Are you already lamenting the post-holiday eCommerce slump? Make sure you aren’t making things worse for yourself.
The National Retail Foundation reports that 73.4% of holiday shoppers planned to purchase at least one gift card this holiday season, with a majority planning to snap up more than one. In addition to your own gift cards, a portion of these include “good-as-cash” cards, such as pre-paid Visa or MasterCard, that are easy to use with online retailers. And with plenty of post-holiday deals coming up, this means gift card redemption season is coming up.
According to Forbes, retail purchases made with prepaid cards topped $200 billion in the U.S. in 2014! The Columbus Dispatch reports that retailers have already seen an increase in post-holiday sales this year.
So don’t give up on January just yet. Make sure you’re doing the following:
- Campaign. Remind your existing customers why they love your brand. Use the email marketing, social media, and advertising strategies that drove eCommerce traffic during the holiday season now to bring customers back to your store
- Prominently advertise your deals. Shoppers likely feel the pain in their wallets from their own holiday gift-giving, so they’ll want to stretch that gift card to its fullest extent. Make promo codes and discounts front-and-center in campaigns and on your website.
- Make it easy and comfortable to buy. Reiterate your free shipping and risk-proof return policies so shoppers feel confident pushing the “Checkout” button.
And don’t forget the great Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), and customer retention strategies that helped you get to the holiday season in the first place. If you need help on revising your SEO, SEM, or CRO eCommerce strategies, or would like more helpful information on tactics so that you start off 2016 strong, drop us a line or give us a call.