The holiday season is already synonymous with the shopping season, and in recent years, shoppers have become accustomed to shopping online to save precious time. Unfortunately, even when they are willing to spend money on gifts and shopping, there is no universal recipe that guarantees sales. Generations are diverse, customers have different preferences, behaviours and expectations. That’s why to attract and win the loyalty of your customers, it’s best to understand and respond to their specific needs and wants. Here are five tips to consider in your sales strategy this Christmas:
- Use high-quality photos and detailed product descriptions
Consumers value the quality of the image when making an online purchase. This is even more important for younger generations such as Gen Z and Millennials, for whom visual stimuli are more important than others. Aesthetic differentiation will be all the more noticeable during the holiday season, when customers are overwhelmed by an avalanche of products and offers to choose from. Therefore, use high-quality photos that show products from different angles, in different frames and on different designs. This will help customers visualize products, better represent how they fit and reduce the chances of returns.
In addition, to compensate for the inability of customers to touch, feel or try the products before buying, it is good to give them clear and accurate information about the products. Among the details to mention would be features, benefits, sizes, the materials from which they are made and, very importantly, the reviews given by other customers.
- Personalize the homepage
The homepage gives customers their first impression when they visit your ecommerce site. And while it is good to be attractive and relevant all year round, at Christmas time, customers will particularly appreciate an aesthetically pleasing site that immerses them in the festive spirit. Think of this page as a physical shop window: the better it looks, the more it will persuade customers to come through the door and discover your products. Or, in the case of e-commerce, to spend more time on the site.
According to Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a brand that offers personalized experiences. That’s why it displays different banners, offers, recommendations and content types to your customers based on their previous interactions and preferences. Don’t forget to consider generational differences – Baby Boomers tend to value convenience and quality, while Millennials and Gen Z value authenticity and social responsibility.
- Focus on quality content
Content generation is useful for e-commerce businesses that want to attract and engage their customers. Whether it’s blogs, videos, podcasts, or infographics, you can use the material to inspire customers and showcase your products effectively. If you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors and appeal to different generations, focus on creating valuable and consistent content. During the holiday season, think about how you can align your products with your customers’ needs and create original, inspired materials based on them. For example, Generation X prefers concise, relevant and personalized content such as comparisons, videos and emails. In this case, you can opt for email marketing, but with a festive theme. On the other hand, Gen Z values authenticity, creativity, and social responsibility, and prefers short, visual and immersive content. For them, you can create video content pills to showcase hidden gems in the form of a digital advent calendar.
- Optimize the shopping cart
Surprisingly or not, December has the highest shopping cart abandonment rate, according to Cloudways.com. Although the pre-Christmas shopping season sees an increase in the number of shoppers, they are much more careful about prices or return policies and tend to compare products across multiple sites. To reduce abandonment and increase conversion, optimise the shopping cart functionality ahead of time. Think about how convenient it is for customers to complete their purchases and improve shopping cart functionality by offering more payment options, clearly communicating shipping costs and return/exchange policies. If they have an account on your website, don’t forget to send an email reminder to those who have forgotten products in their basket, but don’t insist too much, as you might get the opposite effect.
- Create email marketing lists
Email marketing is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to attract and retain customers. According to a study by Campaign Monitor, for every dollar spent on email marketing, the average return is $44.
However, to leverage the power of this tool, you need to constantly update your email lists and grow your subscriber base. During the festive season, you have a better chance of success if you offer something valuable and relevant to your customers in exchange for their email addresses, such as a festive discount code. Don’t forget to consider the generational aspect: according to a Bluecore study, 74% of Baby Boomers consider email to be the most personal channel for receiving communications from brands, followed by 72% of Generation Xers, 64% of Millennials and 60% of Gen Z.
Conclusions
The holiday season is a great time to increase your sales and grow your customer base. However, in order to succeed in this competitive and dynamic market, we recommend that you also consider the similarities and differences between generations. By following the tips above, you can create a positive and memorable shopping experience for your customers, earning their trust and loyalty. If you already have an e-fulfillment partner, don’t forget to let them know in advance of any festive campaigns you have planned, so they can allocate resources according to your business needs.