RepricerExpress knows the holiday season is on the horizon. It’s one of the most hectic times of the year for ecommerce merchants because you’re saddled with so much: taking and fulfilling orders, answering customer queries, figuring out how to strengthen your business model — times ten. While you pour yourself a mug of eggnog, read our seven tips on how to boost your Christmas sales on Amazon.
1. Offer Free Shipping Whenever Possible
There are going to be some instances where adding in free shipping will either be impractical or non-noticeable, like trying to reach out to Amazon Prime buyers (who already get free shipping) or consumers who buy big/heavy items that cost an arm and a leg to ship. But if you’re selling items like books, movies, jewellery, utensils or anything else similarly small, adding in free shipping during the month of December is a great way to grab new customers.
2. Throw in a Holiday Discount
Show me a person who wouldn’t say yes to spending less on an item, and I’ll show you an iPhone that can grant wishes and print money. It doesn’t have to be overly extravagant, but rather a gesture that shows you’re thinking of your shoppers. However, what you never want to do is offer your shoppers a choice, such as between free shipping or a cash discount. Because they don’t know how much they could potentially save on the free shipping, it’s not a fair choice to them. Just stick with one or the other — or both.
3. Promote Certain Products
There’s this really neat thing called Amazon Product Ads where you can highlight certain items in your inventory, and only pay for each click on the ad you put up, not a commission on each item. Only merchants with external websites can use this option, but why not take advantage of the tens of millions of people who use Amazon each month…especially with that number spiking around Christmastime? Plus, it consistently has one of the highest conversion rates among ads placed on sites, but the key is in being selective about which products you promote.
4. Add a Colourful Christmas Flair
You can use widgets on Amazon to really customise your Amazon page, helping you draw in people who’ll be dazzled by the new colours and features. Because Amazon pages tend to be pretty uniform and drab in appearance, having a page with colour and pizazz will help you stand out and attract shoppers. Be selective of the colours you choose, though. While red and green are natural Christmas choices, you’ll also want to use colours to market to the gender and demographic of your primary audience.
5. Cross-Sell, Up-Sell and Down-Sell
Most merchants are at least familiar with these three terms, but do you really know the ins and outs of each?
- Cross-Sell: Place two opposite products (but still items that work together) close to each other so buyers can see how the pair interact with each other, like featuring headphones with an MP3 player.
- Up-Sell: Push a more expensive (version of a) product while pointing out that the buyer will be spending less per unit price/getting more value for their money, like pointing out that European cotton bed sheets tend to last longer than flannel ones.
- Down-Sell: You want to use this option as a last resort, as it involves selling something at a lower price just so you can get the sale. While the end goal of acquiring new customers never changes, you don’t want to compromise your bottom line too much.
6. Always Have Enough in Stock
You know what one of the factors Amazon looks at when considering to whom the Buy Box is awarded? How consistently a seller manages to keep a certain item in stock. If you’re regularly out of something, it’s major points against you getting a Buy Box and Christmas is one time when you want to do everything humanly possible to land one. If, for a month, your inventory is higher than usual, it’s better to be on the safe side than the empty one.
7. Package Products Together at a Reduced Rate
Although you want to ensure your inventory remains at a sufficient level throughout the holidays, you also don’t want to be left with too many items. It’s a very delicate balance, and if you see items that are lagging behind, you may want to consider bundling them with others as a way to move them. To sweeten the deal, offer the package of items at a discounted rate, making sure to tell buyers they can save X amount this way instead of buying things separately.
