Christmas Checklist for an Internet Retailer

Preparation is vital for an internet retailer to have a successful business over the Christmas period. Having a checklist at hand will ensure you keep organised when the shopping season creeps upon us. 

There are a few things to take into consideration before you jump in headfirst. 

Here is an easy to follow example checklist to help you get started early. 

First of all – do you have the products to sell? 

Ordering stock can be challenging over the Christmas period. Knowing exactly what you need beforehand will ensure you have enough products to sell when the demand comes in. 

Review last year’s bestsellers and what didn’t sell well to make sure you are in profit, rather than loss. 

If some of the products you offer are sold out, or you only have a limited amount, state clearly to the customer. This will avoid the hassle and upset when they cannot buy what they want. Remove any paid advertisement banners that have the sold-out products on them; it will prevent wasted clicks cost. 

Most good e-commerce platforms will have low stock/no stock options, so activate them with accurate stock numbers. 

Deliver in time for Christmas

Most of your customers are going to be buying Christmas gifts, so it is not going to be useful to them if you know you can’t get it to them in time. Royal Mail posts their shipping days annually, and it’s worth highlighting these clearly to customers. 

Be clear when a buyer is ordering goods that if they order close to Christmas, it may not arrive on the date they expected. Take into consideration how much time it may take to pick, pack and post your products to determine the last possible date they can be sent out in time for Christmas. 

Offering free delivery, if you do not already, is a fantastic way of bringing in new sales. It can also persuade people to buy more as they aren’t paying the extra pounds for postage. 

If a customer orders something too soon to Christmas, perhaps offer premium postage where they can pay a little extra to get it on time. 

Basket Browsing 

Abandoned online shopping baskets are a regular occurrence. Unfortunately, as an internet retailer, there is not much you can do about this, but you can use the basket to your advantage. Retargeting is great for Christmas as this is the time people will frantically research online. You can also send out ‘Abandon Cart’ email campaigns, as the customer may need reminding. 

Showing the buyer the options to see similar items, products that others have brought and best sellers that are also similar before they checkout can increase sales massively. 

To prevent abandoned baskets, setting up unique Christmas pages such as, ‘Gifts for him/her’ and ‘Gifts for children’ etc. can give your customer the gift inspiration they are probably desperately seeking. 

Preparing ‘bundles’ of similar products that you can buy at a discounted price can help increase basket size. 

Also, offer the option to have a separate delivery address to the billing address so the gifts can be automatically sent to the receiver. Hide the invoice with these, and maybe offer the option to add a personalised gift message for a small fee. 

New Year Resolutions 

To start the new year on a positive note, provide a questionnaire or link for customers at the checkout, so they can give feedback on the service and review the product. 

Having this information can help you start afresh as the internet retailer for your business and make room for any improvement.