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Gearing up for a record-breaking holiday season
Rebecca Appleton • 21 October 2020
Are you ready?
If it feels like the Christmas holiday campaigns have started earlier than ever this year, it’s because they have. And with good reason. Research suggests that 2020 will be an ‘unprecedented’ holiday season for sales despite the continuing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the research, conducted by SEO platform BrightEdge, we can expect to see a definitive and marked upswing in online sales; meaning now is the time to prime your e-commerce websites and app designs to fully embrace all of the opportunities to drive increased revenue about to come your way.
Key findings
The BrightEdge report cites a slew of very favourable figures for online shopping, most notably:
• Unsurprisingly many shoppers moved online at the beginning of the pandemic but, rather than return to store when non-essential shops were allowed to open their doors, many continue to favour the non-contactless online option. This puts online retail and apps in a strong position to capture a bigger slice of the holiday shopping market for December 2020.
• It says 60% of shoppers now shop online more than before and 73% will continue to do so even after the pandemic has passed.
• Shoppers are spending more time online researching and searching for gift ideas and are making more smaller purchases.
• Order online and pick up in store is gaining in popularity. If it’s possible, consider adding this option for orders made via app or e-commerce store to give the customer an additional option they feel comfortable with to boost conversions.
• Some businesses are having success in bringing their standard physical services to the online or app space. The Home Depot has deployed augmented reality on its app to allow shoppers to see items such as soft furnishings added to their existing space. L’Oreal has also introduced a virtual shopping experience to its app, enabling users to try on make-up and hair colourings.
• Cyber Monday is likely to see more online sales than Black Friday, due to most physical bricks and mortar locations cancelling this year’s events. With that said, ensure that you have strong deals lined up for Cyber Monday and promote them early to drive traffic and conversions on the day itself.
• BrightEdge says inventory awareness is critical this year; if the pandemic has or has the potential to disrupt your supply chain, focus promotions on those items you have a large stock of to ensure shoppers aren’t left disappointed.
• As ever, it pays to keep on top of search trends. This year we may see more variety than ever due to the greater volume of searches and increased time spent online. Ensure you’re regularly checking trending keywords and adjusting your SEO, web copy and app content accordingly.
• It’s not too early to start testing; consider trialling imagery, content and promos now using split of A/B testing to get a handle on what performs better heading into peak season.
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