Recent survey results from The NPD group reveal that 51% U.S. shoppers plan to begin their holiday shopping in 2021 before Thanksgiving Day. This is a slight increase from last year. More than two thirds of those early shoppers planned to begin shopping as early as October.Marshal Cohen is the chief retail industry adviser for NPD(r). He reports that “Holiday 2021 will continue the early shopping trend. The added layer of concern about inventory is motivating shoppers to buy what they like when they see them, rather than waiting for better prices later in the holiday season.”The 2021 holiday season is expected to break records after a record-breaking 2020 holiday season. eMarketer forecasts revenues of $206.88 billion for the holiday season in 2021 – 11.3% more than last year.
This is a great opportunity to elevate your brand and increase revenue. Don’t let it pass you by. These strategies will help you support your e-commerce efforts.
Start your campaign early
Do not wait until the last minute to launch your holiday program – look at how your competitors have reacted in the wake the pandemic. Decide on your holiday budget in advance for staffing, marketing and inventory.
Launch your holiday campaign as early as possible, preferably before November or even December.
You’ll likely have a segment in your customer base that purchases early. These shoppers will appreciate special discounts and may continue to do so throughout the year.
Refresh your site
Update your website regularly with new information, such as news, blogs, products and other updates. Fresh content can not only keep your visitors returning, but also improve your SEO rankings. Updates are especially important for holidays and to highlight products and specials.
SmartBiz Small Business Blog articles offer practical strategies for improving your website in time for the holidays.
- Tips for increasing website traffic
- Tips to Enhance Your Website’s User-Friendliness
Enhance your Google profile
It is essential to improve the user experience of your website before you begin. You will have a much lower chance of getting them to visit your site if they cannot find you. Use to optimize your website for SEO. If you own a gym, for example, good SEO begins with determining which keywords gym enthusiasts are most likely to search. Then, you can create useful content using the keywords in order to improve your search engine ranking. You can also use a Google My Business(r) page. This is usually found in the “Map” section.
Offer free incentives
The holidays offer a wonderful opportunity to reward your customers and give them something for free. You can offer a free product or shipping with a purchase. This is a great way to highlight new products, or to get rid of old ones.
To increase your profits during the holiday season, consider promoting exclusive offers, discounts, and promotions.
Launch Email Marketing
Email marketing is a powerful tool to reach out to customers for small businesses. It may seem overwhelming to launch an email campaign, but it can result in increased brand awareness and sales during the holidays.
Customers do not want to spend time searching for holiday deals and bargains. Send targeted emails with the information that they want to know.
Visit the following blogs for more information on the benefits of email Marketing:
- Email Marketing for Ecommerce Businesses
- How To Write Effective Emails
Create fun social media advertising
Social media is the most cost-effective way to advertise today. Follow these guidelines to boost attention and engagement.
- Style your posts using festive content. (It’s the holiday season. Fill your customers’ feeds with magic.)
- Create gift guides to showcase your products and provide unique gifting options for your customers.
- Use holiday hashtags. Many people search social media using hashtags, such as #halloween or #pumpkin.
- Highlight any specials such as discounts, free delivery, and other promotional offers
Retargeting customers
A staggering 96 percent will leave a site without making a purchase. Customer retargeting, a strategy used by online businesses to target those who have left their website, is an effective marketing tool. You can use a tracking pixel to follow customers as they leave your site and place an ad on a different website.
Brand marketing
Highlighting your products and service is important. It’s also good to promote your brand around the holidays. Branding is the way to identify your business. Your customers will recognize your brand and feel it. It’s more than a logo. A strong brand can be seen in your marketing materials, advertising, and even your staff uniforms and business cards. Your brand may have changed during the pandemic. Be sure to incorporate your new branding into all of your marketing efforts. You can get started with these blog posts:
- Rebranding tips for small business
- Small Business Branding Tips
Bottom line
A cash infusion is one of the best ways for businesses to grow during the holiday season. SmartBiz (r) offers Bank term loans as well as SBA loans through our network of lenders. Other funding options are available, such as credit cards and merchant cash advances. However, they can be costly. SmartBiz (r) has a blog post that will give you more information on funding your small business: Five Ways to Finance Your Small Business: The Pros and Cons.
