It’s the most wonderful time of the year – to go shopping. Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and it marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. The somewhat comedic shopping that routinely takes place in November and December often makes headlines, and this year will be no different.

For small and medium businesses, it’s crucial to prepare adequately for the shopping season, which can account for up to 25% of brands’ annual revenue. It is also an opportunity to enhance customer relationships and earn lasting loyalty.

Here are some e-commerce tips to help you capture more business as the year comes to an end.

1. Amplify Social Engagement With Paid Media

Social media plays an undeniable role in driving e-commerce traffic. It can be hard to stand out with organic content alone. And this is precisely where paid social ads come into play. By displaying advertisements for specific products you sell on Google Search and popular social channels, you can target people looking for your offerings.

Doing so directs people to your online store plus helps advertise any exclusive offers and promotions you might have with new and existing audiences.

2. Remove Friction From Your Website

With consumers doing most of their shopping online, it’s vital to provide a seamless shopping experience. You can expect plenty of consumer traffic and overloaded operations. Even the slightest flaw in the workings of your website could lose you vital business.

Optimize your customers’ purchasing experience by updating your website to maximize sales and reduce shopping cart abandonment. Everyone wants faster transactions and fewer clicks, so ensure there’s no delay to prompt customers to shop more.

On this note, ramp up customer support to prepare for the holiday traffic. For small and medium business owners, providing customers with self-service options can be a great way to ease support tickets while ensuring your customers’ needs are met effectively.

3. Stock Up on Extra Inventory and Create a Seasonal Collection

The last thing you want to do is run out of your best-selling products – not really a problem when dropshipping with Alibaba.com, which offers a wide range of services to streamline the B2B sourcing experience. So, review your sales figures from the previous holiday season and current shopping trends to approximate how much you stock you should keep on hand for your online business.

Seasonal collections are a strategic tool to help customers focus on your bestselling or newest products. The holiday season means an increased focus on gifts, toys, and winter-themed products. Curating a holiday collection can help you stand out amidst your competition and reignite interest in your existing products.

4. Determine Event Promotion

Online businesses that do well during the holiday season are often the ones with carefully cultivated marketing strategies. It’s highly beneficial to incorporate seasonal holiday trends in your marketing campaigns. Use keywords to gain organic traffic and direct people to your online store.

Next, engage customers with holiday incentives. Play into the holiday spirit with promotions and special deals such as free shipping or site-wide discounts on specific days. Another great way to enhance customer relationships is through special bundle deals. Customers love convenience. Putting together complementary products in the same order can increase your sales as well as customer loyalty.

Another thing: personalize your promotions to your loyal customers. Based on their past buying history, you can determine what products will best appeal to them. This way, you can create personalized campaigns to prompt them to spend more.

5. Ask for Referrals

Word-of-mouth marketing is pure gold for small and medium businesses. It’s one of the best ways to secure high-quality leads and gain loyal customers. Don’t underestimate the impact reviews, likes, comments, and other endorsements can have on your online business.

For one, referrals tend to be more loyal and are likely to refer other customers themselves when you provide a great experience. So, reach out to customers with direct messages thanking them for their loyalty and encouraging them to leave a review or refer your products to others.

Including a referral button in your email outreach can make it easier for customers to spread the word about your online store.

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season can be the most stressful time for business owners. These meaningful e-commerce tips will help you take advantage of the holiday surge and prepare for a profitable season.