Marketers, how would you recommend that retailers and crafters update their website to maximize holiday sales?

As for your website you need to make sure it is interactive, allows for online sales, is coded and recently updated.  If you can afford SEO do it yesterday, (but you are a bit late for that so ad options might be a better investment if done correctly).  If you are already doing all of that then you need to drive traffic to the site.  Make sure that you are using social media (posting in yard sales, on your page, using hashtags, joining local groups etc.).  Make sure your GMB is up to date and that you are interacting as much as you can with your onilne presence to remind the search engines that you are a relavant result when potential customers are searching.

The website needs to reflect the seasonal shopping demographics with discounts, specials, and targeted products.

You need to make sure your site is properly optimized for Google product indexing while also connecting your online cart system to FB and other outlets that have that interface.

Think about how/who to market to! Who's the demographic and what's the appropriate platform to target this demographic (FB, IG, ??)

Lastly, you really need to be on top of your game on your Google business listing. The GBL has a lot of these features as well. While your getting on top of your GBL game, you REALLY need to incorporate Reputation Management (that's the ratings you see). Properly managing those can have a 3x ROI. Negative ratings can be converted and reversed if managed properly.

Hope this helps?

We provide these services and most for a lot of websites.

I was in charge of the Holiday marketing strategy for Circuit City. We identified several consumer buying patterns from a series of studies on behaviors and preferences:

Early 'get it done' shoppers - they build their lists in October and aim to have their purchases complete prior to Thanksgiving. They are motivated by a desire to 'get it done' and like the feeling of completion. They have built their lists and are open to early pricing deals that reinforces their sense of being smarter than others. 

Traditional shoppers - they typically get serious about their shopping at Black Friday through mid December. They look for information and study a lot of options. Marketing messages influence their planning.

Last Minute shoppers - these shoppers are harried and very busy (at least they think so). They hustle during the last two weeks all the way up to the day before Christmas. Can be persuaded with hot last minute deals, and advice on the best presents. Online influencers and social play a large role.

Post-Christmas 'bonus' shoppers - we uncovered a group that had been ignored. Many people are given gift cards or want to return a gift they don't like. These people represent an opportunity to recoup margins as this group considers their gift cards or the value of their returns as free or 'bonus money. They are now shopping for the things they really want and are having fun doing so. Gift cards typically bring a 125% overspend. For example, someone with a $100 gift card will likely spend at least $125 because the $100 wasn't their money to begin with. Retailers should market aggressively from 12/29 through mind-January to capture these shoppers.

These patterns continue today with minor shifts due to online shopping. Contact me if you have any questions.

People buy From People “

Follow consistently with my simple tips & tricks and practices, and it will bring you  success in your endeavours.

Your Profile’s here need work, whether or not it’s for the holiday crafters or updating a simple refresh periodically but put a person in your profile that people know and can relate too. 

I can’t say this enough, always lead “face first” people connect with facial , faces , not to mention Alignable here leads with personalities , people  not companies first , that’s your first clue, that what I’am sharing with you you can trust in. 

“Build your Online Community’s, And first! ..than add your website. 

Good Luck!

Enjoy the holidays 

Laurie Kendall Porter Jr. 

CSR 

Assuming you already have a solid and optimized website that's ranking well I'd build your email list as big and as quickly as possible and create a great holiday email campaign.

Taking advantage of email marketing is fairly inexpensive and has an ROI of over 100% which I am willing to bet would be even more during the holidays. I'd also try to get your website or products into big blogs, magazines, websites, influencers, etc. possibly with an affiliate link. 

I have read the responses below and all are great.  One additional thing that I would point out, and that many Websites do not do, is place your phone number and email address on each page of your site.  Customers want the easiest way possible to contact you and if you only have the phone numbers and email address on your last page, you will miss some sales. 

There are several aspects to this.

1) Feature new info prominently on the home page for the season

2) Make sure SKUs and pages that reflect them are active and in stock long before the seasonal cycle.

3) Offer exclusives to join a mailing list with a seasonally relevant promo and offer, this will build your email list to be used to market those products when the time is right

4) Leverage Social Media in a big way - there are some specifics to getting organic traction and visibility to social media platforms.

5) Pay attention to historical analytics data to understand when the audience is most active. Target all of your social media paid promotions and activity around these key times.

6) Look at your site search logs (you have an on-site search function right?) for insights into what your customers are looking for, you may need new pages or tailored results based on these terms.

7) Use emotion and urgency based on the holiday or season as a call to action for the product or service you are offering.

8) Make a purchase and checkout super easy (less than 3 clicks) from your home page

9) Adjust your internal linking and navigation to promote the seasonally relevant pages - again ahead of time - at least 2 months prior if you can.

10) Double down on what worked last season.

11) A lot more .... and a lot more knowing more specifics about a particular business or niche.

First of all, companies like Amazon and all the others started stocking up and pushing all of the Holiday Gifts in September.  If you want to maximize your Holiday Sales, get your popular items on sale at a great price and add a small / free gift as a thank you for being one of our great customers.

Create a gift guide and share it on your site and socials..(if you have a very local business don't delay people are showing dramatic interest in shopping local and supporting small businesses right now.) Increase your social media presence and get posting strategically and consistently. You might also reach out to influencers. If you need help with any of that, this is my area of expertise. [email address]

Get clear who your audience is, what they're looking for, and don't be bashful about offering it to them in big letters! They should know as soon as they get to your site that you're reaching out to them with offers that will attract their attention!

Be sure that your site is working right - that it loads quickly, all the links work, navigation is easy and intuitive. Site optimization to ensure a great user experience and to ensure that Google likes your site is really important!

Then, develop a keyword-driven content and social media marketing strategy with clear themes and messaging. Smart use of online advertising can drive lots of traffic to that site that you just optimized. 

All this should result in solid sales - online is where it's happening!