Make sure your home page is working as hard as it can!
In the lead up to probably the busiest sales period of the year it’s important that, particularly if you are an online ecommerce site, you’re ready for those visitors looking for gift ideas, especially when in their hand they’re holding their credit card.
It’s still the case that a majority of visitors either return to, or from a search query, will land on your home page unless, of course, they are searching for a very specific item and hopefully your product pages, if optimised effectively, will attract that visit.
However, your home page should be the main focus and act as the signpost for as many visitors as possible.
When a new shopper arrives on your home page you need to take advantage of the opportunity to create awareness, informing them what you have in the way of
- holiday sale products
- new or special arrivals
- gift vouchers/certificates
- limited time offers.
Including guarantees and security seals with reminder of free shipping (if offered) and returns policy can help to alleviate any initial concerns that lurk in the minds of online shoppers.
But, don’t forget past visitors or existing customers
Your home page, for example, offers the opportunity to present targeted content for returning visitors channeling them to products and offers based on specific interests identified from your analytics and experience from past online behaviour.
There is also some evidence that visitors who enter your shop from the home page tend to buy more and have a higher average order value. So, it’s important not to forget about them particularly as they may have returned with credit card in hand.
And, this is the time of year to do it and your potential customers are the best ones to guide you.
November is a good month to test out some of the offers you might want to make, and armed with both past and current analysis from these visitors, can help better target the most popular in the last weeks and days leading up to the holiday.
