Christmas is a special time each year when people do their best to bring joy to others and celebrate the spirit of the season. Yet, with the ongoing pandemic and supply issues, many people will be doing their Christmas shopping online this year.
The market research company Emarketer forecasts that total US holiday retail sales in 2021 will rise 2.7% to $1.093 trillion. And the season’s “e-commerce sales will increase 11.3% to $206.88 billion.
That’s a huge opportunity! With some smart and timely preparation, you can take advantage of the ever-increasing demand for e-commerce. To help you, we’ve provided a few tips for your website, emails, and social media marketing:
Your website:
- Bring Christmas to Your Homepage
Your website homepage is like your online “store window,” so you’ll want to decorate to show your Christmas spirit! Create a Christmas slider to show off your holiday arrangements and add a few festive graphics peeking from the corner of the page. You can also change your website background to match your Christmas color scheme and add a Christmas touch to your logo, social media icons, footer, sidebars, and navigation bars.
- Display Your Christmas Offers
While you’re decorating your website, don’t forget the most important thing: Your offers! Feature them clearly on your homepage and make it easy for customers to click and purchase. You may also want to add pop-ups, push notifications, and real-time sales notifications to your website to catch any “window shopping” customers.
- Add a Christmas Timer
A festive “Countdown to Christmas” timer widget is a great way to build curiosity. Set up the timer a few days before a last-minute Christmas sale, for example. The timer will create scarcity in your customers’ minds and make them want to get that arrangement before it sells out!
- Promote Gift Wrapped Arrangements
Another great Christmas strategy is to gift wrap arrangements since more than half the purchases will likely be gifts. For flowers, this can be as simple as displaying and selling pre-wrapped floral arrangements. You can also offer special Christmas paper or cellophane wraps on your bouquets.
- Optimize Customer Checkout
Once you’ve sent people to purchase your holiday arrangements, make sure it’s as easy as possible for them to check out online. For example, only ask for the information you need, so the customer doesn’t have to enter too much data before paying. Also, this is a great time to add on items like a gift card, gift wrapping, or expedited delivery.
Your emails:
- Prepare Your Email Campaign Workflow
Plan your Christmas email strategy in November, so you have plenty of time to set up your workflow before the Christmas sales start. Work out the exact types of emails you’ll need and get them written and designed ahead of time. These may include product emails, special offer emails, new customer welcome emails, after-sale surveys, and email newsletters.
- Send Emails at the Right Time to the Right Lists
Before sending an email, make sure you have your lists segmented into new leads, loyal customers, and lapsed customers. That way, you can be sure to send the correct email to the right person, which will increase your response rate. Once you’ve segmented your lists, you can determine the right time to send each email and schedule them in advance. This is particularly important for product emails and sale emails.
- Create a Christmas Newsletter
Even if you don’t send out a regular newsletter, Christmas is a perfect time to send one to your entire list. Wish them happy holidays and let them know what’s been happening in your shop, as well as any fun activities you have planned. It’s a great way to increase engagement and bring in new customers.
Your social media:
- Create Christmas-themed posts
These days, social media is a vital part of any online marketing strategy, so make sure your posts reflect the holiday season! You can post about new Christmas floral arrangements, holiday sales, and any special event you’re having. Be sure to post regularly, as your followers will want to see everything you have available this year.
- Do Live Videos Showing “Behind the Scenes” Christmas P.R.E.P.
Live videos are all the rage on Facebook and Instagram, so use them to your advantage. Why not go live, showing the behind-the-scenes activity decorating your shop for Christmas? Or take some live videos of your staff creating holiday arrangements. It’s a lot of fun and will get more “eyes” on your floral business.
- Link your social posts to your website so they can purchase
Add links to every post you make, live or otherwise, so people can click right on over to buy the beautiful arrangement they just saw. It’s a simple but effective action to increase sales. Plus, when customers click over to your website, they may see other items they just have to purchase!
These are just a few ideas for increasing your online sales. We’re sure you can add a few more! The most important thing is to START NOW so you can reap the rewards all season long.
