This article originally appeared in October 2018 and has been updated with new information for our readers.
Consumers love to shop online, and in the United States, there’s no day that proves this more than Cyber Monday. The Monday following Thanksgiving weekend, millions of consumers throughout the country hop online to purchase products from their favorite stores – all from the comfort of their couch. The concept of “Cyber Monday” was created in 2005 by the National Retail Federation, providing online retailers with a way to compete with the Black Friday shopping frenzy.
With the help of deep discounts and incentives, major retailers and small ecommerce businesses alike can expect a surge in sales on Cyber Monday. According to a 2017 report by Adobe, Cyber Monday is the largest online sales day in history — reaching nearly $6.6 billion in sales last year.
All of these stats beg the question: is your online store ready for Cyber Monday? Here are three tips to help prepare your ecommerce business for the big day ahead.
Tip #1: Stock Up on Inventory
For many online shoppers, there’s nothing more frustrating than settling on an item only to discover that it is “out of stock” at checkout. Major retailers like Wal-Mart and Kohl’s have faced criticism in the past from online shoppers for running out of popular items before Cyber Monday.
Fortunately, you can avoid a potential disaster with a little foresight. Stock your online store with the appropriate amount of inventory ahead of time, making sure to consider best-sellers and whatever items you’re promoting with sales. Using inventory forecasting software and reviewing historical data can help you strategize for the busy holiday season ahead.
Tip #2: Prepare Your Website
Cyber Monday can bring an influx of traffic to your website. However, poor user experience can quickly drive online shoppers to your competitor’s site. This includes slow load times, complex navigation, outdated design, and more. Even a brief downtime during peak hours can cost a small eCommerce store thousands of dollars in lost sales. To prepare for the worst-case scenario, be sure to have backups in place. We recommend having your website support team available to handle any issues that may arise quickly. It can be helpful to check with your web host to see if you can increase your site’s bandwidth to prevent slowdowns
If your website is not already optimized for mobile, now is the time to do so. Not only are significantly more users accessing the web from a tablet or smartphone than a desktop, but they are doing so to shop more than ever before. In 2017, Adobe reported that mobile eCommerce purchases represented more than 31% of Cyber Monday revenue. By optimizing your site for mobile, you can capitalize on accessible online shopping and your customers can enjoy an easy-to-use shopping experience when on the move.
Tip #3: Deliver a Festive Experience with Digitally Printed Packaging
As the first (and often the only) physical interaction that online shoppers have with your business, packaging is a crucial part of the ecommerce experience. It can have a significant impact on how customers perceive your brand and the quality of your product. Consider leveraging digitally printed packaging as the vehicle to deliver orders for your customers this holiday season.
Ask yourself: which would you rather receive? A plain, brown shipping box or a custom-designed digitally printed package, full of color and branded artwork? It’s more than likely that the latter option would impress your customers and provide an interaction similar to what they would get in the retail environment — increasing the likelihood of retention and brand loyalty.
Digitally printed packaging offers many benefits for ecommerce businesses, speed being perhaps the most important during busy online shopping days such as Cyber Monday and Black Friday. Digitally printed packaging can be ordered and shipped to you in a few weeks, when flexo and litho-lam options can take months!
Beat the Rush and Order Your Custom Packaging Now
With Cyber Monday on the horizon, major retailers and small ecommerce businesses alike must be ready for the big day ahead. Fantastapack is your go-to online partner for high quality, digitally printed packaging. We offer an extensive selection of box styles, product labels, and retail displays— all ready to be customized to match the look and feel of your brand this holiday season.
