Unwrap more profits: 7 steps to crush this holiday season

Have you noticed some holiday lights and decorations around you? Is Mariah Carey already playing in your local grocery store?

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If you feel like it starts earlier every year, you're right.

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CivicScience published reports showing that 16% of US consumers start their holiday shopping as early as June! Moreover, a "whopping 34% of shoppers now make holiday purchases before Thanksgiving." 

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This can only mean one thing – you need to start your holiday selling efforts earlier too.

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As you already know, this season holds tremendous opportunities for ecommerce. 

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eMarketer "predicts that US holiday retail ecommerce sales will break records this year, reaching $271.58 billion (a 9.5% increase from 2023)."

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We want to help you prepare and crush this holiday season. We asked top ecommerce experts to share their strategies with us. Here are some simple steps you can take and ideas that actually work. Try them this holiday season to boost your profits!

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Step 1: prepare your store for the holidays

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If you haven't done this yet, don't worry! You're not behind, and there's definitely still time to set up your store for success.

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Optimize website performance and mobile experience

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More shoppers are browsing on mobile devices than ever before. Make sure your website is fully optimized for mobile. Test:

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• Loading speeds
• Navigation
• Checkout processes

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A slow or clunky site can lead to abandoned carts and lost sales. Focus on providing a seamless experience for customers.

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Recommended tool: Superspeed

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Superspeed monitors core web vitals to assess if users experience fast loading times and smooth navigation.

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Key features:

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• Real user metrics from actual shoppers
• Continuous monitoring of site performance
• Unlimited page monitoring for comprehensive oversight
• Actionable recommendations to improve speed

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Price: $80/month – includes monitoring for up to 500,000 real user metrics. Additional metrics are charged at a low rate.

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Create holiday-themed landing pages and product bundles

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Design dedicated landing pages that highlight your holiday offerings. There are a few ways of doing this:

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1. Shopify Pages (note: this requires custom code)
2. A landing page app (Unbounce, Hubspot, Landingi, Leadpages, etc; note: requires additional spend)
3. Shopify Blog (create a Shopify blog and embed products for purchasing into the blog)

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Example 1

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Abra, a Shopify promotions app, helped Good Protein create personalized, discounted landing pages tailored to different customer segments. This persistent discount experience dramatically increased conversion. It led customers directly to their custom UpCart shopping cart with personalized upsells and a rewards bar to incentivize them. The cart naturally flowed into their checkout with personalized, discounted upsells.

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Good Protein is seeing a 35% increase in conversion for SMS campaigns and a 20% increase on their email campaigns.

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Once you have a landing page, create product bundles to make gift-giving easier for customers.

Example 2

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"One of our most successful holiday upselling strategies is using gift guides. Gift guides are more than just product collections. They're problem solvers for overwhelmed holiday shoppers.

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The key is smart segmentation: create specific guides like 'Gifts Under $25' or 'Gifts for Remote Teams' that match your customers' needs.

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Our data shows that gift-givers typically spend more than regular customers. When you make their shopping experience effortless, they often become loyal repeat buyers."

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Liana Horbova, Flowium

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Ensure inventory is well-stocked and organized

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Imagine you found a perfect gift only to discover it's out of stock. Try to save your holiday shoppers from this frustration. Analyze your inventory levels and ensure popular items are well-stocked. Implement an organized inventory management system to track stock levels in real time and quickly respond to demand.

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Recommended tool: Stocky

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Stocky is Shopify's native inventory management app. It's designed to help merchants track stock levels and manage inventory efficiently.

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Key features:

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• Real-time inventory tracking across multiple locations
• Automated purchase order creation and management
• Demand forecasting based on historical sales data
• Detailed reporting on product performance
• Seamless integration with Shopify POS

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Price: free with a Shopify POS Pro subscription

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Hot tip: if you DO run out of inventory but know inventory is coming in soon, accept pre-orders. Ensure to set shipping and delivery expectations with customers to avoid chargebacks and refund requests.

