Last Updated on Jul 22, 2013 by Jenna Scaglione
It’s holiday time here at Numinix. We start early. Why?
Because the Ecommerce stores that prepare now will make the most money come this holiday season.
So, if you haven’t started your holiday preparations, we created this handy checklist to make your job a little easier.
This post is Part 2 of our holiday preparation checklist. Did you read Part 1? If, not start there and come back to read the rest of this Ecommerce checklist.
4. Consumer Reviews
If you do not have reviews functionality built into your store, I suggest you start now to prepare for the holidays. Don’t be afraid to let customers review your products. Consumers know that not every customer will love a product and they are more likely to purchase from a store that contains customer reviews (even if some are negative) than from a store that does not have any. Reviews, whether good or bad, signal to a consumer that the website can be trusted because many people shop there.
Note: Customer reviews also eliminate many product returns. It’s better to have a customer never buy the product due to consumer reviews than to have to use your manpower to process many returns.
5. Product Comparisons
Do you sell multiple brands of a specific product? Shoppers are “pickier” during the holidays because they want their gift recipient to adore their gift. Holiday shoppers are more likely to shop from a store that features product comparisons that help them make a decision.
Feature the similarities and differences of your products and showcase associated graphics or comparison modules as a gift-giving guide to allow consumers to choose the “perfect” gift for their loved ones. This will increase conversions during the holidays and keep your website on the consumers’ radar for purchases proceeding the holiday season as well.
Example: You sell 36” plasma TVs from three different vendors. Each offers different features with some that overlap. It can be hard for a consumer to compare the details of each by switching back and forth between product pages. This may send them running to find a comparison on another website which could result in a lost sale. A handy comparison chart which displays the features of the various 36” plasma TVs will help consumers make a decision and keep them on your site. Link back to the individual product pages within your chart so consumers can easily return to make a purchase when they choose the one they want.
6. Social Media
So, you’ve taken Numinix’s advice and set up special pages and promotions for the holiday season. What good is it if you don’t have social sites on which to share them?
Setting up your holiday campaign is only half the battle; the other half involves sharing and getting the word out. You cannot execute this step fully without a social media presence.
Don’t have any social profiles for your store? Here’s the good news…
If you start now, you will have enough time to build up your communities enough to make an impact. If you already have communities, boost your efforts, get more content out there and make your initial push towards the holidays.
Get a blog going and publish consistent blog posts weekly; create and market your social profiles and start building your community, and when the holidays come, you will be ready to promote to dozens of hungry consumers.
Need help with these content steps? No problem! Numinix has plenty of experts waiting to take your store to the next level. Check out what they offer here.
Don’t hesitate. Christmas in July is so aptly named, not just for consumer, but also for the Ecommerce stores who know how to prepare for a successful season ahead!