The Holiday season is almost here! And if you’re an online retailer, you already know that internet users across the globe will be shopping feverishly, especially during this pandemic ridden festive season. This year, it is expected that online sales will be through the roof, as people are much more likely to shop online as lock downs and social distancing measures continue to be in place. Get free tips to install the WooCommerce POS plugin,
Needless to say, your online store has to be fully optimized for a seamless shopping experience for your customers. We have asked a few Shopify experts in Montreal about some of changes an online retailer can make to better their online store this December, and we have compiled a list of a few actionable tips for you to implement as soon as possible. So, without further ado, here are 8 ways you can increase the likelihood of more conversions on your website with easy-to-follow optimization techniques!
- Keep the ordering process smooth and simple
As few clicks as possible, just as many as necessary: that’s the mantra! Make the ordering process easier for your customers, from product filtering, to selection to shopping cart. Also, make your website convenient for shoppers who are in a hurry or silver surfers who need clear menu navigation.
- Collect customer reviews
Equip your pages with reviews quickly. Shopping reviews create trust in your website and company, and product reviews help with product selection and keep the bounce rate low, and conversion rate high. This is an essential part of the online shopping experience and is something you should be working on well before the festival season.
- Stock up on your inventory beforehand
If you don't deliver on time for the festival, you will alienate customers. Therefore, check your inventory now!! Like yesterday! Highlight delivery times that are realistic. If you’re likely to receive a large volume of orders during this season, it’s always good to extend your expected delivery date by two to three days. Some times even if you get the product out your door, the courier company can be slower than usual.
- Guarantee delivery
Tell your customers about the last possible date to place orders if they want to receive them before December 24th. This is customer-friendly and saves costly returns and processing. Ensure the availability of the most popular products and clearly define delivery times and quantities with wholesalers or manufacturers immediately. Inform your customers about the shipping status and about any potential delays. Suggest alternatives and possible solutions.
- Prepare online advertising
Start thinking about a few ideas for your online advertising right now. What are your buyers interested in and on what platforms can you reach them? For example, Facebook or Google ads, specific landing pages, email campaigns are some of the most frequently used forms of digital marketing with high conversion rates.
- Hire sufficient staff
The rush during the Christmas shopping season is only pleasant for you as a retailer if you can manage it. Hire enough employees, consider absences due to possible covid-19 waves and flu like symptoms in advance and also take into account some time after Christmas when returns and questions come in or post shopping season coupons are redeemed.
- Prepare server capacity for high utilization
A website failure due to high traffic is a nightmare for all the retailers during the any season. You should therefore check the performance of your servers beforehand, by using high volumes scenarios and analysis. From an SEO perspective, page speed is also crucial to ensure that buyers do not bounce from your website once they click on it.