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Step 2: create personalized offers

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Personalization can really help you stand out in the crowded holiday shopping season. Use your unique customer data and AI-powered tools to create offers that resonate with individual shoppers. This will make your customers more likely to accept these offers.

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We recommend specifically post-purchase offers. Why? There will be no hit to the your conversion rate because the upsells will appear after the checkout.

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Leverage customer data for personalized recommendations

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Use your customer data to create highly targeted recommendations. Analyze:

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• Past purchase history
• Browsing behavior
• Demographic information

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All this data will help you suggest products that align with each customer's preferences.

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Example: Raycon uses Aftersell to create personalized upsells based on customer data. 

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For instance, if a customer purchases a pair of everyday earbuds, Raycon's system might recommend:

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1. Protective case for those specific earbuds
2. Portable charger compatible with the earbuds
3. Premium version of the earbuds with additional features

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This personalized approach has significantly boosted Raycon's AOV.

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"Aftersell is a game-changer for us. The personalized upsells boosted our AOV significantly."

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Zephyr Chan, head of growth at Raycon

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By leveraging customer data through Aftersell, Raycon has achieved:

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• 22,228% monthly ROI
• $100k additional monthly revenue
• $5 AOV increase

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Try also using your customer data to create targeted, personalized recommendations.

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Implement AI-powered product suggestions

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Harness the power of AI to provide dynamic, real-time product recommendations. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data. Then, they can identify patterns and predict what products a customer will most likely be interested in. This can include:

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• "Frequently bought together" suggestions
• "Based on your browsing history" recommendations
• "Customers who bought this also bought" options

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These AI-driven suggestions can significantly increase AOV and conversion rates.

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Example: Jones Road Beauty, a makeup and skincare brand, effectively uses Aftersell's AI-powered recommendation engine to boost their AOV. Specifically, they use Network Offers –personalized third-party recommendations from premium brands like Nike, HelloFresh, Hulu and more.

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"Adding $0.40 in incremental profit per session might not seem like a lot. But then you multiply that by the number of orders per year, and that's very significant six figures on your bottom line."

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Cody Plofker, Jones Road Beauty

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Jones Road Beauty also uses Aftersell to analyze customer data and provide dynamic, real-time product recommendations post-purchase. For instance:

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1. When a customer adds a foundation to their cart, the system might suggest a complementary concealer (frequently bought together)
2. If a customer has been browsing skincare products, it might recommend a popular moisturizer (based on your browsing history)
3. When someone purchases lipstick, it could suggest a lip liner that other customers often buy with that shade (customers who bought this also bought...)

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Create tailored email marketing campaigns

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Personalized email campaigns are a powerful tool for holiday marketing. Use your customer data to segment your email list and create targeted campaigns that speak directly to each group's interests and needs. Consider the following strategies:

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• Send personalized product recommendations based on past purchases
• Create abandoned cart emails with tailored offers
• Design holiday gift guides customized to different customer segments

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Remember, personalized emails produce 6x higher transaction rates.

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Break through the noise of holiday offers and race to the bottom – personalize the offer in your email to your customer’s previous purchase behavior. If there is a certain style they have purchased in the past, make your offer only around their favorites. That is a way to make the offer feel personal and thought through for them."

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Daniel Patricio, Abra Promotions

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Create a more engaging and relevant shopping experience for your customers. This will help you drive more sales during the holiday season!

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Step 3: implement effective upselling techniques

Upselling is a great way to increase sales and help customers find what they need. By using different upselling techniques, you can encourage customers to buy more products. Let's go over some of the best upselling strategies.

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Bundle complementary products

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Bundling complementary products means putting related items together in one package. This technique makes it easy for customers to buy everything they need at once and often saves them money.

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How it works: customers are more likely to buy the whole set when they see a bundle that includes items they want. This not only increases your online holiday sales but also makes shopping easier for them.

