The holidays are a special time of year in which cheer, spirit, and an uncontrollable desire to purchase every last object on the planet come together as one massive shopping mad blitz. For online sellers, however, that just means: time to sell! If you want to keep your customers happy (and stay sane) making sure ecommerce fulfillment can handle the impending holiday rush is crucial. How to make your fulfillment company as jolly and complimentary as Santa's helpers—not pulling their hair out like the Grinch? Here are some practical tips, real-life examples, and a little humor to help you out in your journey.
Communication, Communication - and Yes, We Mean Over-Communicate with your ecommerce fulfillment company
So you're having a holiday gathering, and in your excitement about it being 9 degrees on November 18th (which is balmy compared to the previous day), you forget to tell Aunt Mildred that you can't have nuts? The result? Rather than a relaxing night by the fireplace, she ended up in the ER. Similarly, your fulfillment partner must know all the details to avoid any failures.
Tip 1: Share Your Forecasts
If you followed recommendation number one from above and have forecasts (you should) share those with your ecommerce fulfillment company. Early transmission of sales forecasts, promotional calendars, and order volumes helps them be ready and have the necessary resources for growth handling.
Real-life example: A year ago, Jane's Jewelry Emporium expected a 20% rise in orders. The brand shared this with their fulfillment provider, avoiding stockouts and shipping delays to ensure every sparkling piece reached its new owner on time.
Tip 2: Let Them Know Instructions
If you have any kind of promotions going on or if something needs to be gift-wrapped, let your fulfillment company in on the secret. To make an analogy, it would be like telling your friend what you prefer when they are cooking that one dish for the holiday—the more information in a message of data to directly communicate with another system (like interest or dietary preference), the more another party can send exactly what is craved.
Humor break: Only YOU can prevent impromptu wrapping disasters. “Do Not Open Until Christmas” stickers are not effective if on the wrong packages. After all, who wants the surprise of a year's supply of socks spoiled by having to open up that one Christmas gift early!
Up Your SEO Game — Fill that Funnel
While your fulfillment partner is handling packing, shipping, and customer service, get some B2C action by ensuring folks can find you over the holidays. Here are some SEO tips for ecommerce shipping to improve visibility and sales.
Tip 3: Optimize Your Product Listings
Make sure relevant keywords such as “ecommerce fulfillment” and seasonal ones are included in your product titles, descriptions, and tags. This enhances your search engine rankings and provides convenient access for customers to locate exactly the right kind of service or product they are searching for.
Example: A brick-and-mortar toy store used keywords such as “holiday toys,” “best gifts for kids,” and “quick shipping.” Their visibility went up, and so did their sales, despite not one single moment of tantrum-inducing shipping delay.
Tip 4: Develop Festive Content to Match the Season
Create blogs, manuals, and courses that revolve around what people tend to do or need during this time of year. This could include topics like, “Top 10 Last Minute Gift Ideas” or “How to Avoid Holiday Shipping Delays.”
Humor break: Deck the virtual halls! Put material out there that workers naturally gravitate to—a lot more festive and helpful than data viz tools. Think of it like that neighbor with the over-the-top light display that can be seen from space.
Tip 5: Increase The Loading Time Of Your Site
A slow website is a mood killer during the holidays! Help your customers and reduce bounce rates by optimizing the speed of your site.
Example: An electronics retailer sped up their website so it would load 50% faster before Black Friday. The result? Higher conversion rates of 30% and prevented shoppers from being annoyed.
Prepare for the Unpredictable
Even with all your planning, things can go wrong in December. Plan for unexpected delays, stockouts, or demand spikes.
Tip 6: Monitor and Adjust in Real Time
Utilize analytics tools for monitoring your order volumes and shipping times. If you start seeing a bottleneck, make sure to reach out immediately and ask your fulfillment partner about it.
Humor break: You know, sort of like tuning in to the weather forecast and hearing about that impending snowstorm—you want a bit of a heads-up so maybe you can at least keep your shovel handy.
Tip 7: Keep Your Customers Informed
Transparent communication of potential delays or issues with customers can turn a bad experience into a great one. A little holiday cheer never hurts, and people appreciate honesty.
Example: A clothing brand decided to send personalized emails acknowledging the delay in shipping of orders a customer made and included a discount voucher code for future purchases. The result? Satisfied customers and returning clients.
Conclusion
The holiday season is a whirlwind for ecommerce sellers and their fulfillment partners. Communicating well, nailing your SEO strategy, and being prepared for the unexpected will help you sail into a smooth and successful (and dare we suggest, enjoyable) holiday rush. Your ecommerce fulfillment partner is akin to another pilot while you navigate through this festive venture. A few arrangements and many collaborations can mean making it through the holiday season together—and even sharing a couple of giggles along the way.
Thank you and happy holidays...shop well!
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