Manage Channel Activity

The holidays are finally here, and this shopping season is expected to be bigger than ever. Experts predict 2021 holiday retail sales to increase between 7% and 9%, with ecommerce sales growing 11% to 15% from last year. We’re still seeing shipping delays and global supply chain issues, so this year is sure to be an interesting one.

Even though the holidays are here, there’s still plenty you can do to make sure your business is ready to handle all those holiday shopping orders. Keep reading to get some tips that will help you prepare for the holidays — even at the last minute.

Review Last Year’s Inventory

Take a look at the products you sold last year and identify your top sellers. Look for products you sold the most of, and those where you had the highest margin. Proactively reach out to your manufacturers and suppliers  to see if you can get more of those products marked for you for this season. 

It’s an especially unpredictable season with the shipping delays and supply chain shortages. Keep in touch with your suppliers regularly throughout the season to keep up with any inventory changes they might experience on their side. You’ll be able to proactively communicate any changes with your customers if you need to. 

Optimize Your Merchandising 

Your product page is where your customers ultimately decide to buy (or not). Strong product pages immediately show customers the value of your products with high quality product photos and scannable, compelling product descriptions. Review your product pages to identify where you need to make some enhancements or updates.

Update your product descriptions to reflect what you’re selling and create a compelling sense of urgency. Make sure your product descriptions are concise and scannable so customers can quickly know what they’ll get. When it comes to product descriptions, short sentences and bullet points are your friend. 

Product photography is one of the most powerful components of a strong product page. Whether you hire a professional product photographer or have a DIY shoot, make sure your images really show off your product. Use a setting with plenty of bright, natural light and enough white space to really highlight your product. Use your highest quality photo for the featured image, and include additional images in the gallery.

Use your product page as a place to clearly communicate shipping deadlines and expectations to your customers. Posting your shipping deadlines right on the product page will let your customers know the absolute last day to put in their orders and create a positive customer experience. Check out ShipStation’s holiday shipping deadlines calendar to find the deadline for every carrier.

Finally, make sure all of your products are listed on every selling channel they should be. Are there products you’re only listing on certain marketplaces? If so, why? Take a look at your products and see if there’s an opportunity to list them on your other selling channels to increase sales and reach new customers. 

Make Time to Focus on Order Fulfillment

With a busy ecommerce season ahead, you need as much time as possible to focus on getting your products out and delivered to your customers. Getting orders to your customers quickly and in great condition will increase their trust in and experience with your brand, potentially generating repeat customers. Speedy and accurate order fulfillment is an important metric to your selling channels, too. 

So, you need to do everything you can to make the most time for order fulfillment. Make sure your inventory is organized and your warehouses are ready. Make sure your packing and shipping areas are in the best location, stocked up with all the supplies organized and on hand. 

Set up Automated Repricing

Manual repricing is tedious and with the higher expected sales volumes this season, it’s not the most scalable. If you aren’t using automated repricing to stay competitive and increase your chances of winning the Buy Box, now’s the perfect time to give it a try. Automated repricers update the price for your listing within your floor and ceiling limits for you to increase your chances at winning the Amazon Buy Box. 

Even though the holiday season is upon us, there’s still time to make some impactful changes like setting up automated repricing, updating your product pages, and making sure your products are listed on all the right selling channels to have the most successful holiday season yet. Learn more about EcomShft’s automated repricer and start your 21-day free trial here.