With last year's sales coming in at an estimated 1 billion plus for Cyber Monday, it is without a doubt the biggest online shopping day of the year. Although many seem that Black Friday outsells that of Cyber Monday, they are mistaken. And one of the biggest misconceptions of this shopaholics dream day are the days leading, and following that special Monday.
It is not typical of an online store to only have their promotions or deals specifically for the Monday only. The days leading up to the Monday have promotional codes available, smaller discounts, and contests that usually compliment the outrageous deals present on the Monday. With so much riding on this one shopping day, it is important to be aware of how your online store is viewed and navigated through by customers. The last thing that you want to do, is have an online store that customers don't feel comfortable making their purchases on.
Is your online store ready for Cyber Monday? Most eCommerce merchants and those with online stores would be quick to respond yes, but there are a number of ways to make sure that your online store is in fact ready to convert the abnormal Cyber Monday traffic into sales. Follow these 3 tips on how to optimize your online store for Cyber Monday and make sure that you are ready for all the online shoppers that are patiently waiting to buy.
1 - International Navigation
Although shoppers from Australia, Canada, United States, UK etc. will have no problem navigating through your online store, it is important to have an options for those shoppers coming from regions where English is not their primary language. Not only will providing a multiple language selector drive traffic, but it will also expand your customer base. International online customers want to feel comfortable when they are making a purchase online.
The last thing that they want to do is struggle with understanding what they are purchasing, because at the end of the day, they will simple leave your website, and head to a different online store that caters to their language. Also, have a very unique look and feel to your website in terms of design and imagery. If you are trying to cater towards all cultures and regions, try not to make your website background a big American flag, or have imagery that is very strong towards one type of region or culture. This will drive international sales not only on Cyber Monday, but moving forward with your online store.
2 - International Currencies
This goes hand in hand with international navigation. The faster, and easier your website is to navigate through for any online shopper, the higher chance you have on converting them into a sale. Which means more revenue for your business, and a broader customer base. Another very important part to optimizing your online store for Cyber Monday is providing international currency check out.
Give your international customers the ability to pay with their home currency for the purchases that they are making. It is difficult to calculate exchange rates at checkout, and some shoppers will become frustrated and simply leave your online store. Ensure that your online store accepts international currencies and does the exchange in real-time which will entice customers to shop at your website, as well as reduce costly chargebacks to your business.
3- Shipping Policies
Shipping policies are a huge problem when it comes to international shoppers. If you only provide free shipping for those shoppers within a certain country, you must clearly state that prior to check out. Although not all shoppers will chargeback their purchases if they see a large amount of shipping charges attached to their purchase, but you will increase the percentage.
Look into international shipping for regions that you see some consistent traffic. It also doesn't hurt to look into shipping rates for those countries that you may want to break into in the future. You online store should be ready for all international customers, regardless of where they reside. Proper international shipping information on your website, and cost effective shipping rates will set your online store apart from the others.
When it comes to Cyber Monday, take into consideration these 3 optimization tips which will help drive revenue for your online store, and keep those international and domestic shoppers coming back for more.
