10 Sep 2014
Online merchandising 101 – create curated landing pages for the holiday season
Unbxd Marketing
Unbxd Marketing
Marketing
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With the holiday season fast approaching, it's time for ecommerce sites to focus on holiday profits.

According to Statista, "In 2013, retail ecommerce sales during November and December amounted to 46.55 billion US dollars during the holiday season, up from 42.29 billion US dollars in 2012."

And this year, the number is only going to rise higher. More people plan to shop online this holiday instead of venturing into crowded stores.

So, is your ecommerce site prepared for the big holiday rush? What is the one thing you can do to make it easy for your customers to find the right gifts for their loved ones?

Make themed landing pages - Create virtual stores in time for the holidays!

Do you remember that feeling of walking into Macy's before Christmas? The lights, the music, and the throngs of people busy with Christmas shopping. It felt like the holidays!

But there's more to it than just the feeling. Upon walking into Macy's, you saw many options, and the store was expertly arranged to help you find the right gifts and save time.

Could you create that same experience on your ecommerce site?

Themed or curated landing pages, created especially for the holiday season, can help your customers find the perfect gift faster. And help you increase conversions.

So what are the best ways to curate the right products for your holiday-themed landing pages?

1. Pick your best-performing products from last year

What were your top sellers last year? Which products received the best reviews?

By showcasing your top-performing products on your holiday-themed landing page, you can engage visitors and prompt them to buy.

2. Look at site search data for top searches

Another genius way to find out which products to showcase on your holiday-themed landing page is to scour through site search data and look for recent and last holiday season's top searches.

This will give you an indicative idea of what people are looking for right now and the products they tend to search for during the holidays.

Site search can be a treasure trove of data, so make sure you use it to figure out precisely what your visitors will like.

3. Research the latest gifting trends

Don't limit yourself to looking at past data to curate your holiday season landing page results.

Keep yourself abreast of the latest trending products on social media, lifestyle blogs, and buying guides. Once you know about the most desirable products in your category, look through your catalog to find similar products that you can add to your landing page.

4. Use your wishlist data to know what your customers want to buy

Not all visitors to your website will convert on their first visit. If you have the option to add to the wishlist, visitors may add a few products they like so they can purchase them in the future.

The holiday season is when people tend to revisit their wishlists. This is when they ask friends and family to gift them based on the products they've already added to their wishlists.

Pick products that have been added to wishlists often and focus on those actually purchased. This will give you a winning list of products to add to your holiday landing page.

Do you create landing pages for the holiday season? How do you decide the products you should show visitors this holiday season? Get ecommerce merchandisers to follow best practices and stay afloat and agile during the holiday shopping season.