The holiday shopping season is the perfect time for business owners to boost their sales and make the most of the festive spirit.
With the ever-growing competition, staying ahead of the game and finding new ways to improve holiday sales is essential.
In this article, we’ll explore six practical tips that can help you increase your revenue and create a memorable shopping experience for your customers.
So, let's dive in and discover how you can make 2023 your best holiday season yet!
Top 6 Sales Tips for the Holiday Season This Year
In this article:
- Plan early
- Design high-converting landing pages
- Implement a loyalty program
- Run flash sales
- Implement the "Buy Now, Pay Later" option
- Leverage virtual reality
1. Plan early
The key to a successful holiday sales campaign lies in proper sales planning. Start planning your holiday campaign months, identifying key dates and events you could leverage.
Starting early in July ensures you get a head start on your competition.
Analyze your previous year's sales data to identify trends and patterns, and then create a comprehensive eCommerce marketing plan that targets your audience effectively.
Set clear goals, allocate a budget, and decide on the promotional channels you'll be using, such as social media, email marketing, and Google ads.
Here are other things you should consider when preparing your business for the holiday season:
- Product inventory. Order them in advance if you need to stock up on top-rated items. Introduce unique seasonal products and themed gift-wrapping accessories.
- Your customers. Is there anything different about your customers during the holiday season? How can you appeal to their adjusted wants and needs?
- Your resources during busy periods. Ensure you have extra pair(s) of helping hands for the most active periods, like Black Friday, pre-Christmas weeks, and around your planned sales periods.
- Promotional publications & materials. How will you get the word out? Decide whether you’ll create action-driven online ads or engage in social media posts—print coupons or in-store flyers to hand out in your physical store. Create a digital business card to share your contact information and website.
This small eCommerce business started promoting signing up to its email list in mid-November so that everyone could be up-to-date with the latest seasonal offers.
Place a popup form on your website to encourage email signups. You can offer a special discount on the first purchase to make it more attractive.
Planning early ensures that your digital marketing strategies are well-coordinated and maximized to improve holiday sales.
2. Design high-converting landing pages
Ensure that your landing pages are mobile-friendly, as many online shoppers use mobile devices to purchase.
Retail m-commerce sales should account for 43.4% of total retail eCommerce sales in 2023, up from 41.8% in 2022.
Design high-converting landing pages specifically tailored to your holiday promotions. It’s a great way to promote particular products. Plus, you can give your landing pages a holiday theme or flair.
Incorporate high-quality, attractive visuals showcasing the holiday spirit and festive season ambiance. Great visuals instantly grab visitors' attention and create a desire to explore further.
Your festive landing pages should feature persuasive copy highlighting your products' unique selling points. It can include premium quality, exclusive colors or flavors, and limited availability of your holiday-themed offerings.
Write engaging copy to convey the value and appeal of the products effectively.
Use a prominent call-to-action (CTA) that directs visitors to take the desired action. Place your CTA button strategically and use compelling text like "Shop Today" or "Explore our Festive Collection." It creates a sense of urgency and encourages visitors to make a purchase.
This landing page is brilliant because it’s visually captivating. Each color represents a different section for gift categories, which can help visitors estimate their budget.
Creating captivating landing pages can capture your potential customer's attention and significantly improve holiday sales.
3. Implement a loyalty program
Implementing a loyalty program is an effective holiday marketing strategy to improve online sales and foster long-term customer loyalty.
Implement a loyalty program that offers exclusive discounts, early access to deals, or special perks for members.
Loyalty programs can reward your loyal customers while boosting holiday sales. For example, for every purchase made, customers can earn points to redeem for discounts, freebies, or exclusive access to limited-edition holiday collections.
The Honeypie Minerals online store includes a system where customers can earn even more points for creating an account, social media shares, and friend referrals.
Design a straightforward loyalty program that offers tangible benefits to your customers. Leverage your loyalty program to provide exclusive holiday deals and seasonal promotions.
You can send personalized emails to loyalty program members, providing early access to holiday and after-holiday sales, additional discounts, or limited-time special offers.
