Christmas is Coming - Is Your Business Ready?

While stores are starting to play Christmas music, have you thought about what this might mean for your online business? Across most industries, holidays and events lead to a surge of increased sales. Everyone is trying to get their hands on those holiday dollars up for grabs, so how are you going to make the most of this valuable period?

Coming up with great gift ideas can be a challenge for consumers, so the more convenient the shopping experience, the more gratified they’ll feel. If you can pull together some creative gift ideas, and deliver the message through great marketing streams – you’re sure to have a winner. While this may sound simple, a lot of businesses get disconcerted and left behind. We’ve put together the essential tips for online retailers to follow to enjoy a prosperous Christmas:

• Be prepared – We all know Christmas approaches way too fast, and before you know it, it’s over. Which is why it pays to be prepared and have your marketing materials scheduled well in advance. Things like Christmas graphics, a Merry Christmas email, and content can easily be prepared months before and will save you much of the stress that the silly season induces. Remember that the holiday season is a potential profit booster if managed wisely, so consider those additional revenues you may make when allocating the marketing budget.

• Understand your customers – Research is your best friend. You can find out what search queries are drawing people to your website, who is engaging with your social media accounts, where they come from, and many more insights. This valuable information is especially useful to create targeted campaigns with minimal wasted spend. During the gift-giving season, you can even consider marketing your products/services for gift-receivers. If you sell female targeted products such as perfumes, you could promote to husbands or boyfriends, remembering that your target audience can vary during this period.

• Social Media – Social Media helps inspire 65% of shoppers in their gift ideas around the Christmas period, according to Mashable. Actively engaging with your audience by promoting holiday related content will show them that you are prepared and offer something that meets their immediate needs. You could reach out to shoppers through Facebook sponsored ads, alerting your target market of holiday related promotions on offer.  Social media channels allow you to get customise offerings, tailoring content based on interests, connections, and other key demographics. Social media also allows you to capitalise on rising trends and engage with an audience quickly which is imperative in timely campaigns such as these.

• PPC campaign – A seasonal Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign should be at the forefront of your mind in the lead up to any holiday. It is customisable in that you can allocate your desired budget and depending on the experience and time you have available, can almost guarantee you a top spot on Google instantly. Of course, gaining that top spot for holiday related terms is near impossible to do organically, so this is a great way to get in front of searchers at these valuable times. Consider long-tail queries as people are likely looking for specific gifts at this time of year. Also focus on seasonal copy, discounts, or Christmas promotions, and of course call’s to action – these aspects will help your business standout in the crowd.

• Streamline your shoppers experience – With the potential for an abundance of sales, why risk losing customers at the final hurdle. A poor website design or confusing sales funnel can see visitors gone as quickly as they found your site. Try website testing, conversion rate optimisation and fine-tune your shopping cart for a seamless user experience. Your website may seem perfect to you but data is fool proof – this is why testing and asking experts is highly recommended.

• After the storm - It seems obvious but seeing Christmas content or images on a businesses website in February reads unprofessional and out-dated. Keep all content up to date and remember – it’s then time to start preparing for the next holiday campaign! 

To stay ahead of your competitors year round involves constant planning and monitoring of your marketing channels. A strong online presence is a huge priority for any business these days so why not get ahead of the game?

If you don’t have the time to prepare your business for the holiday season, MeMedia is highly experienced in managing digital marketing for a range of clients and industries. To discuss opportunities for your business further and where to start, call us on 1300 6363 342, email us at: studio@memedia.com.au or complete our online enquiry form.