60 Days ’til Christmas: Get Business Ready for the Festive Season
As the calendar inches closer to December, businesses brace for the most hectic time of the year: the festive season. ‘Tis the time for gift-giving, carol-singing and — for online companies — Christmas offers a golden opportunity for shining brighter than the major rivals. With this in mind, let’s unwrap a few festive tips for getting the most out of the build up to Christmas this year. Christmas Comes Early Santa seems to show up just that little bit earlier each and every year. Once a mere three-or-four week window of December, the Christmas shop is now a multi-month affair. One reason for this has been the rise of so-called “Mega Sale Days”. In the US, Black Friday and Cyber Weekend kickstart a shopping frenzy on the Friday and Monday after Thanksgiving. Black Friday has gained a lot of headway on this side of the pond now, too, and particularly when it comes to online retail. The dying embers of Guy Fawkes Night might be an even earlier cue for the Christmas countdown in the UK. We’re certainly eager to get a head start when it comes to finding our ideal gifts. According to Statista’s 2022 UK Christmas Shopping data, over half of UK adults said they would begin their Christmas shop before the 1st of December, while 16% said they would be done by that date already. Many of us start even earlier. Retail sales for October have grown every year since 2017, while RCS UK data suggests that 40% of British consumers now begin their Christmas shopping in October — long before the Halloween pumpkins have been rolled away. And the slice for online shopping only keeps growing: £30 billion in online Christmas sales last year compared to £52 billion in bricks and mortar. Scrooge The cost of living crisis is likely to pinch this Christmas. Don’t let that dampen your spirits, but do consider it in your sales and marketing strategy. Last December, 79% of consumers said they aimed to buy fewer gifts, while 73% stated they were searching for cheaper alternatives. This year, 45% of UK adults have said they plan to cut their holiday spending, according to The Retail Times. That amounts to about £13 billion in total. 26% of respondents to the same survey said they’ll set aside less than £300 for all Christmas spending this year. While it’s true the high-end luxury market tends to remain unaffected, inflation is high and most will be hunting for value. It might be a good strategy to put more bang-for-buck in the Christmas cracker. Making the Christmas List Begin by setting your goals and defining what you aim to achieve during this festive period. Whether that’s increasing sales, generating leads, growing a customer base, or boosting brand awareness on the whole. Set the objectives to guide your entire Christmas plan. Keep an eye on Black Friday on November 24th. No longer just an American thing, this day kickstarts the unofficial festive shopping frenzy across much of the world. It can be a good barometer for the upcoming December trends, plus a smart time to offer vouchers and deals valid to the end of the year and beyond. ❝Black Friday can be a good barometer for upcoming December trends, plus a smart time to offer vouchers and deals valid to the end of the year and beyond.❞ It’s not just about keeping up with the holiday rush: this is a great opportunity to build a strategy for long-term customer loyalty and a steady revenue stream year-round. ✓ Establish a roadmap. Early planning and scheduling of core promotions can be a lifesaver during the busy holiday season. This empowers you to free up more of your time without causing any disruption or delay to your core activities. ✓ Create Your Content Calendar. Plan your holiday-themed content, blog posts, and social media updates. This will help you stay organised and ensure a consistent and festive online presence that captivates your audience. ✓ Do your research. Take a peek at what your competitors were doing last year. Analysing their strategies can provide valuable insights and inspiration. You might also wish to take a look at analytics within your online channels, such as Google Analytics. ✓ Money Matters. Prepare a budget that covers all your Christmas expenses, including marketing, additional staff, and stocking up on inventory. Allocate resources wisely to make the most of your festive campaigns. ✓ Work out your product and inventory strategy. Make sure you have the right products in stock to meet the holiday demand. Identify popular seasonal items and ensure you’re well-stocked to meet consumer demand. ✓ Reflect on last year. What worked well? What could have been better? Learning from your own past experiences (a little ‘elf examination) will help you build to success this time around. Oh, and if you don’t have a website already, you might look to put a good domain name on your Christmas list. There’s thousands to choose from. When you’re ready, it’s easy to build an online presence with Website Builder. Christmas Branding A festive branding makeover is more than slapping on a few snowflakes. It’s snow joke: your website needs to breathe the holiday spirit, from product images right down to the copy of product descriptions and promotions. This all works to put customers in the festive mood and shows that your business is current, attentive, ready for business — and ready for Christmas. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way of creating a professional website, there’s no better place to start than with our Website Builder. You’ll easily find the themes to spruce up this Christmas. ✓ Think of creative ways to stand out. Get creative with a welcoming theme with festive spirit. Infuse your website with the warmth and magic of the season through captivating visuals, cheerful colours, and eye-catching graphics. ✓ Showcase your top-selling Christmas products and the best holiday gifts prominently on your website. Tailor your website’s language to