The holiday season spells immense opportunities for American brands and businesses as buyers are more than willing to spend at this time of the year. They usually have long shopping lists and hefty budgets for the occasion. So sellers must do everything to capitalize on the chance. Retailers and online sellers must do their bit when it comes to the readiness with the right items in stock and promotional campaigns in place. Most importantly, you must ensure that your website is ready to impress your visitors and entice them to shop.
Buyers are more than keen to shop and explore products and brands online, so paying extra attention to your website makes sense. But a holiday season refresh for your website takes more than design rework, although it is the most crucial aspect. You must create a checklist of potential updates, and get started with the project on time. Failing to get an online makeover may translate into missed opportunities, so the sooner you get down working, the better it is. Fortunately, you can do more with less to get your business website ready for booming sales. Let us share some actionable holiday season hacks to refresh it on time.
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Create a realistic budget and timeline
Although refreshing a website is not as big a project as starting from scratch, it takes time and money. The best way to begin is by creating a realistic budget and timeline because they help you set an actionable roadmap for the project. Without these, you may end up shooting in the dark. Set aside a budget you can comfortably spend on the project without pinching your wallet. Likewise, you must have ample time for design and development tasks so that everything is in place before the holiday traffic surges. Last-moment work can land you in a problem because it risks slowdown and bouncing traffic. Consult your team to get expert insights and decide on the budget and timeline wisely.
Check the current trends
Besides defining the basics, you must check the current trends in website design and development. A holiday season upgrade is a chance to ramp up your online presence according to the latest trends. Moreover, you can even survey your target audience to understand their expectations and replicate them on your website. For example, you can add features like a virtual try room to your e-commerce store because buyers like the “try before buying” concept. It enhances their shopping experiences as they feel more confident about shopping for products without seeing or wearing them. Brands are in a better place to boost sales and gain a competitive edge by following the latest trends.
Prepare a design checklist
Website design is perhaps the most crucial aspect of a holiday season makeover. Of course, it should exude a festive look and feel to impress visitors as soon as they land. Preparing a checklist helps as it ensures ticking all the tasks for the project. Begin with the home page because it is the first point of contact for most visitors. You can make small changes or implement a complete makeover according to the existing look of the site. For example, you can refresh the colors and theme to add a festive element. Showcase deals and offers on the banner because it captures the maximum attention. Once you have a checklist ready, it is time to dive in.
Outsource design expertise
Another web design hack worth trying during the holiday season is outsourcing expertise. Although you can scale your in-house team for the project, the cost of hiring, training, and retaining it can press your budget hard. Moreover, finding qualified resources may take months. Collaborating with a design company is a far better idea as it gives you quick access to expertise at a fraction of the price of hiring an in-house team. Fortunately, you can find such providers across the country. So a Texas-based business can outsource services from a website design company in Texas to ramp up its online presence on time. The good thing is that they can share some valuable insights due to their diverse experience. Additionally, they bring a fresh perspective even while working with your team.
Ensure peak performance
Besides creating impressive-looking pages for your business site, you must ensure peak performance with fast-loading pages. While performance is a year-round requirement for sites, it becomes even more vital during the festive season. Buyers are pressed for time, so you cannot expect them to wait forever for your pages to show up. They will likely opt out due to the slightest delay. Moreover, they will probably never return to buy again. Even worse, they may spread the word about the poor UX of your website. Check the loading speed and address it with measures like image optimization.
Ramp up traffic capabilities
Websites experience traffic surges during the festive season, specifically on peak days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Buyers want to make the most of the deals, so they check websites and close conversions on these occasions. You can capitalize on the rush by ramping up your traffic capabilities sooner than later. Not preparing for the surges can affect the UX, which is the last thing you want to deal with. In the worst-case scenario, your site may crash, and it may translate into massive losses of revenues and reputation. You can address the risk by making the website capable of handling sudden traffic sites. Remember to test it with maximum loads to prevent unforeseen glitches.
Double-check responsiveness
Another essential holiday season tip for upgrading your business website is to double-check responsiveness. You cannot afford to miss out on the responsiveness factor because most shoppers prefer to buy on the go. They are likely to depend on mobile devices even more in the holidays when time is short and shopping while commuting sounds like a time-saver. Check the current rendering on mobile devices, such as tablets and phones to ensure a seamless experience for buyers. A mobile-friendly website adjusts to screen sizes and provides good visibility of products, navigational elements, and CTA buttons. Check every element to maximize conversions from mobile visitors.
Win with share-ability
Shareability is a lesser-known design upgrade, but it can go a long way in boosting holiday shopping experiences and conversions. Shoppers often want to share products with their loved ones before sealing the deals. Making your products shareable on social media outlets is a great idea. Beyond letting buyers confirm purchases with loved ones, shareability works like word-of-mouth marketing. You can actually advertise your brand and products subtly by encouraging your visitors and buyers to share them in their social circles. All you need to do is to add sharing buttons for social media on your website. You can go the extra mile by giving a discount coupon to people clicking the button.
A holiday season upgrade for your business website is the best thing you can do to capitalize on the selling opportunities. You can pick this actionable list of design and development updates sooner than later. Closing the project on time is your best as it keeps you ahead of unexpected and expected traffic spikes. Connect with experts to complete the essentials before shoppers come in huge numbers.
I am a passionate, adventurous, and insatiate learner who loves to write about the latest technology trends. My experience working in an MNC has motivated me to understand that there are certain niche requirements for writing strategically about brands’ messages towards people’s interests which I’ve mastered over time through trial and error of many projects under various clients across diverse industries. It is my honest effort to put my experiences and knowledge of industry towards readers.
