How can you best prepare for the holiday shoppers to hit your store? Try these tips.
Remember the Holiday Season Isn't Just for Christmas
Many of us often forget that Christmas is not the only holiday being celebrated in December. You can attract more customers if you focus on different traditions. Incorporate Hannakuh and Kwanzaa by reminding customers of dates (Hannakuh begins December 16, 2006, and Kwanzaa begins on December 26, 2006) and featuring graphics that represent multiple holidays. And offer at least one selection of gift wrap paper for each holiday (see below for more ideas on gift wrap).
Offer Free Shipping
Hidden shipping charges are the #1 most commonly-cited reason for abandoned baskets. Tempt your holiday visitors by offering free ground shipping. If it's too costly to provide for all customers, require a certain basket minimum - say, $50 or $75 - in order to get free shipping. This has the added benefit of tempting customers to purchase more items in order to get the free shipping benefit.
Inform Your Customers of your Cutoff Dates
Gift givers want to make sure their packages arrive in time for the big day, so clearly state the cutoff days for various shipping methods, in order to arrive by Christmas, Hannakuh, or Kwanzaa.
Make it Easy for Shoppers to Complete Purchases Later
Many people "window shop" before deciding on the actual gifts they want to purchase. Make it easy for them to remember your products that they like. Our
Basket Tracker will let customers save multiple baskets for later purchase. A single click restores the saved basket - then all it takes is a trip through your checkout process and they're done.
Promote Yourself
If you have a newsletter, send a mailing! With so many e-commerce sites today, it's easy for customers to forget a particular store. Remind them of what you offer, both in terms of products and customer service. And for browsers and first-time visitors, point out featured products on your homepage. If you can randomly select from your products, the page content stays even fresher - and customers see more of your product line.
Clearly State Return Policies
Sometimes the perfect present isn't exactly perfect. Clearly state your return policies to avoid confusion. For extra customer service options, offer gift receipts and even pre-paid return shipping if possible. (UPS offers this service via their website.)
Offer Gift Wrapping
Long-distance givers will appreciate complimentary gift-wrapping. It keeps the festive atmosphere of surprise, while allowing them to ship gifts directly to the recipient. Also consider offering upgraded gift wrap for a reasonable fee - it can be a small profit center for higher-volume stores. A choice of wrapping styles that span Christmas, Hannakuh, and other holidays will allow you to serve the greatest number of customers.
Check Your Inventory
Review your stock levels now, and replenish items that are approaching "low water" levels. You won't want to wait for vendors to ship products after the rush starts - and there's always the possibility of their being sold-out of more popular gift items.
Entice Customers for January Visits
Enclose a printed coupon in your box or receipt envelope for the month of January. It encourages shoppers (and gift recipients as well!) to come back for more.
Use Inventory Management to Avoid Unpleasant Surprises
In December, nothing hurts a business more than not being able to fulfill a holiday order. Use Miva Merchant's built-in inventory management system to track your inventory and alert customers to products that are unavailable or back-ordered. Entice them to try substitute gifts by making sure every product has a couple of related items from which to choose. If your products aren't technically "related", use our
Modify Related Items Header to change "Related Item(s)" to "You May Also Like...".
(Note: Article reprinted from 2004 with minor updates.)
