Thanksgiving used to start with friends and family and food and end with insane lines at big box stores, like Best Buy and Target, trying to get your hands on the latest and greatest of the holiday shopping season. But now holiday shopping starts in … October?! Yes, October.
Last year broke every record for ecommerce sites. With known global supply chain delays and minimal in-person shopping, shoppers turned to websites to supply the holiday magic. Consumers spent $1.1 trillion online worldwide and $236 billion in the U.S., compared to $723 billion worldwide and $165 billion in the U.S. in 2019.
And the trend is not slowing down. Ecommerce sites are already feeling the holiday shopping season growth and it’s only October. Shoppers are starting early to avoid the headaches of last year, with shipping delays and out-of-stock inventory.
Let’s look at how your ecommerce site can meet (or dare we say, exceed) customer demands?
Connected (Holiday) Shopping Journey
It’s no longer just about your ecommerce site. We know that today’s shoppers are utilizing over seven touchpoints to engage with brands before they make a purchase. Are you keeping up?
As shopping continues to stretch across multiple platforms, brands need to carry their tone, messaging, and brand essence throughout their online presence. Ecommerce brands that are embracing the multi-channel, connected shopping experience are able to elevate the shopping experience with personalized content and engagement across all channels, taking shoppers from your holiday ad to your ecommerce site to a full shopping cart without ever putting down their phones.
Make Social Holiday Ready
Ready to turn followers into loyal customers? Don’t be afraid to use your social channels for fun, playful content that highlights what makes your brand unique and also brings value to your shoppers. Holiday sales? New product launches? Showcase your brand with personalized offers that appeal to your target buyers.
We all love a good recommendation, and the online shopper is no different. In fact, 72% of customers won’t take any buying actions until they’ve read reviews. So get in there and re-share your shoppers wearing, using, and loving your products. Seeing satisfied customers with your products helps boost engagement and drives brand loyalty.
Give Those Ads a Holiday Refresh
Take advantage of new privacy laws from giants like Apple and Google to respectfully analyze shopper data and create personalized ads based on the shopper’s browsing history and product searches. These engaging and timely ads will drive shoppers to your ecommerce site and boost your holiday sales.
But don’t stop with paid ads, make sure you’re harnessing the power of email to create a ‘one, two punch’ for your shoppers. From their inbox to their favorite social channels, ecommerce brands can create content that appears where your shoppers are. With a keen eye on customer preferences, brands can create powerful ads and personalized emails that pop up to remind shoppers of your holiday promotions.
Holiday Ready?
We know how stressful the holidays can be – for shoppers and ecommerce brands – but let’s embrace this extended holiday season with a multi-channel shopping experience that puts the shopper first. Let’s ease into 2022 with new shoppers, loyal customers and a refreshed perspective on building relationships.