Example 1

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Fabletics, an activewear brand, often offers bundles with matching leggings and sports bras at a lower price than buying each item separately. This makes it more appealing for customers to buy both items.

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"This BFCM focus on upselling bundles and giftable items. Products designed for giving make it easy for customers to justify an extra purchase. Adding a thoughtful upsell with gifting messaging for popular holiday bundles right after checkout can inspire customers to grab an extra gift for a loved one."

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Jess Chan, Longplay Brands

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Benefits of bundling:

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• Increased sales. Bundling encourages customers to spend more because they see good value.
• Better shopping experience. Offering bundles for specific activities (like workout gear or travel kits) reduces the Paradox of choice.

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Example 2

Offer seamless product upgrades to customers who just converted with Aftersell. Your customers can replace the products in their order to a bundle version. It works like this:

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1. A customer purchases 1lb of protein powder
2. After they check out, they see an offer to upgrade to a bundle with a shaker and supplements
3. They can now replace their original purchase of protein powder alone with a new bundle (protein powder, shaker, supplements)
4. A customer gets more of what they need and you get higher AOV!

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Offer gift wrapping and personalization services

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Gift wrapping and customization options can be a simple yet effective upselling strategy. Customers often look for convenient ways to make their gifts special without the hassle of wrapping them. Gift wrapping is especially appealing for last-minute holiday gift shoppers or those who are sending gifts directly to recipients.

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Personalized messages or custom gift tags add an extra touch that can make gifts feel more thoughtful and unique. Customers appreciate the ability to include a special note with their purchase, making it more memorable.

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"The easiest quick win upselling strategy over the holiday season is adding gift wrapping as an option. If you are unsure how much gift wrapping to purchase, survey your customers to gauge how many orders are for gifts and then use that as a baseline to calculate from."

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Jamie Ingham, Soar With Us

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Example

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Aftersell lets you put “add-ons” in UpCart and Checkout to upsell gift wrapping. You can also let your customers personalize their gifts using the “Notes” function.

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Promote limited-time holiday exclusives

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Creating a sense of urgency is a powerful way to encourage customers to purchase quickly. Exclusive offers can drive excitement and motivate shoppers to buy before the opportunity slips away.

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By highlighting products only available for a short time, you can create a fear of missing out (FOMO) among customers. This can include special holiday-themed items, unique gift bundles, or exclusive discounts valid only for a limited period.

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Example

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Lush is a cosmetics brand that releases special limited-edition items, such as festive bath bombs and gift sets. It promotes these products heavily on its website and social media, emphasizing that they are only available for a short time. This encourages customers to quickly secure their favorite items before they sell out.

Benefits of promoting limited-time exclusives:

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• Increased urgency. Customers are more likely to purchase when they know an item won't be available for long.
• Boosted sales. Exclusive offers can drive higher sales volumes during the holiday season.
• Enhanced brand loyalty. Customers appreciate unique offerings and are more likely to return for future shopping if they have a positive customer experience.

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By promoting limited-time holiday exclusives, you can effectively capture customer interest and drive sales during the busy shopping season.

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Step 4: leverage social proof

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Social proof is a powerful tool in ecommerce that can significantly influence customer purchasing decisions. Social proof means showcasing real buyers and their feedback about your product. When you display those positive experiences, you can build trust and encourage potential buyers to purchase. People trust other people, and this tactic relies on this fact. It's a way of utilizing word-of-mouth marketing to your advantage.

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Showcase customer reviews and testimonials

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Displaying customer reviews and testimonials can help reassure potential buyers. When shoppers see that others have had positive experiences with a product, they are more likely to feel confident in their purchase. Consider featuring:

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• Star ratings. Make it easy for customers to see overall satisfaction.
• Detailed reviews. Highlight specific comments that address product quality, performance, and value.
• Before-and-after photos. Encourage customers to share their experiences visually. This can be particularly effective for beauty or home improvement products.

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You can showcase this social proof on your product pages and even in your cart! This will help reassure your customers they're making the right decision.

