GET STARTED

Prepping Your Website & Marketing for the Holiday Season

A Complete Guide for eMerchantClub Members

The holiday season is one of the most exciting – and profitable – times of the year for eCommerce business owners. For many online sellers, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and even New Year’s represent the busiest and most lucrative sales period.

But here’s the challenge: every online store is competing for the same customer attention. Shoppers are bombarded with deals, ads, and offers across every device and channel. To succeed, you can’t just “wing it” – you need to carefully prep your website and plan your marketing so you stand out and convert more visitors into paying customers.

This guide breaks down exactly what eMerchantClub members should do to get ready. We’ll cover website readiness, holiday-specific marketing tactics, promotion ideas, and even what to do once the season winds down.

Part 1: Get Your Website Holiday-Ready

Think of your website as your digital storefront. During the holidays, you need to dress it up, streamline it, and make it incredibly easy for customers to shop.

1. Optimize for Speed and Mobile

Did you know that nearly 70% of online holiday shopping happens on mobile devices? If your site loads slowly or is hard to navigate on a phone, you’re losing out on sales before customers even see your products.

Action steps:

  • Test your site speed using free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.

  • Compress large images to reduce load time.

  • Make sure buttons, links, and menus are “thumb-friendly” – no tiny text or cluttered menus.

  • Avoid popups that are hard to close on small screens.

📌 Example: Imagine a shopper sitting on the couch browsing for stocking stuffers on their phone. If your site takes 5+ seconds to load, they’ll bounce to a competitor. But if it loads instantly and navigation feels smooth, they’ll stick around – and likely buy.

2. Update Product Descriptions & Images

Holiday shoppers are scanning quickly. They don’t want long, boring descriptions. They want to know: Is this a great gift? Who is it for? Why is it special?

Action steps:

  • Add seasonal keywords like “holiday gift,” “perfect for Christmas,” or “last-minute stocking stuffer.”

  • Write clear bullet points that highlight benefits (not just features).

  • Update or add product photos with holiday backgrounds, gift-wrap options, or lifestyle shots showing people using the product.

📌 Example: Instead of saying:
“Bluetooth speaker with 10-hour battery life and waterproof design.”

Say:
“The perfect holiday gift! This Bluetooth speaker lasts 10 hours, making it ideal for holiday parties, outdoor adventures, or relaxing at home. Plus, its waterproof design means it can survive spills and snow!”

3. Add Holiday Banners and Popups

First impressions matter. When customers land on your homepage, they should immediately see your holiday promotions.

Ideas for banners and popups:

  • “Holiday Sale – Save 25% through December 15th!”

  • “Order by Dec. 18th for guaranteed Christmas delivery.”

  • “Shop Our Holiday Gift Guide 🎁”

These don’t just make your site festive – they guide shoppers toward the deals you want them to notice.

4. Simplify Navigation with Gift Categories

The holiday mindset is different from regular shopping. Customers aren’t just browsing for themselves; they’re looking for gifts. The easier you make it to shop, the more sales you’ll capture.

Gift category ideas:

  • Gifts under $25 / $50 / $100

  • Best sellers

  • Stocking stuffers

  • Holiday exclusives

  • For him / For her / For kids

📌 Example: Imagine a customer shopping at the last minute for an office party. If they can click directly into “Gifts Under $25,” they’ll quickly find something without scrolling through your entire catalog.

5. Test Your Checkout Process

This is one of the most overlooked steps. Even if your site looks beautiful, a clunky checkout can ruin everything.

Action steps:

  • Place a test order yourself. Is it fast and easy?

  • Offer multiple payment options (credit card, PayPal, maybe even Buy Now Pay Later if available).

  • Enable guest checkout so people don’t have to create an account.

  • Reduce unnecessary form fields (don’t ask for info you don’t need).

📌 Pro tip: Consider adding a progress bar during checkout. Shoppers are more likely to finish if they see they’re “80% done.”

Part 2: Prepare Your Holiday Marketing

Once your website is ready, it’s time to spread the word. Holiday marketing is about building excitement, staying visible, and giving people reasons to buy now instead of later.

