Last holiday season a total of $125.9 billion was spent online in November and December, a 15% increase over the previous year. This trend is expected to continue into the 2019 holiday season. Online shopping gives holiday shoppers access to customer reviews, price comparisons, and increased product selection. As consumers are growing more comfortable doing their holiday shopping online, brands with a comprehensive ecommerce strategy can benefit. Heading into the holiday season WBX Commerce has a few tips to help you have the most successful holiday season possible.
The number one way to boost sales in Q4 is simply to keep the inventory flowing!
Have backups in place in the event that your stock sells out, which leads us to our next point…
Amazon isn’t the only player in the game! We recommend listing products across multiple marketplaces, like Walmart.com, in addition to Amazon and your company website.
*Fun Fact: 90% of Walmart customers are unique, net new customers to the brand (Source: WBX Commerce Platform, 2019)
If you have inventory in the FBA network, we recommend considering Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) offers as backups in the event that FBA stock sells out, and to help combat higher FBA storage fees in Q4. WBX Commerce can store inventory and ship SFP orders for you, so you don’t have to worry about extended receiving times for Amazon inventory during the peak season.
Check your listings on all platforms to determine if any updates need to be made, including subbing in holiday-specific keywords, or adding holiday-themed lifestyle photos. Use data from sources like Amazon Search Terms from the Amazon Brand Registry program if possible to better understand your customers and update the content accordingly to stay relevant.
Increase your marketing and advertising budget across the board, and adjust keyword bids accordingly. The right keywords for summer may not necessarily be the right keywords for holiday shoppers.
If you have products that would make a great combination, or that customers frequently purchase together, consider creating a variety pack for the holidays. WBX Commerce can help you determine which products would work well together AND package them together for you.
Perhaps the most obvious of our tips, but still worth mentioning, is to utilize promo codes, sale prices, and coupons. Our favorite Amazon tool is coupons since they are the most visible and user-friendly.
Post about your holiday deals on social media! Updating your website link to direct your followers to your ecommerce platforms, and using popular hashtags (like #blackfriday, #holidayshopping, and #giftgiving) to help people find your posts are great strategies. Creating a social-specific discount code is a great way to track engagement and brand awareness.
