7 Ways to Transform Your Site for a Holiday Shopping Experience

7 Ways to Transform Your Site for a Holiday Shopping Experience

The lead-up to Christmas is retailers' busiest the year, catering to the rush of shoppers searching to buy the perfect gift. With US households spending an average of $1,387 during Christmas, it is a prime opportunity to create the ultimate holiday shopping experience. 

With Christmas being when many shoppers are ready to splurge, creating seasonal excitement means you are more likely to capture their custom.

Nowadays, 65% of holiday shoppers shop online rather than battling through the crowds in-store. This eCommerce shift means more opportunities to increase sales and attract new website visitors. By saving them the hassle of fighting through different websites and preparing your eCommerce website for the holiday rush, you can create a streamlined shopping experience that stands out.

From re-engaging visitors who have abandoned their cart to creating eye-catching homepage banners that get shoppers in the mood, there are various ways you can increase your sales figures this holiday season and grow your customer base.

Christmas shoppers are always searching for convenience, so offering personalised touches and quality gifts at the click of a button means website visitors are more likely to stay engaged. Features such as easy navigation and tailored recommendations mean the shopping journey has never been so effortless.

This article discusses the seven best ways to transform your eCommerce site in preparation for the Christmas season. For each strategy, we provide real-life examples from well-known brands to help inspire your website transformation. 

With a sprinkle of festive magic, your eCommerce website can offer an unbeatable holiday shopping experience that gets customers talking.

Deck Out Your Homepage

Spread some Christmas cheer and get your customers in the mood for Christmas shopping by creating a website designed for gift-givers.

The holiday season is perfect for injecting fun into your website and introducing the Christmas spirit. By designing a creative festive scene, you can encourage customers to get stuck into their Christmas shopping by capitalising on the relaxed holiday mood.

Use your homepage to show off your top gift ranges and seasonal offers, designing full-screen banners with eye-catching visuals and festive fun. By making Christmas shopping the focus, visitors will be quickly drawn in by the gift selections and can easily navigate the website once they have been inspired on what to look out for. The seamless shopping experience will make it easier for shoppers to identify fun gift ideas and find something their loved ones will enjoy.

Some creative ways to deck out your eCommerce homepage to generate some Christmas buzz include:

• Designing full-screen banners;
  When you first enter a website, being greeted with an eye-catching banner will have a significant impact that instantly grabs your attention. Using Christmas-related imagery or graphics and a catchy headline is a great way to show site visitors that they’ve found the right place to get stuck in their shopping.
  
• Including clear calls to action;
  Guiding users to the website pages full of Christmas goodies and gift ideas will help ensure they promptly find what they seek. Avoid classic calls to action such as “Shop Now” or “See More”; instead, use more fun language such as “Unwrap Christmas Deals” or “Explore Festive Finds”.
  
• Paying attention to finer details;
  With many eCommerce sites adding festive design elements to their homepage, stand out by ensuring yours goes that extra mile. Small details can make all the difference, whether a Santa hat on your website logo or some animated snow appearing when you get onto the page.

Jellycat has created a heartwarming festive animation that features a playful selection of their Christmas toy range. By bringing the toys to life through animation, they make a fun online environment showcasing their holiday collection. This idea has created a fun-filled Christmas environment instead of a transactional one, enticing website users to explore the site.

Make Gift Shopping Effortless

To make your website the go-to place for holiday shoppers, ensure it is easy to navigate and make the buying journey as quick as possible.

By helping shoppers quickly find what they are looking for, you can help minimise their stress, especially if the big day is fast approaching. With people overwhelmed by time constraints and too many choices, providing an intuitive holiday shopping experience will encourage them to stay on your site.

Many eCommerce websites add a ‘Gifts’ tab in the navigation bar, breaking down the drop-down list by creating categories such as ‘Gifts for her’, ‘Gifts for him’, ‘Gifts for children’, and so on. Breaking down by price is also wise, appealing to those on a budget or offering an easy solution for Secret Santa shoppers.

By creating categories that provide gift inspiration personalised to the recipient, you are helping the shopper find that perfect something without scouring through endless product pages. Many eCommerce sites nowadays adopt the generic layout of a Christmas gift store, but creating a personalised shopping experience that feels more like a tailored gift guide will improve the likelihood of satisfied customers.

Bath & Body Works is a well-loved brand for the festive season, providing a wide range of gift sets and treats for all. They have created many categories to direct shoppers to the best sections, segmenting everything from stocking fillers and gifts under $20 to gifts by hobby and pet products!

