The Golden Quarter — the busiest period in the retail calendar — has arrived. It starts in the lead-up to Black Friday and Cyber Week and keeps on going until just after the holiday season. This is the time when consumers flock to online shops in search of everything from home electronics to clothing and accessories — to treat themselves or give as gifts. 

This year, inflation is hitting shoppers hard, with 6 in10 Canadians feeling the squeeze on their wallets. However, there is some good news for eCommerce retailers: those same consumers still plan to spend as much as they did in 2021 on this year’s golden quarter purchases. 

And they are gearing up; as many as 42% of Canadians plan to start  shopping earlier to seek out better deals and get ahead of potential price increases, and 60% are looking to avoid the disappointment of out-of-stock items. 

So now you know that consumers are coming (with their wallets open), what does that mean for your online shop?

First, start your successful season by ensuring your website is 100% ready to go by following these tips: 

• Make sure you have researched and updated your SEO keywords. Add some seasonal keywords to your website text, product pages and blogs.
  Tip: Try adding “best deals” to your keyword mix to capture those inflation-thwarting shoppers
• Test your site’s performance. Do your pages load quickly? Consumers can be impatient and in a hurry — even a slight lag in load time can cost you a customer. You also want to feel confident that your site will hold up during peak transaction periods. 
• Ensure your site is easy to navigate. It’s critical that consumers can find exactly what they’re looking for, quickly and effortlessly. 
• Check that your site is mobile-ready. As of January 2022, 55% of Canadians used their mobile devices to make purchases — a trend that keeps growing. 

Once you have these fundamental experience elements sorted out, it’s time to focus on getting your festive campaigns fired up. Here are five ways to make your eCommerce site stand out this season.

Read our blog: How to create a killer local SEO strategy for your business

Colour counts

Colour can make a powerful connection with a potential consumer. Seasonal colours give your eCommerce site immediate relevance, welcoming them into a festive atmosphere. Be sure to add seasonal colours to your home page and any content and shopping pages related to the holiday or event. Red and green are classic Christmas colours. Black, red and gold are often associated with Black Friday and Cyber Week. 

Tip: Be sure to add seasonal colours (and hashtags!) to your social media posts and ads, too.

Consider a countdown clock

There is always big hype around Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, and holiday shopping in general. Capitalize on that captive audience and create a sense of urgency with a countdown clock, either as a pop-up or displayed prominently on your shopping pages. Seeing those minutes ticking down to Christmas can help feed consumer anticipation and FOMO. Using phrases like “Order early to avoid disappointment” and “Beat the rush” can inspire shoppers to make purchases quickly, especially with supply chain issues in recent years. 

Wishlists work

If you don’t have wishlist functionality on your site, consider adding it. People are busy and can get distracted during online shopping. Wishlists provide consumers with a place to keep their favourited items or intended purchases in one place, so they can quickly and easily return to buy them when it’s more convenient. Studies show that 40% of consumers have a better shopping experience when a wishlist is offered.

Read our blog: 7 ways to lower your eCommerce cart abandonment rate

Capitalize on categories 

Seasonal product categories help your customers narrow their search and get to holiday-related products and special deals more quickly. When a consumer lands on your website looking for ”Black Friday deals” or “Holiday Gifts” these options should be ready and waiting. Don’t make shoppers click around too much — it could cost you their business. 

Offer an incentive 

People love a deal, a freebie, a prize. And getting a special something can be extra special in seasonal shopping situations. An incentive to come back to your site means repeat visits (return traffic!) and, therefore, more opportunities to promote your products to engaged consumers. Consider having a daily offer, virtual spin-to-win, or discount. 

Another option is a seasonally-themed game or contest, like a treasure hunt, that gets players clicking through your holiday categories to satisfy a challenge. Prizes can include everything from special coupon codes to free gifts. Your site will benefit from having more eyes on your products, increasing the opportunities for conversion. 

Idea: To help drive last-minute sales in the homestretch leading up to Christmas, consider offering free next-day shipping 

Solve wrapping woes

Here’s another way to appeal to your seasonal shoppers: provide gift-wrapping. While some people love tinkering with tape and bows, many do not — and it can add to last-minute holiday stress. Help take your customer’s worry out of presenting perfectly-wrapped presents by offering this service at checkout. 

With a few aesthetic and text updates to your eCommerce website, you’ll be more than ready for the busy upcoming season. 

Read our blog: Understanding your digital sales funnel

Ready to get started? Our team of digital marketing experts can help you build high-impact seasonal campaigns to generate more leads and new business. Get in touch with Creative Guild today to find out more.