Achieving Digital Success During the 2020 Holiday Season – Top Ten Tips

Jack D'Errico

Jack D'Errico

Trellis Top Ten

The 2020 holiday season is upon us, but it looks much different from years past. Over 50% of consumers said they will not do any in-person shopping this holiday season meaning all in-person demand will be re-routed online. An eCommerce/ Digital Marketing Gold Rush is coming, but intense preparation will be required to achieve success. Trellis marketing created this best practices guide to ensure your brand is ready for any upcoming turbulence this holiday season. Traditional Black Friday shopping experiences will not be a reality this year. 

Our best tips to prepare you for this one-of-a-kind holiday season.

  1. Prepare for Chaos.
    COVID-19 completely upended how shopping will be done this Fall/Winter. eCommerce demand has been skyrocketing due to the pandemic and the trend will continue from BFCM through the New Year. New levels of demand will create new levels of chaos throughout the supply chain. Inventory levels, fulfillment efficiency, returns protocol, and customer service will all be tested relentlessly this holiday season.
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  2. Expect Shipping Delays.
    Ensure your logistics and operations are up to par before the holiday season swings into full effect. Understand your potential output. Do not overpromise and underdeliver. It is critical that you do not oversell inventory and maintain appropriate levels throughout the time period. All portions of the supply chain will be stretched thin. If you use suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers, be sure to communicate with them ahead of time about your forecasted demand and shipping needs.

  3. Upgrade your Customer Service Department.
    This holiday season, do not forget about customer service. The customer journey does not end at checkout. Ensure that your customer service standards are sound.

    • Ask for feedback

    • Be clear in your listings and policies

    • Offer Options – Voice, chatbot, email

    • Follow up after sale

    • Provide tracking 

    • Overstaff the department 

  4. Build Up your Digital Marketing Army.
    A qualified digital marketing team boasts certified analysts, business manager experts, growth managers, technology leaders, advertising experts, graphic designers, and data-driven consultants dedicated to capturing the most value for your brand. Your team should stay up-to-date with trends around the eCommerce world and apply analytical insight to achieve the best results out of each campaign. Trellis’ marketing department uses a performance-based revenue sharing model which has yielded insanely profitable results for our clients.
    holiday shopping guide ecommerce playbook 4 digital marketing

  5. Automate as much as You Can.
    Synchronizing all of your systems into a unified operation will save time, money, and friction. Manual operations limit how much you can scale. Investing in smooth backend and frontend systems will pay dividends in the future. Dewmand will be at an all-time high, automating as much as you can is critical. holiday shopping guide ecommerce playbook 6 automate

  6. Create a Memorable Brand Experience.
    In the name of fierce competition, many eCommerce brands will cut corners to save a free pennies this holiday season. We wholeheartedly believe this is the wrong approach. All year long, your focus has been on building a brand. Do not abandon that approach but rather double down on it. The holiday season is unique in the sense that almost all types of people are focused on a central theme – the holidays. No matter the niche, the opportunity to create brand awareness is extremely high during this period. Use this opportunity wisely and ensure that your brand experience is unique, well-thought-out, and well-received.
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  7. Diversify your Communications.
    There are so many ways to connect with the digital customer nowadays. Yoru digital marketing strategy should be diversified with multiple campaigns across many channels. Every eCommerce holiday strategy should include paid advertising, social media promotions, email offers, SMS messaging follow up, and time-sensitive deals.
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  8. Maximize Revenue Potential.
    This is the time to get creative. It might be too late to come up with new holiday products, but you can create holiday offers around what you already have in inventory. Draft up a holiday shopping guide for your past and potential customers. Up-sell, cross-sell, and bundle items to impulse customers into buying more and upping the AOV. 
    holiday shopping guide ecommerce playbook 8 promotions

  9. Allocate Sufficient ad spend Dollars.
    Every traditional retailer is shifting its focus to selling online. Every big box, every mom and pop store, every side hustle eCommerce store will all be fighting for the same digital real estate over the next few months. You will need to budget more money to achieve similar results in this type of market. It’s simple economics: if demand goes up but supply stays the same, the price goes up. Expect higher costs and be ready to budget more ad $. You can still achieve great ROI, but you need to be wiser in your decision making to achieve excitable results.
    holiday shopping guide ecommerce playbook 9 ad spend

  10. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare.
    We cannot say this enough. Do your due diligence and make sure everything is up to speed. Do a try-run in case you receive double the expected orders. Test out your processes. Check that your site speed is up to par. Ensure your site is mobile-responsive across all channels and platforms. Test out your integrations. Expect the unexpected this holiday season.

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