Christmas is just around the corner, which means now is the time to get your website ready for the holiday rush.
Whether you’re running an online store or a business these simple steps can help you attract more visitors and keep them engaged when they visit your site.
Why You Need to Plan Your Christmas Marketing
The holidays mean a peak in online activity. Just like rushing to the grocery store on Christmas Eve to try and find a honey ham or a pavlova (or even some more spirits to get you through the holidays), planning is key to pulling off a successful marketing campaign.
Planning will enable you to organise all the details, from festive visuals to special holiday offers, so that your site feels welcoming and communicates your services or products. With no plan whatsoever, you will miss your chances and those sales will go elsewhere, probably to your competing sites.
How a Festive Setup Benefits Your Business
A well-decorated, easy-to-navigate website can create a lasting impression and encourage shoppers to stay longer and explore more of what you offer.
When customers see a website that’s thoughtfully decorated and ready for Christmas, it feels welcoming and genuine. And the best part? With a clear, holiday-ready layout, you’re guiding them seamlessly from browsing to purchasing.
With that in mind, here are some key tips you can implement for the holiday season:
1. Deck the Halls and Add Some Christmas Cheer to Your Website
Think of your homepage as the front window of your store. Adding a little Christmas flair, from festive banners to animations or a holiday colour scheme, helps to welcome your customers.
Add a banner to notify visitors of your offers of festive discounts, “Christmas Sale! Up to 25% Off!” in festive colours like red, green, and gold. This will immediately pop up and set visitors in the mood!
2. Feature Gift Ideas and Special Bundles
Make it easy for visitors to find your seasonal offerings by creating a section dedicated to holiday-specific services, gift ideas, or seasonal bundles.
To simplify the shopping and gifting process for your customers, you could even create your own bundles. For a skin care shop you could create a “Holiday Relaxation Bundle” that groups a massage, facial, and gift voucher. This simplifies the shopping process and attracts those looking for unique gift ideas.
3. Spell Out Your Shipping & Delivery Information
It’s a busy time, and shoppers want to know EXACTLY when they’ll get their orders. Design a banner or section of your homepage that shows shipping times and order deadlines for delivery by Christmas.
Be clear about dates so you don’t overpromise and underdeliver!
“Order by December 15 for Christmas delivery!” Adding this to the top of every page makes sure customers won’t miss it.
4. Offer Festive Discounts and Promotions
Everybody likes a holiday deal! Make sure to offer limited discounts that incentivise people to buy now instead of later.
Set up holiday themed discount codes, like “SANTA20” or “RUDOLPH10”.
Remember discounts are not only for online shoppers, they can also be used for maintenance and services websites. For a pool-maintenance business, you could offer a special holiday discount when they recommend you to a friend or family member but using a special code.
5. Make the Checkout Process Easier
Online customers will abandon the cart if there’s an unnecessarily complicated process for checkout. Make sure it goes as fast and easy as possible by reducing steps to a minimum, offering guest checkout to those customers who don’t want to create an account.
6. Provide Excellent Customer Service
Increased traffic and orders during the holiday season may also mean that customers need help with their orders, products, or delivery. Consider adding a live chat option or even a chatbot to help answer common questions quickly.
7. Promote Gift Cards as a Hassle-Free Solution
Gift cards are a popular choice, especially for last-minute shoppers or those unsure of what to buy. If you don’t have gift cards already available, then this could be a great way to introduce them this season.
Flash a banner on the homepage saying, “Give the Perfect Gift!” linking to your gift card page. That’s one simple way to let people know this is one quick and easy option for flexible gifts. Whether this is for a shop that has your mum’s favourite handbags, or gifting some classes to your best friend at their favourite gym, gift cards and vouchers are the perfect option.
8. Add Christmas-Themed Content to Your Blog or Social Media
Holiday content enriches the customer experience, and optimises your SEO by making it more likely that people will find you. Write a quick blog or post social media tips related to your products: “How to Find the Perfect Gift” or “Top 5 Stocking Fillers Under $30”.
9. Highlight Testimonials and Reviews
Building trust is a critical part during this busy holiday season. Adding a few positive reviews or testimonials to product pages will go a long way to soothe doubts of new visitors and build assurance.
Showing real responses on your homepage or product pages will show that you truly care about what your customers have to say. Try adding a section entitled “What Our Customers Say”.
10. Don’t Forget Mobile Users
More than anything else, so many browsers are going to be navigating on their phone. So, make sure to have a mobile-friendly site. Test to make sure everything-from images to buttons to checkout-looks great and functions smoothly on mobile.
Now, try to access your website using a smartphone or tablet and see whether you can navigate around it with ease. Adjust whatever doesn’t look good on small screens.
Why Marketing Can Help You Succeed This Christmas
Good marketing enables you to reach more people, making you more visible and increasing the chances of turning visitors into buyers. With a holiday marketing plan in place, such as email campaigns, fun social media posts, or paid ads, you’ll be at the front of your customer’s minds. If you actively market yourself, customers are more likely to think of you when they want to buy.
By planning ahead and implementing strategic holiday marketing tactics, you’ll be better prepared to deliver a seamless shopping experience, build customer trust, and drive conversions.
Get Your Website Christmas Ready!
So don’t wait until mid-December to get ready this holiday season. Start your Xmas prep early and get a jump start on your competitors. With the right mix of festive flair, easy navigation, and clear offers, your website can attract customers who are ready to click ‘book’ or ‘buy’.
Need to upgrade your website before the holiday rush or looking for something more strategic?
Whether it’s an in-depth strategic review, a planning workshop, or project management support, we’re here to ensure your website is set up for success. Need to upgrade your website or looking for a tailored strategy? We reckon we can help. Contact us today!
