As 2017 kicks into full swing, some of the key retails dates for the year are quickly approaching. According to the Office for National Statistics, last year British consumers spent an average of £1 billion online every single day. Whether you’re an eBay seller, an amazon seller or even if you’ve ventured further afield using local marketplaces, preparing ahead for this year’s big retail dates will help you secure a piece of this ever growing pie of online sales.
Now that all the Valentine’s candies and flowers have been cleared off the physical and virtual shelves, one of the next significant retail dates for those selling online to prepare for is Easter. Here are some Easter ecommerce tips to help you make the most of holiday sales opportunities this spring.
1. Optimise your listings
The major marketplaces, including eBay and Amazon, are incredibly competitive. EBay, for example, have over a billion live listings at any given time. So, if you want to stand out from the crowd and ensure your products get into the Easter baskets of potential buyers, optimising your listings is an absolute must. From developing a unique value proposition to utilising descriptive visuals and optimising for mobile, our partners over at CrazyLister have put together a helpful guide detailing 6 powerful optimisation tactics. Don’t miss out on online sales this Easter simply because your consumers never see your products to begin with!
2. Offer great value
Easter Sunday bank holiday brings with it a barrage of sales, both online and in-store so expect the competition to really heat up. Consider how a well-timed sale, or multi-buy discount may give you an edge. Amazon’s ‘Lightening Deals’ have proven a successful vehicle for both the company and its online sellers. However, flash sales don’t work for every kind of online seller as World First’s, Ecommerce Dealing Manager, Craig Agutter, points out. He recommends starting out by trialing regular short-term sales during slower months to gauge uplift versus regular pricing and make a more informed decision as to whether the format works for your business. Do your research, perhaps trial a few different options and see what drives your customer base around key retail dates.
3. Make sure your ducks are all in line
If you’re expecting an uplift in sales this Easter holiday, make sure you’re prepared to handle the rush. Leaving customers waiting when orders can’t be fulfiled quickly enough or seeing your website crash under the weight of increased traffic could lead to damaging reviews and ratings. So, make sure your technology is all in order, you’re stocked up and don’t oversell. Providing a great customer experience is the quickest route to positive reviews. Boost your ratings this Easter and you can leverage this uplift during the next major retail period. It can also be useful to get your back office as automated as your funds will allow.
4. Get (the right) message out there
Get a buzz going using a variety of different channels in the lead-up to the Easter holiday. From paid advertising to organic social media and email campaigns, there are quite a number of marketing avenues to explore. The run-up to Easter is a great time for personalised marketing campaigns to make sure potential customers are aware of any promotions you’re running and your range of products available. Don’t forget to set aside a holiday marketing budget to make the most of the joyful Easter mood before, during and even immediately after the holiday when people are in the spirit of giving and retails sales therefore have the potential to trend upwards.
So, whether you’re selling Easter related goods or not, we hope these handy ecommerce tips help you make the most this holiday. And, if you’re selling goods on overseas marketplaces this year, find out how World First could help you repatriate your earnings faster, easier and maybe even cheaper.