Fall is beginning to creep in and while many of us cling to the last vestiges of summer, the last thing anyone wants to think about is the impending winter. But, like it or not, colder temperatures are coming, and with them come the holiday season.
According to Google, 25% of last year’s shoppers had begun their holiday shopping before Halloween. So while you may still have a hint of a summer tan or even some sand left in your shoes, it’s time to make sure your eCommerce site is prepared for the holiday shopping season.
Desktop Site
Google reports that 40% of holiday shopping occurred online last year, a number that is only expected to grow. Is your site prepared for that kind of business? In order to be sure, try these tips:
- Check your site’s speed. Every second that a customer spends waiting for your site to load is a chance for them to take their business elsewhere. If you need some tips on how to improve your site’s speed, check out this list.
- With an influx of customers on the horizon, be sure to load test your site. This allows you to reconfigure your site so that it can better handle the holiday rush.
- Check for any number of eCommerce nightmares, including poor search functions, inadequate tracking information, and confusing checkouts.
Mobile
During last year’s holiday rush, 53% of online shoppers used a smartphone or tablet when online shopping, up from 41% from the year before. To accommodate this increasing traffic, make sure that your mobile site is prepared, whether you have a separate eCommerce site or have employed responsive design. And yes, that includes B2B!
Most of the tests will be the same as those applied to your desktop site. The most important thing here is to not forget about testing the performance of your mobile site!
For more tips on how to optimize your site for the holiday season, check out our 12 Days of eCommerce Christmas series.
