Every year, more and more consumers turn online in order to figure out what they want to buy for the holiday season. Whether comparing prices on Thanksgiving dinner ingredients, buying holiday gifts, or looking for Christmas decoration inspiration, people browse and order online more than ever before. Don’t let the holidays pass your company by without seizing the holiday spirit!
Important Notes:
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COVID Changed the Game
Consumers spent $791.70 billion online with U.S. retailers in 2020, marking a 4% increase from $598.02 billion the prior year. With this shift taking place, ecommerce businesses are poised to perform better than ever if you have a functional, well marketed site. Now is the time to ensure that your site can manage increased traffic and international requests. There is no worse time to have a site crash than in the weeks leading up to New Year’s Eve!
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Christmas Isn’t All
It is easy to have a one-track mind when it comes to the end of the year. As we are surrounded with Christmas decorations on every street and movies on every channel, don’t forget all of the other holidays taking place around this time. Presenting your diverse client base with content focused around only one major holiday is a surefire way to alienate those who do not celebrate it! Get in touch with your target audience and know what they celebrate so that you can market accordingly
Strategies:
Design for the Holidays
This is your chance to switch up your website’s design! When your customers visit your site, they don’t want to see the same old graphics and color scheme that you use year-round. If you are selling holiday-specific items or running promotions, boost these to the top of your site and catch eyes with colors and fonts that match the spirit of the holiday you are targeting.
Holiday SEO
The importance of SEO optimization cannot be understated during this time of year. As consumers turn online for shopping, you don’t want to be on the second or third page of Google results. Incorporate keywords related to your products and services, as well as modifiers that will boost your ratings in holiday search results!
Promote with Empathy
There isn’t a single person who has emerged from the last 2 years unaffected by the pandemic in some capacity. With vaccination rates on the rise, people are excited to celebrate with their families again this holiday season. Take this time to be mindful in your promotional materials. Recognize the impact this has had on your customers, and showcase your company’s steps to mitigating this. If possible, work with local charitable organizations and share what you’re doing with your customers. If you can, involve them in your efforts! This improves the image of your company, helps out a charitable cause, and connects your customers.
Go Mobile
The rising reliance on smartphones for information and sales is a wave you don’t want to miss out on. Approximately 52% of smartphone users will use their device to research products, redeem coupons, and use apps to assist in their holiday gift purchase. If your site isn’t mobile friendly, now is the time to catch up!
Prepare for Increased Traffic
If your site takes too long to load, visitors have no qualms about closing out and trying a different site. Now is the time to make sure your site will load quickly, your payment processor can handle increased transactions, and you have a strategy in place for quick fixes to any issues. Don’t miss out on the holiday season with an unprepared website!
Need help devising your digital marketing strategy this holiday season and getting your site ready for increased traffic? Reach out to USABAL Solutions today! Make sure your website is in good shape for the holiday season with a free consultation! From quick fixes to long-term optimization and a wide array of services, USABAL Solutions can help you in any way your site requires.
