Yes, this is early, but as the saying goes “fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Here is your guide to getting your website ready for Christmas.

The Christmas season brings with it an increase in traffic to online shops and eCommerce websites as online shoppers come out in droves. While this may be good for sales and revenue, it also brings with it its own set of problems in that your server has more of a drain placed on it, the stock may run short and your overall website speed may decrease, etc. The best way to deal with these possible upcoming issues is to prepare for them even this early in advance to provide a seamless and hassle-free shopping experience to your website visitors.

Think of Speed

There are many last-minute shoppers out there, but also those who are more prepared and shop months in advance. To cater to all types of shoppers, they require a smooth and speedy experience. Failing this, they are much more likely to leave your website and defect to a competitor’s website instead. You can optimize the speed of your website by reducing files sizes for example and also by ensuring that your website is hosted on the correct server. If you experience a lot of traffic or know from experience that you will around Christmas time, a dedicated server is usually your best option to have an uninterrupted website experience for your visitors. Read our guide here which explains some simple steps you can take to increase your website speed.

Consider Customer Needs

In anticipation of a surplus of shoppers, you should consider producing/ordering extra stock in advance so that you can meet the demands of Christmas shopping. It is also a great idea to increase the visibility of your delivery lead times and process i.e. “Order by 16th December to ensure delivery by Christmas!” It makes sense to also have your returns policy clearly stated and explained as you can expect some returns to come your way due to unwanted gifts, incorrect sizes, and changes-of-mind, etc. With this increased visibility, your customers will clearly know where they stand in terms of the above information and lead times.

Festive Plugins

WordPress for example has a variety of plugins that you can install to add some fun and festive effects to your website design. A common one is the simple addition of slowly falling snowflakes on your web pages. This is an example of an effect that has maximum impact on the Christmas season due to its timelessness and simplicity. A word of warning however would be to consider the possible negative effect that plugins such as these may have in terms of your website speed (as we are looking to increase this – we never want a decrease or lag in speed). Yes, these festive plugins can look very effective, but they are not worth it if they impact your website speed.

While it is early to talk about Christmas, the experts at Ireland Website Design can help you to optimize your web presence for the festive season to appeal to your customers. Our work drives sales to your business and understands the preparation required for the lucrative Christmas season.