ahead of the rest.
Additionally, you can enhance digital products by adding an intriguing holiday-inspired description. Keep in mind that your great seasonal items may be what draw your customers, but your excellent customer service is what will keep them coming back. Use this magical season to give your customers a shopping experience they won’t soon forget.
Payability
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