Now that the new year is in full swing, the first shopping holiday of the year — Valentine’s Day — is right around the corner. A celebration of love and commitment, Valentine’s Day is all about showing the one you love how much you care, and shoppers are willing to spend big to display their affection.
For 2019, the National Federation of Retail estimates that Valentine’s Day shoppers will spend about $143 each on their special someone, totaling $19.6 billion in sales. Develop an eCommerce marketing strategy now to attract consumers to your online store and provide them with quality products they’d be thrilled to offer their loved ones on the big day.
Recognize Your Customers’ Wants and Needs
When creating your eCommerce marketing strategies for Valentine’s Day, keep these trends in mind and identify products that will resonate with your audience. You should also consider the age of your target market as older shoppers tend to spend more while young shoppers are attracted to purchasing something more experiential, like a weekend getaway.
The key to engaging with your target audience is to cultivate a deep understanding of your demographics and what they’re looking for during the Valentine’s Day shopping season. The most popular purchases for this holiday include flowers, jewelry, greeting cards, candy/chocolate, gift cards, dinner at a restaurant and travel experiences.
Create Enticing Email Campaigns
When Valentine’s Day rolls around, many people want to stray from the typical standard of flowers and chocolate (though these are still extremely popular items) and give a memorable gift, but shoppers are often at a loss when searching for the perfect present. Develop a strong email marketing campaign to draw your target audience in and provide them with suggestions. Including a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide in your eCommerce marketing strategies can entice consumers to your site and eliminate the struggle of scouring the web in search of the ideal present.
If you’re planning to run Valentine’s Day-specific promotions to attract more business, be sure to promote these discounts and freebies through your email campaigns leading up to the big day.
Valentine’s Day Special Promotions
Promotions and giveaways are one of the best tactics for attracting new and existing customers to your site this Valentine’s Day. With the rise of Amazon, online shoppers are becoming increasingly accustomed to free, quick shipping. To compete with this eCommerce giant, try running a promotion that offers free shipping through the holiday.
Another effective eCommerce marketing strategy includes offering a free gift with purchases. You can set a specific monetary threshold to qualify for the gift, which can increase the average spend per customer. If you choose to run this type of promotion, offer something valuable and desirable as well as appropriate to the holiday.
Because most consumers shopping for Valentine’s Day are looking for gifts, consider offering complimentary wrapping to show your customers that you care and provide a distinctive edge over the competition.
As you design your marketing materials to promote these holiday specials, be sure to incorporate Valentine’s Day-specific language and imagery.
Design Promotions for Mobile
Last year, eCommerce mobile traffic reached 52.2 percent worldwide. Now more than ever, it’s important to design your promotions with mobile users in mind. When it comes to mobile purchases, one of the biggest obstacles with eCommerce is the checkout processes. Creating a quick checkout with very few steps and digital wallet payment options can increase mobile sales dramatically.
Before running promotions, analyze your site’s mobile optimization. Is your site easy to navigate and attractive when viewed on a mobile device? If not, spend some time revamping the mobile experience. Social media campaigns are another way to engage mobile shoppers and attract new consumers to your site this Valentine’s Day.
Target Single People and Promote Galentine’s Day
Although Valentine’s Day is a holiday geared towards couples, neglecting single people means you’re alienating nearly half of your available market. Many eCommerce marketing strategies will include a segment designed for singles with taglines like “Treat Yourself This Valentine’s Day.” For this type of promotion, you can design a separate gift guide that includes items people might be interested in purchasing for themselves — for example, beauty or bath products.
Thanks to social media, Galentine’s Day is another popular way that single people celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you’re not familiar, Galentine’s Day is when a group of female friends get together to celebrate the holiday. You can target this market by steering away from more romantic-type gifts and including promotions on products that friends might exchange.
Merely weeks away, Valentine’s Day will kick off the holiday shopping season this year, creating the perfect opportunity for eCommerce sites to boost their revenue in 2019. Show your customer base a little love by sending them compelling offers, thoughtful messaging and a great user experience to increase conversions and outshine your competition.
