Our Takeaways from the eCommerce Holiday Webinar: The Holidays are Not Cancelled

5 Takeaways from The Holidays Are Not Cancelled Webinar

Earlier this week, we had to the opportunity to watch an amazing webinar put on by some of our partners including Klaviyo, Yotpo and JustUno, hosted by MuteSix!

The webinar was called: “The Holidays are Not Cancelled” and featured discussions and statistics surrounding the best ways for eCommerce business owners to prepare for the holiday season. We thought it provided a lot of great information, so we decided to go ahead and share a recap and some of our favorite takeaways from the event!

Takeaway #1 - eCommerce Sales Could Hit One TRILLION Dollars for the First Time Ever

As much as some businesses have been hit hard during the pandemic, we’ve seen a huge increase in online shopping. 

What does this mean for you? It means that if you are a business selling a product and you are not online… GET ONLINE! If you area selling online already, then that means you should really consider ways to optimize your store and take advantage of this increase in online. 

Takeaway #2 - Now’s the Time to Take Ownership of Your Customer’s Experience

We’re seeing more and more brands take control of their growth by controlling more of the customer experience. Klaviyo calls this owned marketing, and they discussed how within even email campaigns, you can customize emails based on past purchases so it’s more tailored to the customer. 

For new customers, you can use things like JustUno’s pop-ups, sticky tags, and exit/welcome offers to help further conversion rates at any stage of the consideration process. 

Takeaway #3 - You Can Build Relationships Without Effort (Kind-Of) 

One of the great things about a lot of these awesome platforms like Klaviyo and Justuno are the capabilities to set something up that is automatic but provides a personal touch to your clients. You can implement welcome-series emails to share more about your brand, abandoned cart emails, and even post-purchase follow-ups with links to customer service. These automations are things you can build out one time and then use them for a long time without having to manage them. 

Takeaway #4 - Remember Those Who Already Love You!

Recognize the importance of building relationships not only with potential but current customers! If you have a subscription product, make sure you’re sending check-in emails and even asking for feedback. If you have multiple products that could be purchased, make sure you’re sending customized recommendations. There are lots of options and it’s important to make your clients continually excited about your business!

For many established brands, 60% of 2019 Cyber weekend sales were driven by consumers who engaged with the brand prior to Q3 that same year. That means that those who already have shopped with you are probably looking to do it again, so appeal to them. 

If you’re looking to focus on current clients, Yotpo shares the idea of customer-centric loyalty programs that encourage a wide variety of relationship-building activities, offer a variety of experiential and monetary rewards, and are personalized and fast adapting. Rather than only counting purchases, providing points, and giving monetary rewards, you can create fun and exciting programs that increase customer lifetime value. 

Takeaway #5 - Plan, Prepare, and Communicate

This may be three takeaways but they go hand in hand.

Plan: In the US 1 in 5 customers start holiday shopping in or before October… that is right now! That means you should be thinking about your holiday plans now and deciding what you need to do to be better prepared. 

Prepare: If you’re expecting an increase in sales, think of the logistics that go along with that. Not only is it more sales, it’s also more shipping materials needed, having enough inventory, and being prepared for potential remarketing opportunities. We shared a blog on How to Prepare for Cyber Weekend in 2020 and even created a whole eBook for you to download surrounding the subject. 

Communicate: One huge takeaway came from being we’ve seen throughout 2020 that was emphasized in the webinar was be sure to be open and transparent. With everything going on, remember to reiterate messaging like:

• Shipping deadlines
• Shipping delays 
• Promotions
• Curbside pickup
• Payment options. 

The holidays are fast approaching and we hope you’re ready! Consider each of these takeaways and how you can use them to optimize your store and customer experience. When it comes to continued learning, you can check out their next webinar called: Show Me the Revenue.

If you’re looking for help to prepare your business or use one of these amazing apps to optimize and own your customer’s experience, reach out to efelle! We’re happy to help you provide a free consultation on the best apps for your business.