Before you settle into the spirit of the holidays, it’s time to think about a few essential housekeeping items to ensure your business is silly season ready!
We’ve compiled some simple tips and reminders, which are often overlooked and can make a big difference to your customer’s experience online.
Your Digital Christmas To Do List
- Update your business hours on all social channels, Google My Business and your website to ensure they reflect any changes over the Christmas and New Year period.
- Add a festive message to your automatic responses to include your festive trading hours, or any personal message for your customers which will help manage expectations during this holiday period. This includes your auto-responses for out of office emails, Instagram and Facebook Messenger, and website chatbots.
- Be prepared and plan ahead so you can promote your festive specials with enough time for customers to take advantage of them.
- Pin a holiday announcement at the top of your Facebook page or create an Instagram Highlight with any relevant information regarding your business. For example, if you have a restaurant you might have an adjusted booking cancellation policy, or if you’re an eCommerce business you may have a postal delay for orders.
- Have a customer service plan in place. With the holidays there are often changes to staff and business hours. Knowing who is responding to customer enquiries and comments online is crucial.
Have an eCommerce business? Here are some extra things to consider.
- Remember to send out an email to promote last minute gift voucher sales and consider a website pop up as the days get closer to Christmas.
- Know your postage cut off dates and communicate these dates with your customers through social media, customer emails and on your website.
While we are all looking forward to enjoying time off relaxing, shopping or sipping cocktails by the pool, the Christmas period is also the perfect time to give thanks to your customers for their support throughout the year.
Consider sending an email or posting a message on social media saying to say thank you or offering a special gift for your VIP customers to make them feel valued.
A key thing to remember is that you should make it as easy as possible for your customer to do business with you over the holidays. If you don’t, they may just look elsewhere…