Santa might have a sweatshop full of indentured laborers to make sure he’s got all his presents ready for Christmas, but the same can’t be said about your customers.
Shoppers on the hunt for last-minute Christmas gifts might seem like easy targets, but they still need to be wooed into purchases. It’s all about capturing their attention, then going in for a conversion.
Below you’ll find 7 tips to help you convert last-minute Christmas shoppers into Christmas buyers.
1. Dress up your website
It might sound basic, but your website needs to look Christmassy.
If you’re trying to make people excited about buying for Christmas, think of all the ways you can make your products seem enticing while exuding the Christmas spirit.
- Christmas color scheme. Don’t be afraid to switch up your website colors for the holidays.
- Top of page banners. Give shoppers the heads up that Christmas is an event on your website by hitting them with themed banners as soon as they land.
- Landing pages. Give incoming traffic the full Christmas experience with landing pages designed to seem like a winter wonderland.
- Christmas product pages. Often overlooked in website re-designs is the humble product page.
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2. Create a gift category
Unless you only sell a couple of items, the chances are that your online store is already split into categories.
Well, in the lead up to Christmas, you can make things even easier for your customer by creating a distinct ‘gift’ category on your website.
Choose a selection of items that you think would make especially gifts and group them into a new category that you create.
You should let visitors filter products based on categories like price and type, so they can hone in on those that make the right kind of gifts they’re looking for.
3. Get yourself heard
You may have marketing fatigue from Black Friday and Cyber Monday rushes, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to relax.
In the last few days before Christmas, you should be pulling out all the messaging tricks in your book.
- Email existing customers and remind them of your Christmas offering and promotions
- Put out Christmas themed ads directed at demographics likely to be shopping now
- Get your social media game on point with posts that remind users they need to be buying gifts
- Get affiliates and influencers talking about your great gifting options
Remember, once users are on your website, you need to convert them to paying customers. Make sure that your on-site messaging is also tailored to driving customers to convert.
4. Gift vouchers
We’ll let you in on a little secret: not everyone knows exactly what to buy people for Christmas. Sometimes the best thing you can do is give the gift of choice.
That’s why gift cards are so popular around this time of year. If you’re not offering your customers the chance to buy gift cards, you’re missing out on potential sales.
The best thing for retailers selling gift cards is that you likely won’t need to ship anything before Christmas. You get to enjoy the revenue from a sale without having to process the order.
Did you know, if you have a Zyro online store, you have loads of options when it comes to setting up gift vouchers:
- Specify available amounts
- Allow customers to set their own values
- Add your own designs and creatives
- Define how long gift cards are valid
- Se your own terms and conditions
5. Round the clock support
Great customer support is important all year round, and giving customers the information they need to make a purchase can often make the difference as to whether they make a purchase or not.
However, as the clock ticks down to Christmas, it’s even more important to have your support game on point. People will be less patient to wait for responses and will demand answers as soon as possible.
If you have the resources, you should try to make sure that you make 24/7 live support available.
Have standard answers available for all frequently asked questions, from shipping costs and times, to product availability and specifications.
6. On-time, free shipping
Online retailers consistently report higher sales when they offer free shipping as part of their promotions. At Christmas, when shoppers are looking for every saving they make, it’s a big deal.
Moreover, if you can guarantee that items will arrive in time to be gifted, you’re making yourself an even more attractive shopping option.
You can also use shipping as another incentive to make a quick purchase by counting down the days until guaranteed delivery before Christmas is no longer available.
7. Generous returns and exchanges
Lastly, let’s be honest: shoppers aren’t always 100% confident that the gifts they’re buying for loved ones will be exactly right.
Getting the wrong size, color, or gift altogether could be an expensive mistake, especially if your store’s returns policy isn’t favorable.
- Offer gift receipts. Allow customers to give their recipients the option to exchange, without giving away the price of the gift.
- Allow exchanges. If shoppers bought the wrong size, give them the chance to correct their error in January.
- Extend returns windows. Customers are more likely to make a purchase if they know they’re not in a hurry to make a return.
Remember, you just need to put in a little more work before you can relax over the Christmas period. If you put the hard work in now, it’ll all pay off in the new year.
Recommended reading: The Simple Way to Start Your Online Store: A Checklist
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