Ready or not, the holiday shopping season is well underway. With online sales projected to reach $123.39 billion this year, according to eMarketer, there are plenty of opportunities to grow your revenue and achieve your annual goals.
However, as a marketer, keeping up with ever-evolving consumer trends can be dizzying — especially during holiday crunch time when you and your team are at your busiest. To help make sure you enjoy a sizable piece of this holiday season's consumer spending, here are three things you can do right now.
Make the Mobile Checkout Experience Even Easier
A visually stunning mobile-responsive design is crucial, but it's not enough to keep customers on your site if your checkout process requires too much effort. Remember, each click or action a visitor has to take presents another opportunity to bounce.
Instead, make your mobile checkout process as simple and streamlined as possible by implementing dynamic checkout buttons, which reduce the number of steps a customer has to take to complete their purchase. Allow customers to save their billing and shipping data for future transactions, and offer the opportunity to use ApplePay, PayPal and other easy payment options.
Don't Discount Email
Despite its prophesied doom, email is still one of the best methods for reaching contacts and driving conversions. Last year, email remained the top referral source for conversions, according to data from Shopify.
To make the most of this channel during the holiday shopping season, keep these three tips in mind:
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Beware of frequency: Don't overdo it. While the best email frequency depends on your audience and offers, resist the urge to email multiple times per day. Be sure not to email your list unless you have a highly valuable offer to communicate.
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Focus on loyalty: From VIP clubs to exclusive member benefits, give repeat customers the option to sign up for special email offers they can access before everyone else.
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Customize your messages: Segment your lists and invest in personalization efforts. By creating an email experience specifically designed for your customers, they'll be more willing to open them in the future.
Leverage Retargeting Wisely
'Tis the season for "browse now, buy later," with customers checking out possible gifts during their lunch breaks or on their phones at bedtime, with the intention to complete the purchase later. There's just one problem: during this ultra-chaotic time of year, it's easy for shoppers to forget where they saw that perfect item.
Retargeting efforts can help jog customers' memories and bring them back to your site to complete their transaction. Better yet, consider offering a limited-time discount or free shipping offer to ensure they don't delay the purchase any longer.
The holiday shopping season is set to be one the biggest yet, and it's not too late to claim your share. By implementing these tips, you can help exceed your revenue goals and prepare to end the year on a high note.
