Making sure your website sparkles this Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for many businesses (and very definitely for Ecommerce sites) so if you want to take advantage of the swell in seasonal online traffic, and be on par with your competitors, it’s really crucial that your website is primed and ready. So let’s dive straight in and look at where you should be channeling your energies right now, before the holidays are well and truly upon us.

Consider using Google Ads.

In a nutshell, Google Ads offers you the opportunity to increase your online visibility and propel you to page one of the search engine listings. You can tailor your messaging and where you appear (i.e. locally or globally), as well as fully customising your ad. You can also set a budget limit which will guarantee that you stay on track financially, and enables further insight into what you can expect (in terms of estimated results) for your money.

Professional, realistic images are a must.

It may seem obvious but make sure any pictures of your products and services fully and accurately reflect what you are selling. If necessary, take a few new shots; always against a plain background and using natural light. If possible, ensure your camera is up to scratch and can reproduce high resolution imaging. Nothing says unprofessional like a grainy or pixelated product photo.

Offer multiple payment options.

It’s simple. The more payment options there are available, the broader the range of consumers you are likely to attract and this can only mean one thing; increased sales volumes.So embed a payment system which has the ability to accept credit card payments from all providers, payments via PayPal, payments in installments,etc. Guest checkout is always a winner too, as shoppers are increasingly turned off by the need to register before they buy.

Show off your top-rated items and promote gift ideas.

Your focus should always be on making your customers’ lives easier by suggesting the most appropriate gifts. Always establish a dedicated Christmas section or category within your product listings and display your top-selling (or top-rated) gifts on your homepage, so your customers are immediately clued in to what’s trending and what everyone else is buying and loving! You can take this one step further by adding even more specific categories within your online catalogue so that shoppers can easily search for gifts for their Mum, Dad, Son, Daughter, etc. or view your products by pricing level. Psst. This is also great for SEO!

Alert customers to Christmas postal deadlines

Despite their best intentions, many people leave their Christmas shopping to the last minute, and so find themselves up against the Christmas postal deadline. This means that the availability of express delivery options, and an awareness of last shipping dates, become a higher priority, and shoppers are more likely to choose one store over another, based on a greater flexibility of delivery options. Always include your last posting date at the top of your site and if different products take longer to be dispatched, this should be made clear, so that your customers are fully aware of when they should expect to receive their items, and can be fully confident in purchasing from you.

Maintain up to date contact information.

This is another simple and obvious tip but one which is so often overlooked or neglected. Always ensure that your contact details are correct, particularly if you’ve recently moved or changed your telephone number. Always, always check that your contact form is working properly and above all, ensure you remain efficient and responsive in your communications with customers both old and new.

Give your website a full MOT.

Spend some focused time going through your site to make sure there are no broken links or rogue pages. There is nothing more off putting (or unprofessional) than a page that leads to nowhere or one that leads your customers to a product or service which is no longer available, particularly after they’ve taken that crucial next step to finding out more. Ask an employee, or someone you trust, to fully road test the site.

And finally…

They’re short but sweet and we really hope these simple pointers can go some way in supporting you to promote and profit from the Christmas sales rush. Still not quite ready to think about Christmas? Why not check out The Digital Studios guide to readying your website for Black Friday?