It’s December and if you’re relying on eCommerce capabilities to drive your sales, chances are you have already taken steps to maximize the holiday shopping season. But if you are just getting your eCommerce up and running, or your sales conversions are not what you expected, here are a few pro-tips to help you out this December and set you up for success in the new year.
Know what consumers want.
Not only do you need to know your own customer and their buying habits, but it also helps to know the latest eCommerce trends so you can deliver an experience that matches consumer expectations. Equally important is knowing what shoppers don’t want. This December more than half of consumers are anticipating:
- Delivery/shipping delays
- Out-of-stock items
- Product shortages
- Longer shipping/wait times
- More expensive products
While these are top consumer stressors—and clearly not what anyone wants—they are opportunities for you to be the hero, which leads us to the next tip…
Meet (or beat) fulfillment expectations.
Supply-chain disruptions, out-of-stock or back-ordered inventory, and shipment delays are all points of frustration for shoppers. Communicating potential delays and delivery times and offering faster shipping methods at checkout helps set expectations. Employ regular follow-up communications and automated shipment tracking to keep your customers up to date.
Automate cross-promotions and upsell.
The holiday season is the ultimate gifting time of year. You should be leveraging each transaction to cross-promote complimentary items and other special offers. Customer segmentation will allow you to personalize offers to customers based on purchase history, first-time vs. returning shoppers, coupon lovers vs. high spenders, and more. This should be automated and part of the customer checkout experience. There are different apps specifically for cross-promoting during checkout that integrate with e-commerce platforms like Shopify.
Engage with your customers often.
The demand for consumer attention is omnipresent. To stay top of mind, build customer loyalty and capture new customers, you need to consistently show up on
social media, in online searches, and in email inboxes. Email nurture campaigns can be highly effective, especially when customer segmentation is used to deliver personalized messages and offers. Social media is ever-evolving and there are a variety of ways to increase customer engagement. We could write a whole book on this topic, but the simplest tips we can give you is to be consistent and persistent and make sure your content is in alignment with both your customer and the message you are trying to convey.
Track your data.
If you are not already tracking your customer data, and frankly all of your online digital marketing, there’s no time like the present. Understanding your key metrics will help you convert your marketing data into a more effective marketing strategy and drive your e-commerce sales.
There’s a lot that goes into successful e-commerce. Partnering with a full-service digital marketing agency like Fuze7 will ensure all the details are covered and can significantly improve your online presence, customer retention, and sales. Contact us today and let us help you in the coming year.
