4 Things Every E-commerce Store Should Have Set up for Christmas
(Plus 4 extras that will really set you apart)
Christmas is big business. Q4 is often dubbed the ‘Golden Quarter’ since Britons spend almost £85billion on gifts and food over the period (Statista). With over half of all shoppers choosing to buy their gifts online, having a user-friendly experience on your e-commerce site has never been more important.
Did you know…?
As of December 1st 2023, 55% said they buy most of their gifts online. (YouGov tracker).
81% of Britons believe that gift giving is important (YouGov).
66% of shoppers globally said they want to buy more goods from small businesses in their local community as a result of the pandemic (Startups Mag)
7 in 10 people start their Christmas shopping before December 1st (YesMail Interactive)
1/3rd of all the money spent in retail for the year is spent in the 6 weeks before Christmas (Catherine Erdly)
56% of consumers are prioritizing making purchases from small businesses despite high inflation (ActiveCampaign)
The UK economy needs small businesses – SMEs single handedly generate a quarter of the country's GDP! (Statista)
So, as a small business, let's make sure you get a slice of that pie!
I know that December can be an overwhelming month for small business owners, so I’ve created a simple checklist to guide you through.
The Basics:
☐ Have a Christmas gift page on your website
Use a collection or tag to group together all your giftable items and ensure the page is linked from the homepage (navigation & header banner). People are rushing and looking at lots of different websites, so making the process as easy a possible for them to find your gift-able items has never been more important.
BEEN London ensure that gifting is front and centre on their website for the Christmas period
Romy is fantastic at making gift buying simple by featuring Gifts on their main navigation and in their announcement bar
☐ Offer Gift Wrap as an add on
Lots of people shop for gifts that will be sent directly to the recipient, so having a gift wrap add on is crucial to making good sales during the run up to Christmas. You absolutely CAN charge for this too - people understand that it's a convenience and are willing to pay a little extra.
Tangled Roots showcase their gift packaging making purchases seem extra enticing
Luminary Bakery’s digital gift card conveys their brand perfectly and makes for a no-brainer gift idea
☐ Ensure your last dates for Christmas delivery are clear
And if you make to order or customise items, this date may be a lot earlier than people expect, so make it obvious on your homepage and social media for the month.
☐ Have a Gift Card
I can't think of a single business where this isn't a great option. Instantly add one more item to your Christmas/Gifting range by creating a faux card graphic in Canva* and then setting it up as a digital product (i.e. redeemable via email, no physical cards or shipping needed).
*Of course, stay on-brand
And for those looking to ✨ really ✨ impress…
That extra special touch:
☐ Curate your items into easy guides
Instead of just having a collection, curate your products based on recipient, price range or hobby, for example 'Gifts under £30, Gifts under £50 & Gifts under £100'. I love the way Paper Thin Moon have done this (below):
Image via Paper Thin Moon
☐ Show photos of your gift wrapping
I’m big on this one as I’m often buying gifts with delivery direct to the intended recipient, and it’s important to me I know things will look nice. It also has a secondary benefit that if you have some images of your item in gift wrapping, you’ll also help people connect that your items would make a good gift – and that applies all year round, not just Christmas!
☐ Add a card/handwritten note option
Again, for those purchasing to send directly to someone, this is a great add-on. You don't have to be a great calligraphist either, even the simplest hand written note can warm up a parcel more than the recipient opening the box and not being sure who it's from. You could also charge to add a Christmas card.
Swapping the ‘Thank you for ordering’ note for a Christmas card makes a lot of sense in December if something is a gift. Image: Unsplash
Displaying beautiful gift wrapping makes it extra appealing to customers. Credit: Paper Thin Moon
The Real Cure help customers envision their gift sets with the help of some staging and a gift box
As the busiest season kicks in, I hope this checklist helps you navigate this period. Small additions can make for a much easier user experience, and result in better conversion rates.
Wishing you abundant sales and delighted customers this Christmas!
Want to tick items off the list? Hit the button below to download a printer-friendly (low ink usage!) version of this checklist: