HOW TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS DURING THE FESTIVE SHOPPING SEASON.

We would all love to believe in the magic of Christmas not being about commercialism. But festive shopping, Santa and scrolling to find the perfect present for loved ones are hallmarks of the season. So much so that it was predicted that last year we would spend nearly £500 per household on gifts and another £238 on food and drink.

Competition is fierce for festive sales but results can be plentiful. Big brands may have had their day with Black Friday deals. Their discounted prices potentially will have left smaller businesses unable to compete. But, when it comes to getting that special gift for friends and family, smaller retailers may come into their own now. This is especially the case if they get their marketing lined up correctly.

Here, we look at how small businesses can get more attention than Santa as the festive season gets underway.

Get your website in order

It could be time for a website audit. This should consider user experience, ease of navigation, CTAs, design and layout, load times and SEO. This will ensure that you’re delivering a positive experience for your website visitors. That should encourage custom both now and in the future.

An audit should also look at your content. Check your FAQs reflect any amends in terms of delivery times, costs or return policies over the festive season. Make sure your landing page flags up any seasonal product ranges or offers to entice people to click through. Get some internal links in place to guide people through your site and decrease bounce rate.

Also, if you haven’t already got one, make sure you have an SSL certificate. This encrypts all data which is shared on your website. It also provides you with a padlock in your browser bar which indicates that you take data protection seriously.

Consider your digital advertising

Putting your products in front of the right online audience doesn’t have to cost the earth. When it comes to PPC, social media advertising or banner ads, there’s pretty much an option for every company and budget. It allows for specific targeting to reach exactly who your product or services may appeal to. In fact, 64% of people will click on a Google ad when they are looking to buy online. Whilst other ways of driving web traffic, such as SEO, take some time to see results, PPC is instant. It can also be amended to deliver the results which you want through the duration of a campaign.

Personalisation is paramount

Us consumers are increasingly fussy. In a world where we’re ruled by digital, we want some kind of reward for that. When it comes to advertising, that means a personalised experience. A handy way of doing this is to ensure your adverts are location-based. One study found that 87% of marketers saw success when doing so. That success included growth in customer base, higher customer engagement and improved ROI.

Another great way of doing this is through social media marketing. Platforms, such as Facebook, provide very specific targeting based on all kinds of variables from age, interests and activities. Even though Mark Zuckerberg and his team have decreased the organic prevalence of brands in our newsfeeds, paid advertising is still performing well. In fact, more than a third of us are using social media for purchase inspiration.

Timing is everything

The marketing funnel is in full swing at this time of the year but, arguably, it speeds up. The first couple of weekends in December may well see an increase in web traffic. But, conversions may come a little later. This is likely to be when your audiences have finished browsing and are ready to buy. Analysis of 74m visits to 120 UK and US retailers found that the beginning of December saw more visits. But, it was later in the month which was more successful with online retailers converting a smaller number of consumers but for higher revenue. There will also be those people who leave it to the last minute and panic buy. It’s also a good idea to have a grasp on what your post-Christmas and January sales may look like.

Companies of all shapes and sizes should prepare for the Christmas season. This will give them a real reason to celebrate in style when all of the madness of the festive shopping season is over. Theme Group can get your digital communications for the festive season and beyond. Contact us to find out more.