The holidays are fast approaching, and that means the holiday sales and shopping have begun. As we settle in and navigate our new normal in 2021, e-commerce and online shopping have become the more popular means to tick off everything on your gift list. According to studies by Adobe, a record-breaking total of $10.1 billion was spent online during Cyber Monday in 2020¹.
With the rapid growth in e-commerce business, it is important to evaluate your e-commerce website to ensure there’s nothing left on the table. Having a strategy in place for your digital marketing as well as a solid website design and user experience in place is key to a successful end of the year.
e-Commerce Holidays
Cyber Monday is the digital shopping holiday, and this year, it lands on November 29. Its close cousin, Black Friday, has deals creeping earlier and earlier on the calendar as companies hope to bring in more sales during this large surge. Cyber Monday sales have generally landed more closely to the actual day of the holiday. This can invite a more exclusive and value-added feeling when it comes to deals. There may be an increase of in-store shoppers this year compared to last as people are itching to get out of the house and resume some normalcy, but having digital shopping is still exceedingly important. According to experts, despite supply shortages and delayed shipping, Cyber Monday e-commerce sales for 2021 are predicted to reach $11.8 billion².
Cyber Monday Focus Points for e-Commerce Business
So how do you make sure you’re doing all you can do with e-commerce to be ready for the holidays? Here are a few areas of focus that can boost your e-commerce business.
- Website design testing – be the customer! Visit your website to see how your website behaves in the eyes of the customer. Do this both on a computer and a mobile device. Sites need to be optimized for mobile so the user can get a great experience no matter what device they’re using. Is it easy to select, filter, and learn about products? How easy is it to add the products to the cart and complete the sale? Making sure the website is designed with the user in mind will help combat items abandoned in the cart and ensure the process is smooth on all fronts. The easier it is to finish a sale, the better. Customers don’t like taking too many steps or making too many decisions!
- Get ahead of the shoppers – start preparing early for your holiday strategy. Having a strategy vetted out even a few months ahead will give your company ample time to prepare for the holiday sales. Having an up-to-date website with a matching marketing message on your social media channels and paid advertising will send a strong message to the client – make sure it is a good one! It is important to ensure everything is ready to go with your e-commerce website and your digital marketing strategy, so you aren’t rushing to catch up when the date comes.
- Keep the long run in mind – aim to improve client retention and return customers. With an increasing number of online shoppers, now is a great time to get them on your email or newsletter list. Give customers an incentive to sign-up for your marketing emails during your holiday sales so you can keep them updated with your business and other offers down the line. Make it worth their time! These customers are already interested in your product or service. Staying front of mind over the following months is important to encourage repeat customers.
e-Commerce Experts
If any of this sounds intimidating or like it is too much work to manage, it may be time to hire e-commerce experts. Stand And Stretch can help! Managing other areas of your business is important, so let us take on the task of building and supporting your e-commerce website. We can provide guidance whether you are just starting your e-commerce website, or need help maintaining and improving an existing online shop. Our team can work with you to get the experience you are looking for.
Click here to complete the form for a free website review with our e-commerce team today!
We will review your existing e-commerce site, highlighting areas of improvement and strategic solutions. There is no obligation and the review is free of charge. Call us today for more questions.
Sources:
- https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2020/12/01/cyber-week-online-shopping#gs.fkhonn
- https://blackfriday.com/news/cyber-monday-predictions
