According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. consumers spent $20.7 billion on Mother’s Day and $13.3 billion on Father’s Day in 2013. On average, Americans bought $169 in gifts for mom and $120 for dad. And the best part? Almost a third made their purchase online. Here are some quick tips to help you get your fair share of those Mother’s DAy and Father’s Day shoppers.
1. Nail the basics
Bells, whistles and clever marketing won’t cover up a flawed shopping experience. Make sure your products have clear descriptions and are fully stocked. Proactively address shipping costs and your returns policy. And keep the checkout flow as streamlined as possible. Addressing pain points and minimizing friction will help you convert consumers once they get to your store.
2. Get smart with sales and coupon codes
This is a tried-and-true way to attract and convert shoppers — discounts influence 56% of purchase decisions. You can try a variety of promo codes like a percentage discounts, a flat dollar discount or a free gift with purchase. Then promote them through social media, email and directly in your store. You can also create a special sale section on your site to move specific merchandise for the holidays.
3. Offer free shipping options for early birds
Sure, you could do a coupon code for free shipping, but automatically offering it on all purchases can be a great way to lower cart abandonment rates. UPS and comScore found that 76% of shoppers considered free shipping the most important option in the checkout process. In-store pickup is another option that can save time and money for you as well as your customers.
4. Offer express shipping for last-minute shoppers
Procrastinators are probably the one group of consumers who doesn’t expect free shipping. They also love to shop online, so don’t forget to cater to their needs with express shipping options.
5. Add a personal touch with gift wrapping
This is another great upsell for procrastinators as well as a convenient option for those who need to send a gift directly to mom or dad. You can also experiment with promos or loyalty rewards that include free gift wrapping. Adding a
6. Make deadlines crystal clear
To keep your customers as happy as possible, make sure you set expectations for when they need to place their orders. Since both Mother’s and Father’s Day are on a Sunday, cut off dates for express shipping are especially important. And don’t forget to surface deadlines in your returns and exchanges policy as well.
7. Highlight your best gifts
Gift guides will help you promote your bestselling products while also helping your customers pick out the right present. You can create guides based on personas, think “Gifts for High-Tech Moms” or “The Best Presents for Outdoorsmen,” as well as guides based on budgets, like “10 Great Gift Under $40.” This type of content is also great for blogging, social media and SEO, so make multiple guides for each holiday.
8. Cash in with gift cards
This is another trend you don’t want to miss out on. Americans spent $118 billion on gift cards in 2013. Offering both physical and digital gift certificates will allows you to capture the full range of shoppers who can’t decide what to get for mom and dad. The closer it gets to the holiday, the more prominently you should promote this option on your site and social media accounts to help out last-minute customers.
9. Celebrate with a fresh look
Just because your store is online doesn’t mean you have to skimp on the decorations. You can switch your homepage carousel, change out your social media images and add special category banners to your site. And if you aren’t a graphic designer, don’t worry, we have 64 original Mother’s Day and Father’s Day images you can download for free.
Have any other tips for the upcoming holidays? Please share them in the comments!
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