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Highlight bestsellers and trending holiday items

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Create sections on your website for bestsellers and trending holiday items to guide customers toward popular choices. This helps them discover what others are buying and creates a sense of urgency around these items. For example:

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• Top 10 Holiday Gifts
• Trending Now

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Display these sections prominently on your homepage or within category pages to catch the eye of potential buyers.

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Collaborate with influencers for product promotions

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Partnering with influencers can amplify your reach and credibility. Influencers often have dedicated followers who trust their recommendations. This makes them effective advocates for your brand. Consider these strategies:

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• Sponsored posts. Have influencers showcase your products in their content, highlighting how they use them daily.
• Giveaways. Collaborate with influencers to host giveaways encouraging engagement and attracting new followers to your brand.
• Unboxing videos. Encourage influencers to create unboxing videos that authentically showcase your products.

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Step 5: optimize the checkout process

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A smooth and efficient checkout process is crucial for converting potential buyers into actual sales. By optimizing this experience, you can reduce order abandonment rates and increase your average order value (AOV). Here are three effective strategies to enhance your checkout process.

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Add one-click upsells

One-click upsells allow customers to add additional items to their cart with minimal effort. This feature presents relevant product suggestions right at the checkout stage. 

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Show one or a series of products that customers can still accept with one click (without re-entering payment or shipping information). Try it in Aftersell for free today!

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"Help customers fill those stockings – have easy gifts on hand. Upsell bundles or smaller budget-friendly items right in their cart. Adding in-cart upsells for products in the $5-$25 range makes it easy for shoppers to add these "mini gifts" or "stocking stuffers" to their cart without overthinking the cost. These small, thoughtful add-ons are perfect for last-minute gifts. They give customers an easy way to elevate their holiday haul while lifting your AOV."

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Jess Chan, Longplay Brands

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Example

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Aftersell has a feature called “Cart Controls.” It allows customers to add or remove products to their cart at the checkout stage. This prevents people from just abandoning the checkout. They don’t need to go back to the cart to remove any products. Fewer clicks = better customer experience = higher sales!

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Offer free shipping thresholds

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Free shipping is a powerful incentive to encourage customers to complete their purchases. By setting a minimum order amount for no shipping costs, you can motivate shoppers to add more items to their carts. For instance:

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• If you offer free shipping on orders over $50, customers with a cart total of $40 may add an extra item to reach that threshold.
• Clearly display this offer on your product pages and shopping cart to remind customers of the opportunity.

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"Don't forget about free shipping. Show it in three or four places on your website. And if someone earns it, let them know!"

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Ronak Shah, Obvi

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Provide Buy Now, Pay Later options

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Offering Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options can make your products more accessible, especially during the holiday season when budgets may be tight. This payment method allows customers to split their purchases into smaller installments. Consider these points:

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• BNPL options can lead to higher conversion rates and larger average order sizes.
• Display these payment options prominently at checkout to inform customers they can shop without immediate full payment.

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By offering BNPL, you can:

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• Increase conversion rates
• Attract new customers
• Boost average order value
• Provide financial flexibility during the holiday shopping season

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Step 6: add post-purchase upsells

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Post-purchase upselling is an effective strategy to maximize revenue after the initial sale. Your customers are already in the buying mindset. Capture this engagement through strategic upsells when they're ready to buy! Here are four key tactics to consider.

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Thank you page

They’ve completed their purchase, there’s nothing more to do, right? Actually, your thank you page is a hidden gem of opportunity. Here are a few things you can try there.

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Offer loyalty rewards for holiday purchases

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Encourage customers to return for future purchases through loyalty programs. Consider offering bonus points or a deep discount, for example:

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• Offer double points on holiday purchases
• Promote this program in your marketing materials and at checkout to remind customers of the benefits of joining

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This strategy not only boosts immediate sales but also fosters long-term customer loyalty.

