Photo by Alexander Grey
The holiday season is here! It’s a time when customers’ spending spikes and businesses hustle to capture as much attention as possible.
Last year, more than a quarter of shoppers planned to do their holiday shopping at local and/or small businesses, in order to support their local community – so making sure your website is optimized for this exciting part of the year can make a big difference in sales.
Here are some key tips to help prep your business website for the holiday rush.
1: Spruce Up Your Website Design
First impressions matter, especially during the holiday season when competition is fierce. To stand out, give your website a festive makeover that really captures the fun of the holidays.
Consider updating your homepage with seasonal colors like red, green, and gold, which evoke the warmth and joy of the season. And incorporate holiday-themed elements featuring snowflakes, wreaths, or gift boxes. These visuals create an inviting atmosphere, which can entice visitors to stay longer, explore more of your offerings, and ultimately engage more deeply with your brand.
2: Optimize for Mobile Users
With a whopping three-quarters of Americans now doing their shopping on mobile devices, now is the perfect time to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. This means optimizing your site’s functionality to cater to screens of all sizes.
Consider factors like page load speed, ease of navigation, and the clarity of all the text and images – no matter what kind of screen your website is viewed on. A slow or unresponsive mobile experience can turn off customers, sending them to competitors who provide a more seamless and efficient user experience.
Here at Smart Link Solutions, we offer fully responsive website design, which allows your content to be accessed seamlessly from tablets, mobile devices, and computers.
Photo by OPPO
3: Highlight Your Holiday Promotions
Clearly display any holiday promotions, discounts, or special offers on your website. Use dedicated landing pages to prominently showcase these enticing deals. And make sure that all of your promotional details are easy to understand, with concise explanations of each offer – and include any expiration dates to avoid confusion. Providing an informative experience will encourage your customers to take advantage of your special offers.
4: Engage with Your Audience on Social Media
Social media is a powerful way to drive traffic to your website and boost brand awareness during the holiday season. Share holiday-themed content, run contests, and promote your seasonal deals.
To increase public engagement, tag your posts using relevant hashtags like:
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- #ShopSmall
- #SupportSmallBusiness
- #FestiveDeals
- #HolidayShopping
- #BlackFriday
- #CyberMonday
5: Streamline the Checkout Process
A study by Baymard Institute revealed the top reasons why people abandon their cart during checkout – Number 5 was “Too long/complicated checkout process.”
This is an excellent time to take a look at your business website’s checkout process, and streamline the steps needed to complete a purchase. Ideally, you want checkout to be intuitive and user-friendly.
Offering a variety of payment options, such as credit cards, digital wallets, and even buy-now-pay-later services, can attract a wider pool of customers.
Also, consider adding a guest checkout option, which allows customers to make purchases without the need to create an account. Why? The Number 2 reason why people abandon their cart: “The site wants me to create an account.”
Photo by Fabio Bracht
6: Implement SEO Strategies
Optimize your website with holiday-related keywords to improve search engine optimization (SEO) during the festive season.
Start by researching trending holiday topics and incorporate useful phrases like “Holiday Website Tips” (just like we’re doing!), “Top Gifts of the Season,” and other relevant terms throughout your content, meta descriptions, and alt tags.
By doing so, you’ll help attract more organic traffic from holiday shoppers eager to find the perfect gifts, thereby increasing your chances of boosting sales during this busy time of year.
Preparing for the Holiday Rush
Preparing your business website for the holiday rush is crucial if you want to be a part of all the customer spending. Don’t miss out on this lucrative opportunity – start tailoring your site to the holiday season today, and ring in a successful season.
Smart Link Solutions is here to help you take advantage of the opportunities that come with the holiday rush with exclusive SEO strategies, local search optimization, social media management, and much more!
If you’re looking for impactful online marketing solutions backed by a dedicated team of friendly experts, Smart Link Solutions is the place to be. We’ve been helping businesses thrive in the online world since 1994.
To learn more, call 866 – 757 – 5100 or visit Smart Link Solutions today!
Photo by Jason Leung