Embrace Sale Season

The lead-up to Christmas is brimming with sales, with events like Black Friday and Boxing Day drawing in bargain hunters looking for discounts. 62% of consumers in the US said that better prices will convince them to try a new retailer for their holiday shopping.

With so many eCommerce sites fighting for shoppers' attention over this period, standing out with enticing offers and promotions is necessary. The lead-up to Christmas is such a competitive time for retailers, so offering enticing sales will help keep your eCommerce site at the forefront of shoppers’ minds.

Since so many companies are partaking in the sales, consumers will likely scour the web to compare prices before purchasing. To avoid site visitors arriving at your store and leaving without making a purchase, encouraging sales language and promotional graphics are necessary. 

Time-sensitive headlines can help drive sales as shoppers want to take advantage of it. Using phrases such as “Limited Time Holiday Discounts” and “Once It’s Gone, It’s Gone” within eye-catching banners or above countdown timers are great ways to create urgency.

Target is an example of a well-known retailer that promotes its offers during the holiday season. By jumping on key diary dates such as Black Friday, they highlight the best deals on their home page to attract customers. By promoting deals that can’t be beaten, customers are more likely to search the rest of the site for added deals before purchasing before the promotion expires.

Another good strategy to implement during a festive sale is offering an incentive for customer data. Whether an extra 10% off their total or a discount on their next purchase, this is an added incentive for users to make a purchase but also helps build sales data and grow mailing lists. The mutually beneficial tactic gives you a competitive edge and lets your business utilise the contact details gained through future personalised email marketing campaigns.

Re-engage Lost Holiday Shoppers

Although the festive season tends to be the busiest for retailers, it is also the prime culprit for abandoned carts. The number of shoppers who add items to their cart but never make it to checkout is higher during the festive season as people shop around to find the best gifts.

Setting up personalised abandoned cart emails is a proven strategy to minimise the number of abandoned carts during the lead-up to Christmas. These highly targeted emails can bring back those lost shoppers who created a cart but left it behind, encouraging them to finalise their purchases.

With 68% of shoppers saying they pay more attention to emails from companies during the holiday season, it is the ideal opportunity to send retargeting emails. By sending out personalised abandoned cart emails, you can entice shoppers to complete their purchases and remind them about your offerings. Some great things to include in your emails are:

• The items left behind;
  Opening with pictures of the products left in the abandoned cart, a shopper can be reminded of the items they were once interested in.
  
• Personalised recommendations;
  Suggesting product ideas based on the items the user previously showed interest in may also grab their fancy.
  
• A unique discount code;
  Whether the reason for the abandoned cart was a distraction, further research, or the price point being too high, offering the shopper an exclusive discount may help finalise the order.
  

Sephora is an example of a popular retailer that targets lost shoppers. By including vibrant product images of the items left behind, star ratings, and links back to the site, they have a second chance to entice the shopper to checkout.

Offer a Gift Wrap Service

Stand out among other eCommerce websites by offering a custom gift wrap and message service, allowing shoppers to send ready-wrapped gifts straight to the recipient's door.

Many shoppers search for ways to simplify the gift-giving process, especially those who want to send gifts to family or friends who do not live nearby. Adding that personal touch to the order through custom gift wrap and a written message is likely well received by those who cannot give the gift in person.

To ensure shoppers are aware of your extra service, advertising it on your festive landing pages and during the checkout page will ensure customers don’t miss out. This may also encourage the less creative gift-givers to add on the gift wrap option, saving them time and providing a more professional finish.

Regarding pricing this service, some eCommerce retailers charge for the gift wrapping, selling it as a luxury extra that can save time for convenience-driven shoppers. Others offer it as a free incentive, creating a unique selling point that helps them stand out in the market during the holiday season.

L’Occitane is an excellent example of a well-known brand that has produced a holiday range with Christmas wrapping. They have a range of sets designed to provide the perfect gift, combining different products from across the range which the recipient can sample. These sets come complete in a decorative box that matches the contents, allowing the shopper to choose the design that best suits their recipient.

Combine With The Power Of Social Media

Social media becomes a powerful tool during the festive season, potentially driving more traffic to your website if used effectively. Since 23% of Christmas shoppers rely on social media for making decisions, using your online platforms to engage with customers can be the difference between a sale and a lost customer.

Neglecting your online presence can cause you to lose endless opportunities, hindering what your sales figures could have looked like by the end of the festive season. There’s no better time to produce regular content and shout about what your business can offer your audience during this time of year.

