It’s no secret that brands have a challenging time this holiday season. With inflation, supply chain issues, and economic uncertainty, gaining consumer confidence has not been easy. However, holiday spending will remain strong this year despite ongoing stressors. According to the Consumer Pulse Survey, 55 percent of US respondents say they are excited about holiday shopping, and most people have the savings to spend. Additionally, 56 percent have already started shopping earlier in the year instead of waiting until later in the season.

Here are some ways brands like yours can enhance your digital strategy to improve the customer experience for the upcoming holiday season.

Create Specific Experiences Based on Shopping Needs

a consumer scans a product with their phone
Consumers prefer different channels depending on certain gift-shopping activities. Global shoppers prefer the appeal of the physical store for inspiration, making purchases, and connecting with customer service. Shopping via the web and mobile is more utilized for research, delivery, and engagement purposes. Brands must identify these intents unique to the specific purchase journey. Be sure to map out these channels and work with your teams to create fewer barriers to entry and frictionless experiences.

Personalize Holiday Promotional Calendars for Increased Conversions

Utilize your data collection methods to run different experiments focused on specific audiences’ behavior and product preferences. The earlier you can start these promotions, the better. Prioritize your experiments based on speed to execute and profitable audience targeting. One of our BlastX consultants recently discussed some different digital optimization frameworks that brands can easily and quickly adopt.

Invest in Digital “Self-Service” Models

a man makes a purchase on his phone
Help your customers help themselves. Did you know that 76% of consumers prefer to resolve a question or issue themselves when shopping online—that’s according to the Gladly CER survey 2022. If you haven’t done so already, we strongly recommend auditing your customer-facing applications to make sure you have at least the following in place:

  • Updated and easy-to-find knowledge base content
  • For chat, use topics or quick actions to proactively get ahead of common questions you can anticipate
  • When a chat-bot connects customers to a live agent, equip them with visibility into the entire conversation history, regardless of channel

Get Dynamic with Holiday-Focused Content

Creating product-focused blogs, guides, videos, and other sources of inspiration for customers can help move the needle toward order-focused ROI. Ensure your site has this content readily available and personalized to your shoppers. It can be as simple as showing specific content to shoppers who have previously bought a similar product or service. You can also utilize this content in your customized communications to shoppers through our email, SMS, and social marketing channels.

Ensure Your Customers Have the Best Possible Experience

a father gives his son a gift
The quality and integrity of the digital experience face a gauntlet of challenges during the holiday season, and having the right plan in place is paramount to a jolly season for all. With one of the most significant shopping events of the year right around the corner, contact BlastX to learn how to ensure your customers have the best experience. Our team of expert consultants will compose an optimal digital experience for your customers that will help you leave your mark on the holiday season.