Getting more online shoppers to fill their basket on Easter

Celebrated in various countries around the world, Easter is a popular time for online shopping. However, it’s likely that for many this holiday will be celebrated for the second year in a row under lockdown conditions. Businesses have now had a year to adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic and many have leaned into digital to continue operations. There are of course still challenges and it’s important to target consumers sensitively and offer products that will delight or add value during this difficult time. From appropriate products to page customisation, we’ll discuss the best practices for making the most out of this occasion.

Core products for the Easter weekend

Offer products or services that will brighten and enrich the consumer’s current experience, whilst not encouraging them to go against any government regulations. Therefore, it is best to focus on ideas that centre around family, friends and community spirit, e.g. games that can be played safely with the household, either indoors or in the garden.

Food is often a big part of Easter celebrations and this is something that can still be enjoyed by many, regardless of the lockdown. In the UK, Easter eggs, hot cross buns and roast lamb are customary fare and on the whole, still obtainable. Smaller merchants who have now been forced to close their physical location should explore ways to digitise their offerings. For example, creating Easter hampers that customers could send as gifts to relatives who they may be unable to see over the bank holiday.

Furthermore, bank holidays are often a time for undertaking neglected DIY projects. Many consumers are unable to physically make it to the shop, so it is important to ensure that products can be delivered, as long as it is appropriate to do so.

We’ve discussed the ways that businesses can cater to the needs of consumers in a lockdown, now it’s time to delve into some core strategies for achieving this.

A discount with a twist

Sales are a great way to engage customers. One incentive-based promotion could be including an Easter egg hunt on your site, where shoppers who find enough eggs receive a certain discount percentage. This not only encourages consumers to engage with your brand, but also adds a bit of fun to their shopping experience.

It’s also a good idea to create a sense of urgency by offering a big discount which gets smaller each day. Since shoppers who buy early are saving more, they have more spending power to buy more items on your site. As the discount gets smaller, customers continue to be attracted since they still save money on purchases.

You could also encourage shoppers to spend a certain amount and offer a free gift – such as an Easter egg or mug. This is an effective initiative because it saves customers from having to look elsewhere for these items, while also generating more profit for you.

Page customisation

Changing the theme of your landing pages is useful for attracting interest because it enables you to showcase your best items related to this occasion. You can also create a full ‘Easter’ category on your site, which allows you to group everything relevant in one place. Both of these are useful for visibility and also help to enhance user experience by making navigation easier.

It’s also common for brands to change the look-and-feel of their social media profiles to reflect this occasion. Updating your cover photos, and sharing fun, visual posts is a good way of reflecting your participation in this seasonal event. It can also help build long-term online communities, which is particularly valuable at this period of time as many people are craving connections with a wider circle. Initiatives, such as event-specific hashtags, get people engaging with your brand and can also boost followership.

Payments and shopping carts

Website shopping carts are great because you can customise them to match the theme which spreads across the rest of your site. There are plenty of Easter symbols applicable to shopping – such as baskets – so it makes sense to try and appeal in this way. Adding this feature to your offerings can also help to streamline your business efforts.

The payment methods you accept will depend on the market(s) you operate in, but you need to be ready for higher order volumes at this time of year. Preparing for this increase in buyers can be achieved by choosing up-to-date software and all-in-one solutions. By integrating these features, your operations will continue to run smoothly. Merchants who are new to online payments should be sure to choose payment methods that are tailored to the needs of their target market and aligned with their business model.

To summarise

Easter is a great business opportunity for retailers and it’s easy to be playful when developing a successful strategy for the occasion. However, it is even more important to be mindful of the current situation we find ourselves in and merchants should be acutely sensitive to the changing needs of their consumers. Businesses operating in markets that celebrate Easter can still make the most of this holiday if they can adapt their strategy and provide their offering digitally.