Now that the advent season hassle has finally subsided, it’s time to start preparing for another big holiday on e-commerce calendar – Valentines Day. Although customers prefer to shop for Valentine’s Day gifts in the last moment, usually, in two weeks before the actual holiday, that doesn’t mean e-commerce stores should stay equally unprepared. On the contrary, getting ready in advance would help you gain the upper hand. Here’s a checklist of what you could do to stay ahead of the game using big data analytics and process automation.
Have an ample supply of best selling items
If it’s not your first year in business, you are probably well aware which products are your best selling items around Valentine’s Day. If you only have a vague understanding which of them are likely to sell best, here’s when historical data comes in handy. Simple data analysis can help you indicate which items had been popular during the past couple of years so that you could have ample supply of your top sellers at your warehouse before the shopping frenzy starts.
Prepare pre-assembled gift sets
Big data algorithms can analyze your inventory database and detect which products are likely to be purchased together: for example, candles and wine, lingerie and chocolate, etc. Use this info to prepare gift sets. Around Valentine’s day, many potential customers, both single and coupled, will be rushed off their feet looking for last minute gift ideas. By splitting products into categories, for example, “For Him” or “For Her”, you can guide them towards making more purchases.
Run PPC campaigns
Retailers know from experience that Valentine’s Day PPC (‘pay-per-click’) campaigns generate the most traffic during the last week before February 14th, so they don’t have to extend for longer time spans. Using the right keywords, is a must, though. Analyzing keywords from previous year campaigns can help you finetune your messages and bring more traffic. Make sure your website can sustain high traffic during peak workloads to avoid disruptions and availability issues, which will have a negative impact.
Target loyal customers
Customer data analysis can help you target your most loyal clients and come up with personalized offers and discounts. AI algorithms can also automate the complex and tiresome task of sending personalized emails to inform your clients that their best Valentine’s Day gifts are only a few clicks away. If you remind your tried and true customers you’ve already prepared a bunch of gift ideas for them, they are likely to reward you with high purchase rates. Likewise, targeting newcomers is also a great idea – if they see you are offering great Valentine’s Day gifts, they are more likely to stick around.
Select trustworthy shippers
On Valentine’s day, customers will appreciate fast and timely delivery. Any delivery issues, even if they happen through no fault of yours, will throw a shadow on your brand reputation. Meeting customers demand same or next day delivery may be a tricky task since many shippers won’t work with certain product categories, others don’t offer product tracking options or have other limitation, which may cause delivery disruptions and delays. Before Valentine’s Day shopping spree gains momentum, you have to search the database of shipping companies and select your trusted allies.
Simple AI-based solutions can help merge your order, inventory, and shipping databases, automatically input info, track shipped and purchased items and avoid mistakes and confusions. At VARTEQ, we have a set of working tools aimed at developing business intelligence software and middleware solutions that streamline your back office operations.
Last, but not least — pre-order gift packaging. Gift wrap literally does wonders and makes for 50% of the impression the gift brings. Surprisingly, only the most reputable and established e-commerce brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s, Kohls, etc., clearly realize the wow factor of attractive packaging, so you can nab your chance to offer excellent customer service. You can charge additional fees for wrapping your products or offer free wrappings; also, you will probably need extra help. Discuss with your staff if they are ready to work extra hours, or hire temporary workers prior to Valentine’s Day.