Go into any high street store during December and you’ll be left in no doubt that it is well and truly ‘the silly season’. There’s guaranteed to be Christmas decorations and offers placed in every possible location. Let’s face it, at Christmas, it’s those offers and decorative touches that encourage sales and make December the most profitable month of the year. So ask yourself, are you doing the same for your website and your landing pages?
You should look at your website and it’s product pages in the same way that you would look at the aisles and shelves in a physical store. It’s a no-brainer that when people come into your store in December they are looking for gifts and Christmas offers. When they look at your website, they are expecting exactly the same, and if you’ve still got pictures on your homepage showing people on the beach, the likelihood is that they will leave and spend time on a site with pictures of people walking in snow covered parks wearing long coats and wooley hats…I’m labouring the point, but it’s a point worth labouring.
So what are the things you should do to your website this December which will improve customer experience and ensure people buy more of your products in the run-up to Christmas?
Action - Join In, Take Part
If you can change the theme or look of your site in the run-up to Christmas it can have a huge impact. People will be in a Christmas frame of mind, increasingly so as we approach the 25th. Showing graphics of wrapped presents, snowflakes, Santa or general decorations will enable you to make an immediate connection. Result - Your bounce rates and time on site improve, along with many other engagement type metrics.
Action - Bag a Bargain
One of the big concerns for Christmas shoppers is that Christmas can hit where it hurts; the wallet! We’re all looking for great presents to give to our friends and families but if we can get a great deal on a great present we’ll snap it up. Make the most of any offers you have during December; 2-for-1, 50% off, Free Delivery. It’s these things that people will look at when they are trying to get more out of their budget. Result - More sales and an increased value per customer.
Action - The Clock is Ticking
Believe it or not people will sometimes wait until the very last minute to buy presents. Making people aware of the time element is therefore a great way to appeal to these types of people. There are quite a few ways to introduce the time element to your Christmas landing pages. First, it’s a great idea to have a countdown on the site, indicating how many days until the 25th. Better still have a countdown that shows days until guaranteed Christmas delivery. Another way to take advantage of the need to buy with a deadline looming is to have items in a flash sale. Indicating that a 20% saving is only available for the next 12 hours, and counting down those 12 hours, can be a great incentive for indecisive buyers. Result - sales generated consistently throughout the month
But no matter how much effort you put into your Christmas efforts you’ll always get people looking for that very late gift. Don’t worry though, if you know this…you do…then you can do something about it. Create a landing page design that you only push live 2 or 3 days before your last ‘guaranteed for Christmas’ date and use a message that appeals to someone who knows they have left things far too late!
Plan Ahead
There are more opportunities for retailers during December than any other month, but if you’re not putting in place the right measures, you’ll be missing out. Here are 5 top tips to help your Christmas be a merry one.
- Use Christmas imagery on the site - Who doesn’t like a Snowman at Christmas? Embrace the seasonal spirit and make shopping on your site a pleasure.
- Promote your offers - Push your deals and bargains. That’s what people are looking for. You could even go so far as to label up your ‘Christmas Specials’.
- Is it in stock? - The most popular or desirable gifts sell out, people don’t want to miss out but they will spend time browsing. Showing that you have 2 items left rather than 200 can be oddly attractive at this time of year!
- Update your offers - The same person tends to revisit sites at this time of year expecting to see different offers each week or day (Amazon are good at this). So give them what they want. Change your offers 2 or 3 times in the run-up to the big day.
- Don’t be late - Delivery details are more important at this time of year than any other time. People don’t want to have an awkward conversation about the post on Christmas Day, they want to be giving and receiving. Make it clear when delivery can be expected and if you are putting in place special measures over the Christmas week.
