Strategies for digital commerce at Christmas

Christmas is approaching. For many companies, these are the most profitable weeks of the year. Like children, companies dream of a perfect year-end, and would prefer not to be disappointed.

Some strategies can put your company on the right track for this Christmas. These are our tips for online stores during the holiday season.

1. Offer shipping costs

Unexpected shipping costs at checkout are the main reason for shopping cart abandonment. On the other hand, offering shipping is the most effective incentive available to an online store.

A much-used strategy is to offer shipping only for orders above a certain value, to eliminate the problem of low profit margins associated with small orders and, at the same time, encourage more purchases.

InPost specializes in sustainable and efficient last-mile logistics, based on the use of a vast network of pickup points, which will allow you to make parcel shipments economical, fast, and that will contribute to a positive experience for your customers. Visit our website to find out more about us.

2. Launch a Christmas promotional campaign

A promotional campaign is a common and effective way to attract the public's attention, increase sales numbers, and broaden your customer base.

Announce the campaign in advance, and build anticipation with information about the discounts and new features it will include. Once the campaign starts, make sure everyone who visits the site is aware of it, through, for example, a pop-up message. It makes no sense to have a campaign running without alerting the visitor that it is the best time to shop in your store.

3. Create Christmas bundles

Creating bundles, or bundles, for stores that sell certain types of items is a way to share in the holiday spirit, offer a good deal through an attractive bundle price, and perhaps create the perfect gift someone was looking for for a friend. Another advantage of this strategy is that it is a way to introduce and let people try a set of samples of your products, which may attract regular customers.

Making gift vouchers available could be another useful idea.

4. Prepare gift guides

Many people are indecisive when choosing gifts for family members, friends, and colleagues, and are happy to accept suggestions. Make a list of recommendations with your most popular items.

5. Remind customers of active discounts

If you offered, for example, a promotional code in exchange for a subscription, this is a good time to remind the customer that that discount is available.

6. Promote selected products

This is a time when more people are likely to visit your site. Especially if it is a store with a wide variety of items, it is natural that they may not know where to start and may get lost among the options. That kind of hesitation easily discourages purchases. So make it clear where to start by showcasing your best-selling products or unmissable promotions.

7. Combat cart abandonment

Trying to reduce shopping cart abandonment is one of the great challenges for all online stores, and we have already covered this topic in another article. During Christmas, the proportion of abandonment is even higher, due to the number of people who are only taking a quick look while searching for the perfect gift.

However, creating relevant promotions and a sense of urgency can help you make better use of the circumstances; for example, by making time-limited offers. Another idea is to send automated reminder messages about the abandoned cart.

8. Use social media

Social media is, as always, a powerful tool in digital commerce. Use your channels to make holiday-themed posts, to boost the reach of your campaign, reach a larger audience, and generate interest.

9. Create a Christmas email campaign

A messaging campaign is a typical way to keep your customers up to date with news and promotions. Use images and text related to the season and, if possible, personalize the message in terms of text and information: a Merry Christmas message is a simple and friendly way to strengthen your relationship with the customer.

10. Simple and free returns

The holidays are the occasion when there is a higher proportion of purchase returns, for understandable reasons. Offering a free return reduces the weight of the purchasing decision and eliminates many hesitations.

The InPost service incorporates an extremely effective and simple approach to returns, which can be made, just like shipments, through our Pack and Lockers network. Contact us today and discover all the advantages that our parcel delivery service can bring to your business!