Things To Do Before Black Friday
There are only seven sleeps until Black Friday and the official kick-off of the holiday season. Sure, your shoppers likely already made a list and have been checking them twice, but now, it’s prime time for capturing their attention and winning their business.
You still have time to tweak your omnichannel experiences before shoppers begin to swarm the stores and finish their late-night online shopping. Below are 7 things you can do leading to Black Friday, so you can get shoppers in the holiday spirit.
The holiday season is always a time when new shopping behaviors are unearthed. It sparked the emergence of “Couch Commerce,” and brought mobile and online shopping to staggering heights. Before you do any more work, take a hard look at your customer and try to understand what they truly want out of the holiday shopping experience. This will give you a foundation for your strategy and all tactics you employ.
Sure, you may already have the basics of your holiday plan in place, but there is still time to add a few social campaigns, create an in-store event or two, and ramp up your omnichannel customer service. Look at your current strategies and determine what’s working—and what’s not. Looking at your customer behaviors and preferences, determine what you can do (realistically) to make your online shopping experiences even more memorable.
Any brand or retailer can hold a sale or release exclusive coupons. Shoppers today are looking for more relevant and immersive marketing campaigns and strategies. Get creative with your campaigns and use personalization and curation to create a seamless – and enjoyable – online shopping experience.
More than 60% of web traffic this month will come from mobile devices. It makes sense: more consumers are using their smartphones to browse while watching TV, on their commute and even venturing to the store (but not while driving, please!). Yet you’d be surprised how many retailers still have not optimized the mobile shopping experience. Bridge the mobile conversion gap by ensuring your design and localized experiences are up to par.
The typical retail store is a lot different than it was in “Miracle On 34th Street,” but during the holiday season, it doesn’t hurt to add a little bit of sparkle and traditional charm to your stores. This can be done through your store displays, in-store decorations and even fun events like gift-wrapping parties and card decorating classes. Your consumers are always looking to share their experiences on social, so the more unique (and quirky) your Instagrammable moments are, the more powerful the social media ripple effect will be. What does that mean? More traffic on your website and in your stores!
As the season progresses, there will be a slew of new trends and developments. While we understand the holiday season is hectic for all, it’s always beneficial to take some time to read up on the latest trends and see what your peers are doing to drive sales and engagement. The Retail TouchPoints Holiday Hub will be updated all season long with new research, results and best practices from brands across categories.
Any brand or retailer can hold a sale or release exclusive coupons. Shoppers today are looking for more relevant and immersive marketing campaigns and strategies. Get creative with your campaigns and use personalization and curation to create a seamless – and enjoyable – online shopping experience.
