Can you believe it’s already November?
Everyone is starting to plan for Christmas and your store will be busy handling orders left and right.
When you’re in the thick of things, nothing can be more nerve-wracking than realizing that the items your customers care about are truly out of stock.
Or that the shipping company that would normally deliver your packages was unable to accommodate you.
To prevent that from happening in the most profitable time of the year, we’ve listed 12 things you can do to get your eCommerce business ready for the holidays.
1. Stock up
On the first day of eCommerce Christmas, list your best selling products.
You may also want to search for frequently searched Christmas gifts on Google Trends.
Once you’ve decided which products to add to your inventory, meet with your supplier to discuss the earliest time they could deliver new stock.
In addition to Christmas, Black Friday and Cyber Monday should be considered when planning your inventory as they kick off the holiday shopping season.
2. Create Christmas banners and images
On the second day of eCommerce Christmas, get everyone excited for the holidays by posting christmas-y banners and images on your website.
This triggers anticipation and excitement, which are important factors in increasing customer engagement on your site.
3. Ensure mobile efficiency
According to the IMRG online retail association, more than 50% of UK online retail sales in the fourth quarter of 2015 were made via mobile devices.
That’s an indication that more people are using their tablets and smartphones to shop today.
So, on the third day of eCommerce Christmas, test the checkout on your website using a mobile device to make sure it’s flawless.
4. Offer great deals
On the fourth day of eCommerce Christmas, start rolling out great deals and be a part of the week-long sales period that precedes Black Friday and continues through Cyber Monday.
Make sure the deals are staggered throughout the week as this will help you generate incremental sales.
Put a countdown on items you want to sell quickly, as this will help build anticipation among customers. Look, everyone wants to be the first to have something.
5. Send personalized emails and social media messages
On the fifth day of eCommerce Christmas, send personalized emails announcing your Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, holiday coupons, free gift wrap, and other great deals.
Put aside your standard email template for now and come up with a good subject line to get your email read.
On top of that, let the online shopping community know about your deals on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to name a few.
6. Keep them updated
Shopaholics can’t get enough additional information about products, especially during the holiday season.
The more you give out, the more you will keep them engaged.
On the sixth day of e-commerce Christmas, write a blog to keep them informed about your offers, prices, shipping and other information that affects their purchase decision.
7. Have a clear return policy
On the seventh day of eCommerce Christmas, be open to the fact that some of your customers might return an item they bought from your store.
That said, make sure your product pages have a return policy that clearly states the conditions under which customers can return a product.
8. Get together with a reliable shipping company (and get backed up too)
On the eighth day of eCommerce Christmas, set up a meeting with a reliable shipping company to discuss your options regarding expected levels of packages and shipping points.
Also, you need to know your shipping deadlines so that you can inform your customers of the dates.
Delivering orders on time is the key to winning customers for life.
However, let’s not discount the fact that there are people who would wait until the latest shipping date before placing their orders.
It would be helpful to have a backup courier service that can easily provide last minute shipping in case the company you have partnered with cannot accommodate you.
9. Use holiday-inspired packaging supplies
It’s one thing to get your customers’ orders delivered to your doorstep, it’s another thing to do it in pretty boxes.
On the ninth day of eCommerce Christmas, get your customers in the holiday spirit with Christmas-inspired packaging supplies.
You want them in shades of red, green, gold, silver, and even blue.
10. Get customer support up and running
On the 10th day of eCommerce Christmas, make sure you are ready to address your customers’ queries and concerns in a timely manner.
You can have someone handle this task for you, or do it yourself if you wish.
Additionally, the Contact Us page on your website should include the hours you provide customer support in addition to your contact information.
11. Get ready for Boxing Day
On the 11th day of eCommerce Christmas, get ready for Boxing Day!
Just because it’s after Christmas Day doesn’t mean Boxing Day will no longer generate sales for your business.
In fact, data from IMRG and Experian, a consumer credit reporting agency, show that UK online shoppers spent £856m on Boxing Day last year.
Those numbers are expected to rise this year, and you sure want to be among the companies that benefit.
12. Increase staff
On the 12th day of eCommerce Christmas, make sure an extra pair of hands handle the high volume of orders coming into your store and ensure shipments are made in a timely manner.
Responding to customer inquiries and listing new products on your website are other tasks you’ll definitely need help with this busy season.
You can hire someone to perform these tasks or outsource them.
There you have it: 12 surefire ways to make your online store a success this coming holiday season.