9 ways to prepare for the 2022 shopping season
Summer has ended, and the winter holiday shopping season has arrived. Some big-box stores have made their Christmas decorations, so it’s not too early to start planning your eCommerce business.
You have high expectations for the coming months, whether you have an online store on your website, sell products through your blog, or run a storefront on a marketplace like Amazon. Consumers are ready to buy, and online sellers are ready to meet their sales targets for the year.
There are numerous opportunities to increase your revenue and profits, but success depends on the preparation and hard work you put in now. To meet your objectives, we’ve compiled a list of 9 tips to help you prepare your business for significant growth during the 2022 winter holiday shopping season.
1. Order early
The best time to order inventory is right now. Although no one predicted another supply chain crisis, the previous year taught us to be prepared for the unexpected. Suppose you place orders for winter holiday items early. In that case, you won’t have to worry about your shipment being delayed or arriving too late, and you’ll usually get better supplier prices.
Often, eCommerce sellers can’t place orders until they have the money, so they miss out on early shoppers and supplier discounts that could help them grow their business. Amazon and Walmart sellers can use Payoneer Working Capital to get the funds they need to buy more stock immediately, even if they have bad credit, without filling out a lengthy loan application.
2. Plan your business strategy
You must approach it strategically to make the most of the holiday shopping season. Collect business data such as sales reports from the previous 12 months, holiday shopping season sales from the previous year, expense reports, and so on.
Forecast your likely demand and costs for the next few months to work out details such as pricing, set business goals for yourself, and decide which metrics you’ll use to define success.
3. Decide on your discounts
Setting a business strategy entails deciding when and how to offer discounts and hold flash sales. Discounts are a big part of the holiday shopping season, but you may lose money if you don’t plan.
Some questions to consider are:
- Do you plan to offer a 25% discount or free shipping?
- Will you send a special offer to email subscribers or lower prices for everyone?
- Will you hold a flash sale before Black Friday or wait until Cyber Monday?
- Considering these issues now, you can offer discounts at the most appropriate time rather than panic-discounting when you see your competitors’ campaigns.
4. Prepare marketing content
Use quiet time to plan and write marketing content, such as social media posts and blog posts. Schedule when each post should be published on each channel using a social media tool such as Hootsuite or Buffer. You won’t have to remember to post about your one-day sale two days before Thanksgiving when you’re already swamped.
5. Polish up your product descriptions
Make time to write product descriptions as well. Customers expect detailed product descriptions that answer their questions, so detailed content can help you sell more goods.
Pay attention to SEO, particularly on marketplaces such as Amazon, where SEO affects where you appear in search results rankings.
6. Check in with your customers
Not just your prices or shipping times make people choose your store over your competitors. It’s because they have a connection with you. Strengthen that relationship by sending a personalized email or text message that does not contain any sales pitches. Say hello, inquire about their year, and share a little about yours. Personalization can make a difference.
7. Review the purchase journey
Check that everything on your online store is working properly. It’s a good idea to have a friend or family member visit your site and make a purchase so they can let you know if there are any broken links, unclear instructions, or unnecessary forms that make them want to abandon your site.
That way, you can fix it before the holiday shopping season begins and be confident that the purchasing process will be straightforward.
8. Decorate your online store
To get their customers into the holiday spirit, brick-and-mortar stores set up enticing window displays and in-store decorations, and you can (and should) follow their lead. If you run your online store, you can use seasonal themes and templates to maintain your branding while adding seasonal details to each page.
When you show your customers that you’re excited about the holidays, it will rub off on them and encourage them to buy.
9. Set up marketing automation
People frequently visit your store, fill their virtual cart, and then pause while considering what they’re buying or whether to add another item. Cart abandonment can occur at this point, but you can help prevent it.
Set up a campaign in an email marketing automation tool like MailChimp or ConstantContact that automatically sends visitors an email or text reminder that they left items in their cart and encourages them to complete the purchase.
Payoneer can help you prepare for a successful winter holiday shopping season.
You can grow your eCommerce business during the winter holiday shopping season with careful planning, including strategic discounting, timely marketing, and efficient business processes. Payoneer is here to help you make 2022 a record-breaking sales year by providing working capital, simple international payments, and useful business tools.
Disclaimer: This article’s content is only offered for educational reasons; it does not constitute investment advice and is simply the author’s opinion. Doing so acknowledges that the information is not intended to serve as investment advice or financial guidance. Before making any investment decisions, be sure to do your research and consult with financial professionals.
