What if we told you there were a few tricks to drive 30% extra sales before Christmas just by being clever with your shipping services and customer experience offerings?
As the countdown to Christmas closes in, customers will be looking for convenience and speed as they rush to buy those last minute gifts.
Here are a few quick ways to capture those last minute stragglers that are looking a great deal without the extra delivery time.
Offer Same Day Shipping to Entice Last Minute Shoppers
For regular readers of the Shippit blog, we must sound like a broken record when it comes to same-day shipping. But there could never be a better time than before Christmas to couple last-minute sales with the immediate gratification of receiving an item that very day.
Don’t lose sales to late shoppers who think their only option is to go to their local store. Compete with the tactile experience of physical stores by offering your customers same-day delivery.
Although many retailers offer standard delivery, only 8% of Australian retailers offer priority and same day shipping. Which is quite a surprise, because over 61% of customers expect more flexible delivery options.
Courier Services Offering Same-Day Shipping:
- Allied Express
- Bonds
- Australia Post
- CouriersPlease
You can access all these shipping services within Shippit so you can start offering same-day shipping in just a few clicks.
Promote Your Customer’s Favourite Last Minute Gifts
Everyone’s looking for that perfect gift this time of year, but with the clock counting down, it’s also the right time to start offering customers gift inspiration to make their lives easier.
There’s no better place to offer inspiration than on Facebook, and there are countless retailers that will agree:
Combining a few different promotions under the label of “last minute gift ideas” will prompt your network to rethink about your brand as something they love, to something their friends and family will also love.
Here are a few tips to making sure your Facebook post is a success:
- Link it to a gift guide or a blog post
- Offer a unique promo code for your Facebook followers
- Promote a flash discount for a limited time
- Promote free or same day shipping to create urgency
Advertise Same-Day Shipping On Your Website
Now that you’ve pulled eager shoppers to your site, it’s time to show them how much value you offer right on your homepage.
In our recent State of Omni-Channel Retail and Shipping 2018 Report, we discovered that out of 2000 retailers, only 7% promote their shipping promotions on their homepage.
Promoting shipping on your homepage has been shown to increase basket value and customer satisfaction – read how 99 Bikes does it here.
Why is this so critical to last-minute Christmas success? Because it’s not always forthright that you offer free or fast shipping until your customers’ checkout. Shipping isn’t just an add-on that you sprinkle lightly to the end of the purchasing journey; it’s a powerful conversion tool that will make you stand out against competitors with slow and expensive shipping.
Wrap it All Up in a Bow
What do Apple, Amazon, Aveda, Bobbi Brown and Tiffany & Co all have in common?
They all offer free, or inexpensive, gift wrapping with online orders.
The option to gift wrap items will set you apart from competitors that only offer standard delivery, and regular packaging. Why make your customers wait? And further, why not offer them the opportunity to promote your brand with beautiful wrapping paper?
Adding a higher value proposition to your cart has been shown to increase the average amount customers are willing to spend in their cart.
The Wrap
Remember, the last days before Christmas are all about making it easier for your customers to shop from you.
- Be sure to utilise same day shipping services
- Promote last minute gift ideas on your Facebook page
- Advertise free and express shipping on your homepage and on product descriptions
- And lastly, offer free or cheap gift wrapping to knock the ball out of the park
