Holiday Season Surges in e-commerce: An ultimate guide to win Holiday hustles

With post-pandemic and economic uncertainty, the stakes have never been this much higher! It’s proven that holidays drive the busiest time of the year in every retail business, irrespective of the nature of it being online or offline! The momentum is there even if the recession is a backstep in the industry; sentiments of shoppers are there to shop on holidays.

The holiday season is not abode by only BFCM time but the entire festival chain of the year. Yes, it’s true, as Adobe insights say, “ For the first time in 2021, BFCM got less spotlight even though it tended to be the big promotional moments!” No trick works magic when it comes to shoppers and their buying patterns. It is simply not in your hand. But you can prepare for the best and sustain in the worst! To have more enormous revenue spikes, keep learning the commerce capabilities that empower retailers like you to be better at personalization, engagement, and dealignment.

This blog drives retailers through how they can check on the comprehensive list serving Holiday hustles.

1) Statistics

At the start of this month, retailers start chasing the strategies that help them gain momentum in every direction. Online retail growth had a noticeable down-fall in 2021, and the same is expected to get nearly a two percent rise! As per the recent Adobe insights,

E-commerce plays a vital role, as shared below:

• $204.5B Online spending
• 19% increase in spending around the Thanksgiving
• 40% of online orders used curbside pickup
• 500% increase in BNPL and similar trends
• 43% of online retail sales are mobile driven

Looking at the sturdy statistics, below are the keynotes and tips on how retailers can have the best return via commerce store. Keep the capability of your e-commerce platform that helps you cope with the holiday hustle. Find out the things that allow merchants to be revenue-oriented. From the content to commerce, from the first page to checkout, discover what commerce is capable of.

2) Abilities List

There is a noticeable difference in consideration and conversion! Yes, that’s how it is. Most shoppers consider you as you have poured a handsome amount of effort into your marketing strategies to get you to stand among the crew! Correct? Now, those efforts lead you to a consideration stage. But getting traffic to your store is not enough! To have the shoppers that create the conversion is. So listed are the keynotes where the commerce store is capable enough to drive the consideration in conversations?

Let’s see.

2.1) Product Recommendations

A recommendation is to help customers based on their behavior and the activities they do in your store. It is like sharing the products as a recommendation that works best together or adds value to the products in the cart! For instance, if you are in the Fashion retail industry, Shoppers who have added White-shirt, you can recommend products such as a tie, bottoms, or something that surface the new products.
It is called related products, Upsells, and cross-sell
Based on the shopper’s behavior, merchants can personalize the items that increase the AVO of the shoppers. For Magento store retailer, refer to this article to set up Upsell, cross-sell, and related products feature for your store. It helps you increase conversions and AOV.

2.2) Speedy Checkouts

We are always in a hurry when it comes to getting things done! That is also applicable to shopping too. Think of the offline scenario: You get your trail done based on your clothes, then go to the billing counter and see a long queue, and you get upset. True? Now that it is in terms of online commerce! Slow checkouts and repetition of filling in the same data frustrate the shoppers. Yes, they are! So the possible way is to simplify the checkouts, allow one-step checkouts, have guest checkouts where shoppers don’t need to fill in the info, and last but not least, have it mobile optimized. Yes, Gen Z spends a lot on mobile and shops, period. Smartphone checkouts are important as desktops.

2.3) Flexible Payment Options

Customers are demanding and choosy with the payment options your store has. They want different options to choose from to have safe and secure payment! Or they want the payment providers for which they have their accounts! Popular payment methods such as PayPal are there, and even merchants can have the latest trends in payments such as Buy now, pay later (BNPL) are like COD; shoppers can access the products and then need to pay based on the terms they set.

2.4) Strong search capabilities

The chances got 3X higher when the shopper used the search bar to find the products. In most cases, when new or loyal customers come to your store and use the search, it increases conversions by 50%. On-site search helps shoppers to find the products they want conveniently! The best option, apart from the native e-commerce functionality, is Elastic Search or Algolia. Make sure your search stays stronger, as not all the customers can name the products in your store! Use search filters with sortable attributes, synonyms, and search-as-you-type capabilities.

2.5) Seamless mobile commerce

Mobile commerce is high! Gen Z spends more time on their phone and uses different social platforms. Even not only Gen Z but all kinds of people are using smartphones in their day-to-day life, and they give the push to mobile commerce. As we all know, mobile-first approach, highly responsive terms came to the market only based on a mobile shoppers analysis. So make sure of the mobile browser compatibility and frictionless journey for shoppers. As the initial research is (in most cases) done via mobile.

2.6) Unified user experience

Make your inventory transparent! Shoppers are everywhere and running a hectic time of the year. To rejoice in the benefit post-season, you have to provide them convenience! Whether they shop online, in-store, or wait for their delivery in stores or at the curbside pickup. Even if they are shopping online or offline, they want everything connected! Have the power of effortless convenience.

2.7) Keep an eye on the inventory

Don’t have a deadlock for your customers as an “out-of-stock” message! Have real-time product availability and visibility! Manage multichannel inventory track, have backorders if there is a massive shortage, and provide accuracy. A tip: increase the revenue by reducing out-of-stock and markdown the not-sold items in-store.

2.8) Every visit is special

Even if they are first-time customers or loyal ones, they want you to make them unique. Plan your content and every interaction to build deeper relationships. Reward the loyal customers with a surprise coupon code, share the special discount or reduce the min purchase threshold for them to get the Free delivery! There are a variety of ways to delight them.

2.9) Have a flawless delivery plan

Being an online retailer, you are not abiding by the superb shopping experience! The entire cycle needs to be fulfilled. Better to plan out your deliveries with 3PL and have a strong return and exchange process. The actual footprints that help the customers to remember you or come back to your store are not how you help them buy the products but how hassle less your return, exchange and delivery are. This is the long-lasting impression they will have.

3) Ready to rock!

If storefronts are there to attract and engage customers and shoppers, the path to purchase helps you rock the holiday season. Shoppers get frustrated by the slow website and any hindrances while shopping. Make sure you plan everything precisely, check load-testing, keep an eye on the most resource-intense areas, and have a backup team to support you with uncertain breakdowns while having this festive bonanza!

Merchants have difficulty managing the chaos of the festive season to fulfill the enormous order amounts. To have immediate support and ensure the site is safe and secure is also a point to note as per the heavy traffic to your store! Play this festive season safely, don’t put the only pricing as a USP for you. Instead, help the shoppers to meet their expectations. If you are uncertain about your store and want us to help you, hold our resources for immediate resolutions.