1. Build Hype Early

Shoppers start looking for deals weeks before the actual holidays. Don’t wait until Black Friday to start posting – by then, you’re already behind.

Ideas for early hype:

  • Teaser emails: “Our biggest holiday sale is almost here – watch your inbox!”

  • Social countdowns: “7 days until we drop our holiday deals!”

  • Sneak-peek posts showing products you’ll feature.

2. Use Email to Drive Sales

Email is still one of the highest-converting marketing channels during the holidays. But not all emails should be the same. Segment your list to personalize offers:

  • Repeat customers → Offer loyalty discounts.

  • First-time buyers → Send an exclusive “first holiday deal.”

  • Inactive customers → Send a “We miss you – here’s 20% off to come back.”

📌 Example subject lines:

  • “Unwrap Your Exclusive Holiday Deal 🎁”

  • “Final Hours to Save Before Christmas!”

  • “This Gift Idea Is Flying Off the Shelves…”

3. Holiday Social Media Campaigns

Social media is where you build excitement and keep your brand top-of-mind.

Ideas to post:

  • Gift guides (carousel posts showing multiple items).

  • Customer testimonials or “holiday moments.”

  • Short videos of unboxing products.

  • Behind-the-scenes “holiday prep” at your business.

Don’t forget hashtags: #HolidayShopping, #GiftGuide, #ChristmasDeals, #LastMinuteGifts

4. Leverage Scarcity & Urgency

During the holidays, shoppers procrastinate – and urgency is what gets them to act.

Ways to create urgency:

  • Limited-time deals (“48-hour flash sale”).

  • Low stock alerts (“Only 5 left – order now!”).

  • Shipping deadlines (“Order by Dec. 15 for Christmas delivery”).

📌 Example: Amazon uses this brilliantly with messages like: “Order within the next 3 hours to receive by Friday.” You can adapt the same psychology.

5. Retargeting & Follow-Ups

Not everyone buys on their first visit. Retargeting helps bring them back.

  • Use email reminders for abandoned carts.

  • Run retargeting ads on Facebook/Instagram to people who visited your site but didn’t buy.

  • Send “last chance” reminders to anyone who clicked your emails but didn’t purchase.

Part 3: Offer Promotions That Convert

Discounts are great, but they’re not the only tool. The key is to create irresistible holiday offers that make people feel like they’re getting value.

Bundle Deals

Create product bundles at a small discount. Example: “Holiday Essentials Set – Speaker + Headphones + Charging Cable for $99.”

Free Shipping Thresholds

Encourage bigger orders with a free shipping minimum: “Spend $75 and get FREE shipping.”

Holiday Discount Codes

Make them simple and seasonal: JOY20, HOLIDAY25, SANTA10.

Last-Minute Sales

Cater to procrastinators. Offer special discounts or expedited shipping for last-minute shoppers.

Part 4: Customer Service & Trust

During the holidays, shoppers want reassurance.

  • Live Chat or Chatbots: Help customers quickly with product or shipping questions.

  • Clear Shipping Deadlines: Avoid angry customers by setting realistic expectations.

  • Reviews & Testimonials: Place them front and center on product pages to build trust.

📌 Pro tip: Add an FAQ section specifically for the holidays (covering shipping times, return policy, gift wrap options, etc.).

Part 5: After the Holidays – Keep the Momentum

Don’t pack it up after December 25th. The post-holiday period is a golden opportunity.

  • Post-Holiday Clearance Sales: Move leftover inventory fast.

  • New Year’s Promotions: Tie into resolutions (fitness, organization, self-care).

  • Thank-You Emails: Send a warm “thank you for shopping with us” email to build loyalty.

📌 Example: Send an email in January: “Thank you for being part of our 2024 holiday season. Here’s a special coupon for 2025!”

Final Thoughts

The holidays can make or break your year in eCommerce. By taking time now to:

  1. Prep your website,

  2. Plan your marketing,

  3. Craft smart promotions, and

  4. Focus on customer experience,

…you’ll put yourself in the best position to capture sales and build long-term customer relationships.

Remember: eMerchantClub gives you the tools and resources to run your online business – but it’s up to you to put them into action. This holiday season, start early, stay consistent, and keep your customers at the center of everything you do.

Shopping Cart