By rewarding your loyal shoppers with exclusive benefits during the holiday season, you enhance the sense of exclusivity and value associated with your loyalty program.
4. Run flash sales
Everyone loves a good deal, especially during the holiday season. Take advantage of the excitement and sense of urgency by running flash sales.
Offer limited-time discounts on popular products or create bundle deals that entice customers to buy more.
Here are some valuable tips for using hourly or time-limited sales:
- Place popups and countdown timers on your website to highlight the limited-time sales
- Use different discount coupons for each sale to learn the most popular deals and tactics
- Promote the sale on your social platforms and through a holiday email marketing campaign
Designing and putting a POWR countdown timer on your website takes a few minutes, and you don’t need to know any coding.
Placing a countdown timer on your site will create a sense of urgency by setting a specific timeframe for the flash sale, such as 24 hours or a weekend.
Emphasizing the deals' limited availability and time-sensitive nature will motivate customers to make quick purchasing decisions.
Utilize various channels to promote your holiday flash sales. Send targeted email campaigns to your subscriber list, highlighting the upcoming flash sale and providing a sneak peek of the discounted products.
POWR has a versatile email editor that allows you to speak directly to your customers. It’s easy to design themed and professional automated response emails; once your email is complete, you don’t have to do it again.
Leverage your social media platforms, posting teasers and countdowns to generate anticipation.
Consider collaborating with influencers to share the flash sale details with their engaged audience, expanding the reach of your promotion.
You can generate excitement, increase customer engagement, and boost your holiday sales by effectively running flash sales.
The urgency and exclusivity surrounding their flash sales entice customers to make immediate purchases, resulting in a significant revenue boost during the holiday season.
5. Implement the "Buy Now, Pay Later" option
Many customers appreciate the flexibility of paying for their purchases over time, especially during the holiday season.
Implementing a "Buy Now Pay Later" option allows customers to spread out their payments, making them more affordable and convenient.
Partner with a reputable payment provider that offers this service and promote it prominently on your website and social channels.
By providing this option, you can attract more target markets that may have otherwise been hesitant to purchase, ultimately improving your holiday sales.
6. Leverage VR (virtual reality)
Incorporating virtual reality (VR) into your marketing strategy can give your customers a unique and immersive shopping experience.
VR technology lets shoppers visualize products virtually, enhancing their understanding and excitement about your offerings.
Modiface's Augmented Reality technology allows you to "try" Maybelline products online before purchasing. Its MakeUpStudio lets you try different shades and looks without removing your makeup.
The virtual try-on technology uses an advanced face tracker algorithm that detects where your lips, eyes, and cheeks are and applies virtual cosmetics.
You can move your head and mouth, and the lipstick will follow your lips realistically.
You can use the same technology to virtually place furniture in your living room or try on clothes.
Whether you have an eCommerce store or a physical location, consider integrating VR technology to showcase your products innovatively and engagingly.
By embracing this technology, you can stand out from your competitors and create a memorable shopping experience that drives sales.
In Closing
Improving holiday sales requires strategic planning and creative thinking. Embrace the power of eCommerce marketing, and combine it with traditional in-store strategies, to have a successful holiday season.
Planning early and designing high-converting landing pages can significantly enhance your sales during the holiday season.
Implement a loyalty program, run flash sales, and offer a "Buy Now Pay Later" option to encourage your customer base. Introduce VR to stand out from your competitors and attract more sales.
Holiday shopping can be a fantastic customer experience. Delight your customers with an exciting holiday shopping experience by testing these six strategies in 2023.
Happy selling this holiday season!
Author Bio:
Michal Leszczyński immerses himself in developing, implementing, and coordinating all content marketing projects as the Head of Content & Partnerships at GetResponse.
He has 10-plus years of expertise in online marketing with a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Marketing and Consulting from the University of Birmingham (UK).
Michal is the author of over 100 articles, ebooks, and courses for GetResponse and renowned websites like Crazy Egg and Social Media Today.
