Christmas is quickly approaching, serving as a hugely important time of year for online retailers, providing ecommerce stores with a number of sales and marketing opportunities. However given how crazy the festive period can be, making mistakes is likely, especially when it comes to organising your sales during this time.
It’s normal to make mistakes, however when it comes to Christmas things are often hectic enough without adding to it, that’s why we’ve put together a list of all the mistakes you could make this Christmas and how they are best avoided.
Not Ordering Enough Stock
It’s very likely that sales will increase over Christmas which is why it’s so important to make sure your shelves are continually stocked in preparation. By using your previous sales insights you can figure out how much stock you’re likely to need for your customers. During the Christmas rush, there’s no harm in actually over ordering your stock, meaning you won’t run out and more importantly won’t leave your customers disappointed, you can always sell off this leftover stock during the January sales.
Relying On Guesswork
Making uneducated guesses is never a good idea when it comes to online selling, even more so during a period of time that is as important as Christmas. Guessing can leave you understocked and leave your customers unhappy. By looking at your previous figures rather than plucking out a number from thin air, you can review your sales and create an estimate that gives you an accurate representation of how much you’re going to sell or how much you need.
Being Too Christmas Focused
It’s obviously a good idea to focus on Christmas during the festive season, but be sure not to overdo it! While it’s likely that a large percentage of your audience will be looking for Christmas gifts, supplies and services, there are still plenty of people out there who don’t want to be overloaded with Christmas themed items and decor. Don’t forget there are many out there who don’t celebrate Christmas and you don’t want them to feel too excluded.
Using Poor Quality Product Images
Images play a huge role in convincing your customers to purchase your products, so using high-quality images is a vital part of the ecommerce experience. If you’re using images that are a low resolution, have poor lighting or don’t accurately show off what you’re selling you could be discouraging customers from buying, as they’ll think of your product as equally poor quality. If possible you should lay out your products in a well-lit environment and use a professional camera to do so, great images can lead to great results!
Having A Lengthy Checkout Process
These days consumers are looking for convenience when it comes to buying online, this is even more significant when it comes to Christmas, which is a time that is even busier than ever. This is why it’s important that your ecommerce website doesn’t include a checkout process that is too lengthy or confusing. If it takes too long for your customers to work through your checkout then it’s likely they’ll get fed up and choose to leave without continuing the purchase.
Your Final Order Dates Aren't Clear
If your customers are looking for gifts they want to know that they’re going to arrive in time for Christmas! This is why it’s such a good idea to make your final order and final delivery dates obvious to your customers. By featuring your final dates in a bold, clear font on your pages you can inform customers about when they have to order by and reassure them that their Christmas gifts will be available to them in time for the big day!
Failing to deliver at Christmas can cause trouble for your business and leave your customers feeling let down. Don’t waste a single opportunity, why not start your planning and leave your customers feeling festive?
