10 weeks. That’s how many weeks are left until Black Friday and Cyber Monday! The busiest time of the year is just around the corner, but no need to panic! We’ve put together 4 things you can start this month to help you prepare so you can have a stress-free season.
1. Start promotions early.
Normally, Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are the two busiest sales days for retailers, but this year consumers are starting their holiday shopping earlier. To mitigate any potential shipping concerns, 51% of shoppers plan to make holiday purchases prior to BFCM and 76% plan to shop online (Forbes).
With many starting their holiday shopping earlier this year, why not start your promotions earlier too? Aligning your promotional timeline with your shoppers’ purchasing habits can help capture more holiday sales. It will also help mitigate risk from any potential shipping disruptions!
2. Showcase your holiday products.
It’s never too early to bust out the holiday decorations. And for an online store owner like yourself that means showcasing your holiday-themed products on your website.
If you don’t know what kind of holiday products to sell this year, we have you covered. With an assortment of holiday decor options to choose from, we are confident you will find the perfect canvas for your custom, creative designs.
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Once you’ve determined your holiday bundles and picked your customers’ seasonal favorites, it’s time to display them on your website. Consider having a holiday-specific category in your site navigation bar. Make the shopping experience as easy as possible for your customers by organizing gifts in one convenient place.
3. Set expectations with customers.
You’ve probably heard us say this before, but we can’t stress it enough: always set expectations with your consumers! It helps them know what to look out for and reduces the risk of them creating assumptions about shipping and delivery timelines.
You may get a lot of new consumers to your store this holiday season who may not understand the unique nature of print-on-demand products. Oftentimes, consumers don’t factor in the production time when they order a product from your store because they don’t realize that each product is made-to-order once they purchase it. Clearly stating the separate production and shipping times on product pages and throughout the checkout process will prepare your consumers for that additional time. Educating and building awareness of the print-on-demand process will result in fewer frustrations and more respect from your consumers!
Furthermore, with the potential USPS shipping delays, the need for setting expectations this holiday season is even more critical. We, at Gooten, are working around the clock to add additional shipping measures in order to reduce delays with getting your products to consumers on time.
To learn more about what our team is doing around shipping, check out our holiday webinar with Gooten’s Shipping Expert, Nathan next Wednesday at 1 pm EST.
4. Establish your return/exchange policy.
Many shoppers purchase gifts early so that they can exchange them if needed in time for the holidays. This means your return and exchange policies need to be established and easily accessible. As you are creating these policies, reach out to former consumers, and see if they’re willing to share some feedback around their experience. This will help you make informed adjustments and will ensure everything goes smoothly during the peak holiday season.
Implement these 4 tips into your holiday planning strategy and you’ll be ready for a successful sales season! Any other strategies you plan to execute? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know at hello@gooten.com.
