Why implement CRO strategies for Retail’s busiest period

Autumn has officially arrived! As the nights draw in and the leaves change colour, the holiday season approaches and retailers prepare for their most manic yet lucrative peaks of the year.  

E-commerce sales can grow at this time of year by around 20-30%. For example, in 2022, online sales during the holiday season reached approximately $210 billion, marking a 10.9% increase year-over-year. Therefore, with key shopping events like Hallowe’en, Black Friday, Christmas, New Year, and the January sales on the horizon, it’s crucial that online retailers offer the best user experience for customers to maximise conversions. 

As shoppers flock to your site, it’s important to remember that their needs and behaviours may shift during this time, this period can also make or break your annual revenue.  

By implementing the right CRO strategies over this bustling season it can help you not only accommodate the breadth of increased traffic or new visitors to your site, but also ultimately enhance your overall conversion rates. 

Multi-channel marketing approach to CRO for Retail

Retailers will be vying for people’s attention in a crowded and competitive space. To stand out and attract new and returning customers alike, there is a number of key marketing approaches you can adopt to gain the edge.

One of the main behavioural shifts at this time of year, is that people aren’t necessarily shopping for themselves or they’re looking for the best bargains. It’s Hallowe’en costumes for the kids, that air fryer for Aunt Joan at Christmas or perhaps an amazing deal on a family holiday for four to Turkey in the January sales. Because of this, it pays to advertise and market your business across platforms that you might not traditionally target.   

• Social media: Social media platforms are invaluable for creating a buzz around promotions and engaging with customers through festive content and giveaways. Getting interactive on platforms like TikTok can spread your reach to new demographics and allow your festive creativity to shine! 

• Paid advertising: Whether through Google Ads or Display advertising it’s worth investing time on investigating where and what target customers are searching for over this busy period. If, for example, you notice that “cute Christmas decorations” is trending heavily as a search term then leverage short-term, seasonal campaigns to maximise on traffic and conversions. These don’t have to be planned that far in advance and should be reactive to the market at the right time. 

• Optimising your presence on marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy: A lot of shoppers will be wanting to find multiple items in one place for ease. This is where the likes of Amazon can help you attract new types of customers. Whilst these marketplaces might be highly competitive, it’s an easy way to get in front of a pre-engaged audience. 

Increased website traffic  

As the holiday season approaches, retailers can expect a surge in website traffic—an exciting opportunity that also brings potential challenges. With increased visitors, the risk of site slowdowns and user frustration escalates. No one wants to be stuck staring at the dreaded “loading wheel of doom” whilst trying to snag that limited-time, 50% off Black Friday deal! To capitalise on this heightened traffic, it’s essential to collaborate closely with your developers to optimise your website’s loading speed. 

Ensure that your site is fast and responsive, as even a second of delay can lead to lost sales. Streamlining the checkout process is equally important; minimise the number of steps required to complete a purchase and consider implementing guest checkout options to make the experience as frictionless as possible. Additionally, integrating features like real-time inventory updates can help manage customer expectations and reduce frustration. By prioritising speed and simplicity, you can provide a seamless shopping experience and avoid overloading your customer service department with complaints! 

Use persuasive website copy and design

Holiday shopping is often driven by emotion. Create compelling, festive content that resonates with your audience, yet also keeps your brand identity in check. Also try to differentiate your business from tried and tired “festive phrases” – we all know our pets will have a “Pawsome Christmas” and that you can offer us “No Tricks Only Treats” for Hallowe’en. Yawn! 

Highlight promotions, create urgency with limited-time offers, and utilise social proof—such as reviews and testimonials—to build trust. Also, it’s cheesy but subtle design elements across your website that promotes the season in question will welcome customers and get them in the spirit! 

Leverage personalised marketing 

Personalisation can enhance the shopping experience and drive sales. Use analytics to understand your customers’ preferences and shopping behaviours – remember seasonality here; what people were buying in August won’t be relevant for this season, therefore look at YoY trends or look wider at industry searches to fuel your personalisation rules. 

Tailor product recommendations based on past purchases and browsing history or even what new visitors, if relevant, are buying. 

Consider implementing targeted email campaigns featuring curated gift guides, special discounts, and personalised suggestions to keep your brand top of mind. 

Maximising impact with your CRO strategies during key shopping events

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

These mega shopping days are critical for retailers. Start your promotions early to capture early-bird shoppers. Create a sense of urgency with countdown timers on your website, emphasising limited stock or exclusive offers. Make it easy for customers to share deals on social media to increase visibility. 

Christmas

During the Christmas shopping rush, it’s vital to ensure that your site reflects the holiday spirit. Feature holiday-themed promotions and clearly display shipping deadlines to ensure customers know when they need to place orders to receive gifts on time. Utilise abandoned cart emails with special Christmas offers to entice customers back to their baskets. 

New Year and January sales 

As the holiday season winds down, many consumers are still looking to spend—especially during post-holiday sales. Focus on clearance promotions and encourage customers to purchase items that didn’t sell during the peak season and create bundles to move inventory quickly. 

How to navigate those pesky code freezes

Many companies implement code freezes during busy shopping periods to avoid disruptions. Whilst this is an understandable precaution, it can limit your ability to make real-time adjustments. Here are a few strategies to work around this: 

• Pre-schedule changes: Work ahead to schedule all necessary updates and optimisations before the code freeze. Ensure that your site is running smoothly, with all desired changes implemented and tested. Planning and the use of roadmaps can keep you on track months ahead of time. The one downside with this approach is that you can’t be flexible or react to market changes quickly. 

•  Use A/B testing: Implement A/B tests prior to the freeze to gather data on what works best for your audience. This information can help inform decisions and can be deployed through a testing tool for a temporary amount of time, until full development can take place. This does come with its own risks, so use this strategy sparingly to avoid complicating your front-end code. Use this for optimisations that will guarantee you an increase in conversions over the busy period.

• Optimise existing assets: Focus on optimising current content, such as refining your copy, adjusting pricing strategies, and improving customer service elements (like chat support) that don’t require code changes. 

• Analytics and monitoring: Set up robust analytics tagging to monitor user behaviour during the season. This will allow you to gather insights that can guide future optimisations once the freeze is lifted. The more granular tagging you can add before a code freeze, the deeper your insights will become. 

By utilising some of these strategies you can help enhance your business over a peak period and hopefully attract new, loyal customers who will come back over the course of the year. That’s our gift to you! 

Happy Holidays all!