TerraNetwork

Christmas is the busiest and most important season for many online shops. So how you can ensure this Xmas turns out to be a good one?

Merchandising

Help your customers to buy online by guiding them to suitable presents and stocking fillers. Use your homepage to present your recommendations. Buying presents can be a tricky decision so ensure that you make it as easy as possible. Seasonal categories such as presents for her/him/kids etc will be appreciated by your customers.

Gift Selection on www.thewhitecompany.com

Design

The bad news is that if you’re starting to consider getting a design make-over for Christmas then you’re already too late. Take out your calendar for 2010 and make a note in September to contact your designer about a Christmas 2010 design.

Christmas Designs can be achieved by homepage make-overs or you can give the entire site a wintery feel by changing the browser background and site elements (e.g. header).

Christmas Design on www.cathkidston.co.uk

Stock availability

Give clear stock information. If an item takes a few weeks to deliver, then say so. If you have 10+ items in stock and it’s ready for 48 hour delivery, then say so. Re-assure by giving clear information.

Stock Information on www.gearzap.com

Delivery

Have clear information on your site about how long delivery is likely to take. Give clear “last order dates for guaranteed delivery before Christmas”. If you offer more than one delivery method (e.g. standard and next day) give cut-off dates for all different options. As we get closer to Christmas, consider putting this information on your homepage to assure customers that their presents will arrive in time.

Delivery Information on www.asos.com

Courier Services

To take advantage of last minute shopping, consider offering a 24 or 48 hour courier service. This will maximise sales right up the last days before Christmas.

Delivery Options on www.johnlewis.com

Alternative Delivery Instructions

If your delivery service requires a signature, make this clear on your site and offer alternative delivery e.g. to an office address. Or try a delivery service which does not require a signature and give your customers the option to specify a safe place to deposit parcels (e.g. shed).

Delivery Comments on crocus.co.uk

Gift Wrapping

Time-strapped shoppers will appreciate the option to send gifts directly to the recipient with gift wrapping. And to ensure a great gift experience, ensure to send the invoice separately to the billing address.

Gift Wrapping on www.marksandspencer.com

Hosting Disk space and Bandwidth

Going offline due to exceeding account limits can cost sales. So during your busy period keep an eye on your site usage statistics and if it looks like you need higher limits, contact your hosting provider well in advance to arrange upgrades. You can usually find your usage statistics in your hosting control panel.

Website Usage Stats

Checkout & Testing

Having a fully working shop is always important but most crucially during those busy Xmas days. Consider giving your shop a weekly health check – go through the site from the viewpoint of your customer, make a note of any problems and areas of improvements. Test your checkout by putting through a test order.

DB error on www.lush.co.uk on Sunday, 22 November 2009

Do you have any tips? Share via the comments box below!