Quick question: how much are you going to spend on gifts, food, and decorations in December?
Does $730 sound about right? That’s how much the average merrymaker spent last year.
In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that spending for Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah increased by 3 percent last year, totaling an astounding $626.1 billion.
This year people will be looking to spend their holiday cash with small businesses like yours, and you’ll need a strong strategy to maximize revenue. Here are five holiday marketing tips that will make your website merry, bright, and profitable.
Deck the Website
In December you’re competing with the sparkle and shine of brick-and-mortar stores. So refresh the design of your website to feel a little more magical during the holidays. Add a festive hero image and put a garland around the footer. Most importantly, make sure your holiday offers are displayed prominently and that your shipping and contact information is easy to find.
Another thing to consider is how quickly your site loads. Even a well-designed site can lose sales if it takes too long to display. Optimize your site before the traffic hits.
Spread Holiday Cheer
Your customers give to you all year long. Thank them for their support with a special promotion, such as:
- A sneak preview
- Free shipping
- A secret sale
- A free gift with purchase
- Free gift wrapping
- “12 Days of Christmas” countdown sale
- Extended return policy
And don’t forget to offer digital gift certificates. They’re convenient for last-minute shoppers and can mean more sales for you in the New Year. That’s because recipients often spend more than the value on the gift certificate when they cash it in.
Share Good Tidings
Email marketing and social media networks are a great way to target and connect with consumers through timely updates and compelling calls-to-action. Here are some ideas you can implement in December:
- Develop holiday themes for your email templates and update your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profile pictures with a festive look.
- Channel all holiday offers or promotions through your social media accounts. You can even offer deals or events exclusively to your social media fans to help generate leads.
- Share regular back-in-stock notifications on social media to let customers know when popular items are available.
Unwrap Holiday Content
In addition to feeding your social and email efforts, holiday-themed articles can go a long way in terms of pumping up your followers for the season. There are countless iterations, but these are a few of our favorite holiday content ideas:
- Create a holiday gift guide.
- Recap your company’s successes during the year.
- Send a digital greeting car to your customers.
- Share personal stories, traditions, or recipes from your staff.
- Sponsor a holiday photo or essay contents that features your customers.
This type of storytelling will allow followers to get to know your brand better and will feel like a respite in the sea of sales-driven content flooding your customers’ inboxes.
Be Good for Goodness’ Sake
Take a moment during the holiday season to give back to your community. Even if there isn’t room for a large donation in your budget, there are multiple ways to say thank you — and boost customer respect for your business. Consider these low-cost, heartfelt ideas:
- Volunteer your services, equipment, or space for a charitable event.
- Provide a prize for a charity auction.
- Host a food drive or service project at your office.
- Sponsor or raise money for a scholarship.
- Give your employees time off so they can volunteer at a nonprofit of their choice.
At Bluehost we’re looking forward to making this holiday season magical for our customers. Here’s wishing you happy holidays and wonderful start to 2017!
