How to get your site ready for Christmas
There’s no denying it, leaving the backbreaking task of holiday shopping to the very last minute is something we’ve all been guilty of. As a website owner, it is important not to let yourself get swallowed up into the rush. As the saying goes: preparation is key to success! To try and help best prepare you for the holiday rush, we have compiled a list of suggestions to put your web presence on the road to festive success.
Optimize your product pages
With SEO at the top of the Christmas list, make sure that your product pages are optimized and don’t forget about the all-important keywords. The race to Christmas readiness has many contenders and you need to pull out all the tricks if you want to stand out from the rest. Make sure that your landing pages are up to par, that your USPs stand out, don’t forget to upsell and offer customers the option to upgrade where appropriate. Users don’t want to be bombarded with too many offers, but at this time of the year, anyone will appreciate the shopping process being made a little easier, which is why you shouldn’t forget about cross-selling. If you’re selling kitchen appliances, include a link to kitchenware, if your forte lies with electricals, why not include a link to batteries.
Offer seasonal deals
It’s the season for promotion, get creative and add holiday spirit to your social media. December is the month for special offers and this is the time to make every effort to impress. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Facebook comment giveaway
- Twitter follow and retweet giveaway
- Instagram repost giveaway
- YouTube comment giveaway
Enticing sales promotions
There’s something out there for everyone, and if you’re active on more than one of the social media giants, why not cross-promote across various platforms with a series of posts? You can boost engagement by asking users to like, comment, or share your material; this is also a great way to promote your brand without really lifting a finger.
Get festive with your design
In terms of Christmas themes, make sure not to go OTT, but as long as it remains within your brand’s general look, adding a little festive charm to your site won’t hurt you. In fact, this can increase brand trust as it shows users that you’re aware of the festive rush and that this period is important to you. Some website providers offer a range of customizable templates and allow you to back up several versions of your site. One of the great advantages in doing this is that you can later restore an old version of your site once the holiday season is over.
Performance is key to success
During the holiday season, your website is more than likely to experience a high level of traffic, and this can lead to slow loading times and an unpleasant customer experience. Shoppers expect fast-loading websites, and online storeowners have to pay particular attention to this. For those with advanced know-how in creating a website, shared hosting or managed software enable you to benefit from customizable options. A big plus for managed hosting is the added security important for your online store, as well as optimized loading speeds and downtime protection.
For those without the know-how, DIY websites may be a better option. There is an endless list of eCommerce platforms which offer a wide range of options depending on the features that you’re after. Using a hosting provider can offer a great deal of comfort as they will not only provide technical support, but also offer eCommerce solutions equipped to deal with a peak in customer visits over a short period of time.
Conclusion
The above steps are not the be-all and end-all, but they will certainly set you on the path to success. Optimizing your online presence and getting it Christmas-ready will require a bit of work, but if you plan ahead and follow the right steps, this should pay off in no time. The practice of SEO is not just for experts, there is a wide range of tools available to help get your website SEO-ready. Like anything, thorough planning will help you anticipate the festive rush and ensure that your site hits the road running.