Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Many Canadians have – and they’re doing a lot of it online. As an e-retailer, it’s imperative that your online store screams “Do your holiday shopping here!” In our last blog, we listed some ways you could redesign your company website for the holidays. In today’s blog, we’ll continue our look at ways to create a festive online store that will grow its sales.
Deck the halls of your website.
Your brick and mortar store shouldn’t be the only decorated location associated with your business. The simplest way to redesign your company website for the holidays is to add festive imagery all throughout. Doing so makes clear that your online store is a go-to shopping destination during this time of year. Be sure to clearly highlight the special deals and savings you offer as part of the website spruce up.
“You don’t have to overhaul your website, but consider updating your main banner image to something better suited to the holiday season,” suggests Natalie Brownell on Domain.com, “Coca-Cola is a great example of a company that updates its look and feel for the holidays. Before the holidays last year, they updated their site to highlight a seasonal product, Coca-Cola Cinnamon, and their banner image had also been updated to support that.”
Make the checkout process quick and easy.
Be mindful that many holiday shoppers want “get in and get out” shopping experiences. Even though they are avoiding the hustle and bustle that comes with in-person shopping, online shoppers still want to make purchases that are quick and easy. Avoid insisting that your site’s visitors register accounts. Allow them to shop as guests and only have one checkout page. Many shoppers get turned off when the checkout process is a long one.
“Customize and simplify checkout fields,” insists Sonya Andrews on WooCommerce.com, “Asking shoppers to confirm their email addresses or including fields that aren’t absolutely required may annoy customers to the point of abandoning their cart. Keep your checkout fields to a minimum, but don’t forget to also include useful custom fields for the holiday season like a gift message.”
Highlight your charitable initiatives.
‘Tis the season to be giving! This is a sentiment that should be made clear on your site. Showcase your company’s affiliation with charitable causes. There’s no bad time of year to give to those less fortunate. The holiday season, however, is known for its drives and fundraisers. As Brownell, points out, this time of year isn’t just about shopping.
“Your customers are looking to purchase gifts for the people they care for as an act of consideration and love,” she writes, “Help them know that you’re on the same page by dedicating a certain percentage of your holiday sales to charity or a non-profit organization. Even a very small amount, like 1-2% of your profits this time of year, can add up to make a big difference in someone’s life.”
Is your company in need of a safe and secure e-commerce solution?
Unity Payments can help you to take advantage of this ever-growing trend. We’ve made selling online easier than ever! Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca to learn more.
