The holiday shopping season will be here before you know it, so you need to be sure your online store is ready to receive (and accept payments from) all of your holiday shoppers. Here are 5 holiday eCommerce tips to help you make the most of this festive shopping season.
1. Take Advantage of Social Media Selling
Apps like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are robust sales platforms. Social commerce accounts for hundreds of billions of dollars of retail eCommerce revenue. Be sure to develop your social presence and take advantage of advertising opportunities on these platforms.
Social commerce can be a significant source of suggestion for holiday shoppers. Half of shoppers polled by Adweek say they had trouble figuring out what gifts to get for their friends and family, and 45% of people who discovered something online say it was for a gift. Use social networks to make your products discoverable and consider working with key influencers to help get the word out.
After you make it effortless for shoppers to discover your products from social media platforms, you need to provide a seamless checkout experience once they get to your website. This will help you attract more holiday shoppers looking for gift ideas while they browse their feeds.
2. Make Mobile Shopping Simple
Since more people than ever are shopping from their phones, your retail site and checkout must be mobile-friendly. Mobile-savvy customers don’t want to wait until the next time they’re on their computer to shop.
A mobile-optimized site will also help you take advantage of customers who may see your ads on social media or online while they’re browsing on their phones. Then they can easily shop your site in the moment. You’ll also want to make sure your page load times are fast — according to Unbounce, almost 70% of consumers say page speed impacts their willingness to buy from online retailers.
3. Make Payments Easy for Your Customers
A simple checkout process will ensure your customers’ shopping experience end on a high note. Make sure that your checkout doesn’t require customers to complete a lengthy process with multiple pages. Double-check your checkout process to ensure it functions smoothly.
Another way to simplify payments is to offer the right payment methods. If you only accept certain payment methods, you could be limiting the number of customers who shop with you. For example, if a large percentage of purchases are being made on mobile devices, accepting digital wallets, like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Click to Pay will make buying easier for your customers. Additionally, if you take advantage of eCommerce to expand your footprint and sell into other regions, offering local payment methods and currencies presented in the local language are key. Working with a payments provider that can seamlessly process multiple popular payment types and currencies is the key to a successful execution.
4. Offer Free Shipping or Promotional Discounts
Shoppers want to stretch their holiday budget in any way possible. Offering free shipping, discounts on specific items or entire orders, or free gifts with orders of a certain size will help you attract customers looking for a deal.
And keep our other holiday eCommerce tips in mind while you consider this: if you’re offering a discount but customers are confused about how to take advantage of it when they’re checking out or if they qualify for a gift but you don’t offer their preferred payment method, your promotions won’t give you the boost you’re hoping for.
5. Offer Multiple Ways for Customers to Receive Their Products
Customers love options when it comes to receiving their products. Curbside pickup, buying now and paying later (BNPL), buying online and picking up in-store (BOPIS) and same-day delivery have all become common, and many customers love their simplicity and convenience. According to Insider Intelligence, BOPIS sales are expected to continue to grow substantially through 2024. Offering these flexible options will make it easier for customers to shop the way they want — and easier for them to decide to shop with you instead of your competitors.
While high-quality marketing and plenty of options are important for securing your piece of the holiday shopping pie. Retailers also need a strong payments solution that can handle different payment types, support a global audience, and make the final step in your customers’ shopping experiences a breeze. Once you have those elements in place, you’ll benefit from the gift of a great holiday season.
This blog was originally published on BlueSnap & written by Sales Director, Joe Twer.
