Facts & Stats To Increase Holiday Sales
The 2022 holiday season is already in full swing, with retail sales offering huge deals and promotions from November 1st through December 31st. This year, businesses are facing the impact of rising inflation and are meeting the challenge with aggressive marketing and deep discounts. This article will provide some helpful trends, facts, and advice to help your online business make the most of this holiday season and emerge profitable.
Optimize All Digital Platforms
It is critical to ensure that you have optimization on all of your digital platforms, especially on mobile devices. The design and navigation of your website must be intuitive and accessible. It is critical that you monitor your website for any broken links, malfunctions, or faulty plug-ins.
Your website should feature a succinct menu and a prominent search bar. The faster and easier users can get to where they want to go, the more inclined they are to click the “buy now” button!
Holiday shoppers tend to be impatient shoppers. To that end, your home page should immediately display your most photogenic, popular, top-selling, and highest-converting products. Based on current market trends, it is also imperative that the option for gift cards is prominently displayed on your website and aggressively promoted on your social media.
Taking full advantage of your existing social media platforms is absolutely essential during this very concentrated gift-giving season. Posting regular promotions with direct links to purchasing options is highly effective.
- According to Marketing Expert McKinsey, 58% of consumers agree that social media influences their holiday season buying decisions.
- Great news for small businesses – Instagram has recently launched the ability for users to buy products through Instagram DMs.
The pandemic changed the way consumers conduct holiday shopping, speeding up a trend that was ultimately destined to become the most popular method for holiday sales. Marketing industry experts can offer some valuable statistics.
- Katie Wilson, founder, and CEO of TapOnIt, states that “Over 50% of searches start on mobile, so make sure it’s easy to view your inventory, click-to-call, and to click for directions.”
- A recent Forbes article reported that: By 2024, m-commerce will be over $570 billion and represent 53% of total eCommerce sales.
- According to a survey from IT Service Management Company, Fiserv: Four out of five consumers surveyed plan to purchase gift cards and gift certificates in 2022.
Piggy Back on Annual Sales & Events
Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are the dates most associated with the very best holiday discounts. These are the dates that consumers are paying the most attention to and are poised and ready to spend. Scheduling promotions for your products and/or services on and around these anticipated dates will give your marketing efforts far greater bandwidth.
- In 2021, according to Meta, 54% of US consumers made a purchase during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
- Last Year, Pinterest found that businesses that advertised during annual holiday sales dates saw a 4x higher increase in conversion rates.
Encourage Influencers & Positive Reviews (UGC)
The facts are in, and the numbers tell the story. Telling the story and spreading the word about why you should consider purchasing a specific product or service has been driving sales since the beginning of time. According to the most quoted statistics from Nielsen Inc., it remains true that consumers are four times more likely to buy when referred by a “friend.” And thanks to social media, the term “friend” has taken on a far greater and more impactful meaning.
The rise of influencers and the ability for consumers to post a product review (UCG User Generated Content) has proven to exponentially increase sales and engagement. Typically, UGC builds trust, encourages engagement, drives conversions, and benefits SEO, BUT it also requires constant monitoring to protect your business from negative and harmful content. So, while taking the time to make sure that your website remains optimized, set aside time each day to review your online reviews!
- Data from Meta shows that 29% of US consumers state that influencers help them discover gifts during the holiday season, and 25% of US shoppers say they’re likely to buy a product faster if promoted by an influencer.
Exceptional Customer Service Is Key
The moment a consumer finds your business online, their customer service experience begins. Therefore, it is imperative that you understand and facilitate the needs and wants of your customers from the precise moment they connect with your brand online or on the telephone.
Establishing and committing to a customer-centric mindset from initial impression to a completed transaction will set your business up for success AND ensure happy repeat, and loyal customers who will encourage and influence all of their “friends” to follow their lead.
The holiday season heightens the need for outstanding customer service – both online and at the other end of the phone line. If it is true that nearly half of all consumers post a review – either negative or positive – immediately following a transaction, the harried and hurried holiday season is the most important time to ensure that every customer service experience is accessible, easy, friendly and positive, as every interaction can be magnified and shared with one click!
In Conclusion
There is no time like the present to make sure that all of your online messaging is accurate, concise, accessible, and user-friendly. With tighter budgets in 2022, the online shopping experience must make every consumer feel like every dollar is well-spent! Happy holidays.
IMC is a full-service website and digital marketing firm located in Saratoga Springs, NY. Services include website design and programming (including eCommerce database and custom software integrations), branding, content creation, print collateral materials, and hosting. www.imediaconsult.com
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