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Gear your website up for Christmas
23rd November 2006
This Christmas, according to the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), online sales are expected to increase by 60% or more, others including Hitwise predict slightly more conservative growth. Although no one can agree on the exact figures for how much online sales will increase, there is no doubt that once again the amount of money consumers will be spending online will increase to record breaking levels. So why is this? Well, it\'s obvious! People just prefer to sit and buy in the comfort of their own homes, saving time, frustration in the crowds, long queues, cold weather, heavy bags, supermarket trolley rage ... the list goes on.
To get the Christmas crowd through the "doors" of your website and get in on the Christmas sales you need to start now. Here\'s our tips on how to pull in the crowds this Christmas:
First, send an email to your customer mailing list telling them about your Christmas promotions. Do it now, today, this minute! This email will encourage more visitors to visit your website and now is the time when shoppers are most likely to response to any offers. If you don\'t have a mailing list, now\'s the time to pull together, fast! Encourage your users and customers to sign up their email address so that you can regularly email your special offers and latest company news. Some companies send out Christmas and New Year message to their customers along with their promotional offers. A nice touch which builds loyalty and trust.
More than 80% of Internet use starts on a search engine. To gain new customers, set up a Pay Per Click account if you are not well positioned on search engines. The most popular companies for this are Google Adwords, Yahoo! Marketing and Miva. You can select keywords you want to advertise for and gain direct clicks into your website. If you are new to this, it may be useful to find a company to manage your campaign, as in the long term this could definitely save you money on your clicks and ensure you are getting the right traffic and users to your site - ie the ones who are going to buy! Yummy! To ensure your business receives a part of this massive Christmas spend, you need do a bit of ground work. Start with a promotion strategy - one which will set you apart from your key competitors. You could offer your customers free delivery on orders over a certain value or a free Christmas gift with any purchase, try a gift voucher for subsequent purchases or money off in your 'January Sale'! Whatever promotion you choose, ensure that it stands out on the home page of your website and is clear on all subsequent pages.
A professional website design with a focus on usability and navigation is key in ensuring your customers find the products they are looking. Good copywriting is essential to grab the customers\' attention and make the sale. Make sure you have clear refund policies and delivery prices which are accessible from every page. The checkout process should be quick and easy without asking the customer to enter any unnecessary data or repeat information they\'ve already given. Customers also like to be able to view the contact details of the company to ensure they can reach you if they have any enquiries or if something goes wrong.
The emergence of social media such as blogs, social networking websites and websites which allow the user to review and rate products and stores has shift the balance of power into the hands of your customers. Now, it\'s the consumer who has become largely responsible for the downturn and upturn of brands including those in online shops. This will be a key factor this Christmas. Internet users are becoming very aware and educated, they can find these review sites and they use them. So make sure that you are well connected to your business partners and personal networks. Post your products and website on review websites, directories and forums to encourage conversation and awareness.
Finally, resolve your transaction bottlenecks for the peak period. It is a big issue with online retailers, especially the busy ones. Slow connections and disconnected transactions will result in customer dissatisfaction and lost sales. Ensure that your customers are going to have the same level of service as you normally provide - if not better. Late deliveries and inadequate customer service are key culprits for customer complaints during this time of the year. Make sure you have a plan for extra resources to cope. Get the students in to help!
Reports still show that many online retailers are not prepared for the upcoming surge in online sales. While some are slow to implement Christmas promotions as well as marketing and advertising to increase traffic, many others still do not have the technology or the back office to handle high volume online transactions. Companies will risk loss of sales and dissatisfied customers if their transactional websites cannot cope with the traffic peaks. Make sure you\'re ready. Think and act now.
Wishing you a great profitable Christmas 2006.
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