Shoppers are hoping to get back to “normal” this holiday season but will continue to be cautious of COVID-19 and Delta outbreaks. According to a recent Deloitte report, the 2021 holiday shopping season will result in an increase of 7% - 9% in retail sales and 11%-15% in online sales. Below are four reasons why your digital marketing and online sales will be more important than ever this holiday season:
1. Pent up demand indicates that your customers will be more open to increased spending this holiday season.
2. Holiday travel is expected to increase due to loosening pandemic restrictions and increased vaccination rates. Consumers will want to shop for family and friends that they have not seen for the past year plus.
3. Delayed shipments and reduced stock will equate to an even earlier holiday shopping season, due to customers not wanting to miss out on the gift giving.
4. Surging omni-channel competition and shoppers demand for a seamless experience, both in branding and service, whether shopping online, mobile or brick and mortar.
What does all this mean for your small business? You need to be prepared to be noticed, drive traffic to your site and convert customers into sales! Luckily, the UGA SBDC + Big Ecommerce are presenting 3, one-hour webinar series, with strategies to guide you on how to enhance your website for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, develop SEO tips & tactics to increase your digital reach, and conduct email marketing campaigns that will target customers.
The webinars will be THIS Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, October 5, 6 & 7 from 11:00-12:00. Don’t delay, registration closes today at 5:00!
Laura D. Katz, MBA,CDMP, is the Area Director of the UGA SBDC - Athens Center. Ms. Katz is a national speaker on the topic of Marketing & Business Development. You can follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
