eCommerce brands, have you really got your website ready for Christmas?

In a recent study, researchers found that over 50% of customers start looking for presents as early as October – and around 10% start as early as September. Now that we’re finally into the holiday home stretch, each day that passes is another day closer to Christmas, turning up the panic and impatience for shoppers across the country.  

The good news? It’s never too late to update your website to accommodate the festive period. Here’s a few ways to kickstart that, and how the benefits can stretch far past the holiday season.   

It’s time to deck the digital halls  

Over 80% of people between 18 – 60 think less of a brand if its website is not up to date.  

Your website is the digital storefront to your shop. And what do shops do during the holiday season? They get festive – merchandising and decorating their stories to really showcase the Christmas spirit as you browse. So, why would you not do the same for your digital presence?  

Create themed banners and other forms of promotional material for your website, and advertise these across your social channels. Create specialised gifting sections to help facilitate quick purchase options for the user (because we all appreciate any help we can get when it comes to gift giving). The structure, design, and consumer journey of your website will help draw shoppers in and point them in the right direction.  

The more information, the better  

Most consumers want to know as much information as possible before making a purchase. Christmas shopping is stressful at the best of times, and anything you can do to ease that stress will be a win in their books. In the absence being able to see, feel and ask questions about your products in real life, consumers rely on the information provided to answer their concerns and validate their purchase.  

Online shoppers love being able to interact with products and businesses as much as possible, so ensure your website has the basics covered:  

• Clear and interactive images (zoom, rotate, and 360° views)  
• Up to date product descriptions and details  
• Reviews and testimonials  
• Clear delivery and returns policies  

By giving the shopper as much information as possible, they will spend more time on your website, trust what you are offering, and most importantly, complete their purchase.  

Optimisation, speed, and experience  

53% of users will abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load.  

Upticks in web traffic during the holiday season can cause chaos, often putting websites under the microscope when it comes to performance during this time. Consumer demand for online shopping have led to an increased emphasis on a fast and smooth web experience – and the same goes for search engines as they continually judge your website.  

If your website is full of broken links and imagery, it will not only result in a poor user experience, but will contribute to negative search engine performance. Technical website reports and speed diagnostic checks will detail the areas of your website where you can shave those extra seconds off your load time and fix the broken elements of your website, resulting in a seamless user experience.  

Your goal should be to offer efficiency and minimal effort on behalf of the user – no matter what device the user is shopping on. If Jingle All the Way was filmed today, Arnie’s character would have purchased Turbo-Man in a matter of minutes! Click, add to basket, checkout – that simple.  

So, where to start?  

There are many intricacies to consider when preparing a website for seasonal traffic – and it can certainly be an overwhelming task if you’re relatively new to it.  

At Boldspace, we work with clients from a variety of businesses and brands to help them achieve better results online. Our SEO experts, creative copywriters, brand strategists, and designers are ready to help make the most of your online presence through the festive period – and beyond.  

Because what’s better than a happy Christmas shopper?