Our routines, priorities and needs have shifted dramatically this year, and holiday shopping will be no exception. Ecommerce is expected to increase 18% this year, and 47% of holiday shoppers will use options to buy online and pick up in-store or curbside. Google data and technology can help retailers prepare for whatever the rest of 2020 brings by helping them show up throughout the consumer’s journey, flex with demand, retain new customers and extend reach. Here are four tips to help drive your holiday business objectives:
No. 1: Show up throughout the consumer’s digital journey to drive sales and respond to new consumer patterns. Almost 75% of people in the US who plan to shop this holiday season say they will shop online more than in previous holiday seasons, and a similar number say they will browse for gift ideas online rather than in-store.
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Offer seamless shopping experiences. Three-in-four global shoppers used a Google product like Search, Maps or YouTube in the past week to help with shopping. List your products and services using Google Shopping’s free product listings and Google Search to get discovered.
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Optimize for a frictionless mobile experience. Seventy-six-percent of smartphone users are more likely to purchase from companies whose mobile sites or apps allow them to make purchases quickly.
No. 2: Flex with demand to invest wisely across the season to win every sale, regardless of channel.
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Capture holiday traffic as it rises by setting adequate budgets and competitive targets for Smart Shopping campaigns and Smart Bidding.
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Offer flexible pickup or delivery options. Fifty-three-percent of shoppers that plan to shop this season say they’ll choose stores that offer contactless shopping. Ensure your inventory information is up-to-date and accessible with local inventory ads, and be sure to designate inventory that is available for curbside pickup. This will offer flexibility for shoppers, as shipping cutoff dates are now earlier than ever before.
No. 3: Retain customers to drive repeat purchases. Over 50% of surveyed global shoppers use Google to discover or find new brands, and 48% of US shoppers say they look online for deals or promotions in advance of making a purchase.
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Segment new audiences to build relationships. Upload your new customer lists to continue to engage with these shoppers across Google’s platforms.
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Surface promotions and discounts. Increase consumer awareness of best prices and promotions through Merchant Promotions. This is a great way to bring shoppers back to your brand or store.
No. 4: Rethink your reach strategy to ensure the right consumers will see it. Viewers are three times more likely to pay attention to online video ads than television ads, and 70% of viewers say they bought a brand after seeing it on YouTube.
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Plan a holistic video strategy to extend reach and drive action. YouTube has a 97% audience reach. Use this to build awareness and drive action with shoppers this holiday season.
Read more on how the pandemic may impact holiday shopping and learn some tips to improve your website. Attend our upcoming Think Retail on Air event to drive your online, offline and awareness business objectives!
—Kevin Fried, industry leader, specialty retail, Google
