Seven quick marketing fixes you can apply before the holiday season
Holiday shopping is going to look different for 2020. Due to COVID-19, the majority of people are going to buy most of their gifts online. CNBC reports that online purchases will increase by 33%, meaning $189 billion spent.
While this is exciting for online retailers, it means your website will have to handle higher volumes of traffic than usual. Is your website prepared to accommodate all those extra shoppers? Have you created the best marketing campaigns to attract both old and new customers?
Before the holiday season goes into full swing, use these tips to improve your marketing strategies.
1. Optimize Website Images
A good product image is one of the best ways to guarantee a sale. However, if the image takes a long time to load or fails to load completely, customers will leave the page. If your pictures already take some time to load, increased website traffic will make the problem worse.
First, evaluate your website hosting service. If you're using a host with slow loading speeds, your website will be slow no matter what solution you try. Be aware that it can take up to 48 hours to transfer your site's data to a new host.
Resizing and compressing your images will give them faster load times without losing any of the pictures' quality. You can also turn on browser caching for your site. The customer's computer or mobile device will load the image immediately from their browser's cache with no waiting.
2. Utilize Social Media
Since so many people are shopping online this year, you're going to deal with more competition than usual. Make your website and products stand out by running promotions and ads. Post these ads on your business's social media accounts at peak posting times to get the most engagement from customers. You can also drum up sales by sending out discount codes via email.
Also, don't be afraid to pay for ads that will reach more customers. Paid advertising is especially beneficial if your online store is new and doesn't have a loyal customer base yet. The purchases made by these curious new users will ensure a good ROI for your business.
3. Use Automated Tools
Some shoppers, especially those in the baby boomer generation, are not used to navigating through websites as their younger peers. They may become frustrated with using your site, causing them to leave without making a purchase. Even if you have contact options listed somewhere, the shopper may not notice these immediately.
Consider using a chatbot that pops up on the side of the screen to answer any immediate questions. You can program it to automatically supply customers with information from your website's FAQ section. If the customer needs more assistance, the chatbot should also relay your company's customer service contact information in the chat window.
4. Analyze Customer Behavior
It's incredibly frustrating when your website gets a boost in traffic without any extra sales. In many cases, it's not the products that turn customers away: it's your website. If your website doesn't function properly, users will be quick to take their business elsewhere.
First, evaluate the design of your website. Many websites use black text on a white background because it's the easiest to read. However, if your text is too small, customers will have difficulty reading it.
When's the last time you updated your website's homepage or made any new social media posts? A website that has not been updated in months could make customers wary about making a purchase. Another quick way to deter customers is the lack of "HTTPS" in the address bar. Customers won't feel safe entering their private information on a website that's not secure.
If you're not sure where the issue lies, try asking your current customers directly. Send out an email survey asking about their experience while using the site, with encouragement to report any problems. You can incentivize them to fill out the survey by offering coupon codes upon completion.
5. Refresh Old Links
If you've added new features or products to your online store, add links to these features on older website content. Updating old content can significantly increase the amount of traffic on your website. You'll likely need to update these pages anyway to add new COVID-19 policies and shipping considerations.
Use this opportunity to freshen up your online store's content. Which pages got the most traction last year? Which products were the most popular? Add links to new content or products on the old pages with the most hits.
Rather than writing entirely new content, edit and add to older content making it more valuable. Higher quality content that drives traffic gets higher rankings in search engines. Improving and promoting older content is a quick way of enhancing your content marketing.
6. Simplify Calls to Action
Personalization is an essential aspect of customer retention. Almost half of all consumers say that they're more likely to do business on a site that sends out unique holiday promotions. However, it's possible to get so caught up in familiarization that you confuse your customers.
Your advertisements and CTAs should be direct, with a simple "buy it now" or "visit us today.” A few sentences expressing your appreciation for the customer is essential, but don't lose sight of the end goal. Also, avoid sending out repetitive messages and outdated offers to your customers.
7. Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
For many consumers, their smartphone doubles as their personal computer. Last year, 75% of online shopping was done through a mobile device. However, some websites don't translate well to the mobile format due to outdated designs.
All of your website's content should load quickly and must be easily readable on a small screen. You might also consider creating an app for your customers to use. Most mobile users spend more time shopping in-app than a phone's web browser.
Do You Have the Best Marketing Strategy for the Holiday Season?
If you're feeling confused and overwhelmed about creating winning marketing tactics this year, you're not alone. As more customers are shopping online exclusively, retailers often have to make changes to optimize their advertising campaigns. If you're not sure where to start, Pachira Marketing is here to help!
