We say this every year but 2015 is already flying by, with Mother’s Day having been and gone and Easter rapidly approaching. Easter is a big holiday for retailers, with many gifts being ordered online, posted overseas or even hand-delivered by a courier.
We are yet to hear whether Mother’s Day lived up to expectations this year of bringing in £2billion for the UK economy, but the savviest ecommerce retailers will already be looking ahead to the next peak trading period.
If 2015 is anything like last year, the sale of non-food products alone this Easter could increase to £1.5bn over the bank holiday period – which is a 2.3 per cent increase on normal sales. Easter eggs will always be a popular favourite, but many people are also likely to be looking for something a bit different to send to loved ones this year.
Online retailers need to take advantage of this seasonal celebration, coming up with innovative ideas to help influence purchasing.
Here at My Parcel Delivery, we’ve put together some tips on how you can help boost last minute sales as we approach Easter weekend 2015:
1. Clear delivery options
As ever, choice is the key to appealing to your customers and making sure there are options to suit everyone. Some customers will be incredibly organised and have their Easter purchases ordered already, while others will leave it until Good Friday or later. For this reason, it’s crucial that ecommerce sellers state last delivery dates clearly and boldly on their website – especially if they offer the option to have a gift delivered on Saturday or even Sunday over the Bank Holiday weekend. As many sellers will have seen this Mother’s Day, there will be a number of customers willing to pay extra for a faster delivery option to keep in the good books!
2. Reaching out to customers
There were undoubtedly a number of consumers scrolling through their phones as they commuted home last Friday afternoon, realising that up until that point they had forgotten Mother’s Day. This is where reaching out to customers will have really payed off for savvy online sellers.
A simple e-marketing campaign, alerting customers to any offers or promotions for Easter, can be a great way to reach out to these last minute shoppers who are hoping to find the perfect gift while browsing on their mobile device. It goes without saying that both your website and email marketing should be mobile friendly to ensure the optimum number of sales conversions.
It’s also important to remember that Easter is a Bank Holiday where people like to treat themselves or their home, to mark a fresh start for the new season. Last year, furniture and flooring sales soared as consumers prepared their homes for a quick sale on the property market for example.
3. Inspire customers on social media
Social media is a great way to spread the word about what your business is doing this Easter. Your product may not be a typical or traditional Easter purchase, but a significant number of shoppers are looking for something a little different. However, they may not know what they want until they see it, so livening up their feed with visual inspiration for unusual gifts and treats can work wonders for your social selling strategy. Don’t forget to link back to your own website wherever possible to make it as easy as possible for customers to complete that sale.