Social media is the marketing channel that allows your brand to show off its personality, connecting with consumers in a way that is unlikely to be achieved through the website alone. Unlike your eCommerce website, your social media channels can provide ongoing content and real-time updates, reminding you of your brand through your posts.

Here are some of our favourite social media strategies:

• Focus on finer details;
  Small details such as adding a Christmas hat to the logo in your profile picture or displaying your products in a homely festive setting can help get your audience in the spirit. This is also an excellent opportunity to shout about your Christmas offers or tell customers that in-demand products are in stock.
  
• Make followers feel special;
  Spreading the word about real-time promotional events on social media channels will make followers feel like they are the first to hear about the deals, building excitement and encouraging them to hurry to the site.
  
• Utilise the platforms;
  Using features like Instagram shopping or sponsored posts allows customers to click through to the website to browse the products in the post and buy them directly. By streamlining the buying process, this strategy will likely maximise the sales made through social media content.

Many of us scroll through our social feeds when we’re relaxing in the evening, commuting to work, or cooking dinner–using it to unwind in our free time. Your followers are more likely to head to your site to check out your range when they see aesthetic visuals on their screen, using the click-through links to check out the products. You can have the consumer's undivided attention by catching users' attention in their free time when shopping wasn’t initially on their radar.

The example below shows how Forever 21 uses its Instagram platform to capture its audience's attention in the lead-up to Christmas. The brand posts creatives of some festive clothing items and captions encouraging the readers to head to the website. From fun festive-themed clothing to Christmas party outfit inspiration, their imagery is a great way to promote the range and drive traffic.

Design Christmas Gift Vouchers

When it comes to the person who’s hard to buy for, a voucher is a great way to add a more thoughtful touch to the cash alternative. One of the most popular solutions for those struggling to create a specific gift is that a voucher allows recipients to pick out something for themselves.

Creating a gift voucher with a Christmas design adds that festive touch, which takes it up a notch. The simple addition of a themed design can make a difference. Whether you create all singing and all-dancing designs filled with festive mascots and holiday colours or opt for a more subtle design with a touch of Christmas sparkle, offering different options allows the buyer to pick the design they like.

Alternatively, an online gift voucher can be created–perfect for last-minute buyers who need a quick solution. By sending a well-presented email and a personalised message to the recipient, the buyer can send a gift without worrying about delivery times. This voucher can then be redeemed online or in-store, allowing them to use it in a way that suits their shopping style.

To increase visibility, promoting your gift vouchers on your homepage or gift guides is a great way to catch the attention of shoppers who may be looking for a quick gift. By presenting them as a perfect solution for recipients who are hard to buy for, you can cater to struggling shoppers and offer a fast solution.

Applebee’s is an example of a brand pushing their gift cards as Christmas gifts, being available to buy online and then redeemed at their restaurant locations. Various designs allow shoppers to choose an aesthetic that suits their recipient, adding a personal touch. From Christmas designs to more subtle winter touches, the gifting experience is not lost when purchasing gift cards.

Wrapping Up Your Holiday eCommerce Strategy

With the festive season offering endless potential for your eCommerce business, don’t miss the opportunity to boost sales and become a go-to retailer for the best gifts. Christmas shoppers are always searching for great deals and convenience, so creating a seamless user experience on your eCommerce website will help meet the needs of the stressed shopper.

The online landscape is forever becoming more competitive, so it is essential to grab the attention of shoppers in an instant, preventing them from clicking off your site and heading to the next. Giving yourself an edge will help you stand out and improve sales figures. 

Thinking outside the box with eye-catching homepage banners, personalised experiences, and creative marketing campaigns will make your brand stand out. With retailers across the web fighting for the attention of Christmas shoppers looking for the perfect gifts, this is your chance to try something new and create an unforgettable holiday shopping experience.

In addition to helping shoppers find what they are looking for, the festive season is your chance to collect valuable customer data that can help inform your business strategy for the coming year. By collecting email addresses through incentivised newsletter signups, tailoring email campaigns based on abandoned carts, and introducing special offers, your eCommerce store will be collecting invaluable information that can be used for analysis.

With careful planning and creative brainstorming, your eCommerce store can become a go-to retailer for shoppers who need inspiration. By implementing these seven strategies, you can transform your website into a winter wonderland that helps shoppers get through their shopping list, offering the perfect gifts to wow their loved ones.

As well as making a sale for new customers buying gifts, you could be building up a new base of loyal customers who turn to you in the future.