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Encourage gift card purchases for last-minute shoppers

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Gift cards are popular for last-minute shoppers looking for convenient gift options. Promote gift cards prominently on your website and email campaigns leading to the holidays. Consider offering:

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• Special promotions, such as bonus gift card amounts (e.g., buy a $50 gift card and receive an additional $10)
• Easy digital delivery options so that customers can send gift cards instantly via email

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Network Offers

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Network Offers turns your confirmation page into a profit generator. It's a simple yet powerful way to monetize a traditionally "dead" space by showcasing relevant offers from premium brands.

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How it works:

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• Customers who see the order confirmation page will get a highly relevant offer from one of our partners (e.g., Disney, Hulu, Apple).
• If they accept the offer, you get paid! It's a win-win-win situation for you, the customer, and the partner brand.

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Key benefits:

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1. New revenue stream: add an extra $0.30-$0.50 in pure profit per transaction.
2. Brand building: associate with 400+ premium brands like Apple, Hulu, and Disney.
3. AI-powered personalization: our AI analyzes customer preferences to show the most relevant offers.
4. Quick and easy setup. Get started in just 5 minutes with no coding required.
5. Customer-first approach. Deliver value to your customers while boosting your profits.

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Real results from our customers:

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• Obvi added an extra five figures to their bottom line
• BlendJet saw $462,000 in additional profit per 1 million transactions
• Jones Road Beauty generated $56,000 in pure profit

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"With no setup time or costs, we're able to show post-purchase offers from established blue-chip companies and make up to 45 cents pure profit per order the minute we turn it on."

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Cody Plofker, Jones Road Beauty

Retain your customers

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The customer journey doesn’t end here. There are still opportunities to retain and bring them back.

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Send follow-up emails with related product suggestions

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After a customer makes a purchase, send them a follow-up email and suggest related products. Include personalized recommendations based on their recent purchases, for example:

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• If a customer buys a pair of running shoes, you might suggest athletic socks or a matching gym bag
• Include special offers or discounts in these emails to incentivize further purchases

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You can increase your AOV and keep your brand top-of-mind by providing relevant suggestions.

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Step 7: measure and adjust

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A successful holiday season isn't a set-it-and-forget-it upselling strategy. Continuously monitor and optimize to maximize your revenue and understand your customers on a deeper level. Start here.

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Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

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To effectively measure your upselling success, focus on these critical metrics:

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1. Average order value (AOV)

• Track how much your upselling strategies increase the total purchase amount
• Compare AOV before and during the holiday season

2. Conversion rate

• Monitor the percentage of customers who accept upsell offers
• Identify which strategies drive the highest conversions

3. Revenue per visitor

• Calculate the total revenue generated divided by the number of website visitors
• Understand the financial impact of your upselling efforts

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A/B test different upselling strategies

We shared many ideas here. How do you know which one will work for you? Test. Experiment with various approaches to discover what resonates most with your customers.

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• Test different bundle combinations
• Compare pricing strategies for upsells
• Experiment with the placement of upsell offers
• Vary messaging and presentation of additional products

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Pro tip: Change only one variable at a time to accurately measure its impact.

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Aftersell lets you A/B test any technique to find what works best for your unique brand.

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Analyze data and refine your approach

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Continuously review your performance data and be prepared to pivot:

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• Weekly performance reviews
• Identify top-performing upsell strategies
• Quickly eliminate underperforming tactics
• Adjust inventory and marketing based on real-time insights

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Consistently measure, test and refine your approach. This will optimize your holiday upselling strategy and revenue potential.

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Recap: key holiday upselling strategies

Let's make this holiday season your best one yet! Try these proven methods:

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1. Prepare your store. Optimize your website for performance and mobile experience. Make sure your customers can easily navigate and complete their purchases.
2. Create personalized offers. Use your customer data to provide tailored product recommendations. Implement AI-powered suggestions and design targeted email marketing campaigns to engage shoppers.
3. Bundle complementary productssome text
   • Offer gift wrapping and personalization
   • Promote limited-time holiday exclusives
4. Leverage social proof. Showcase customer reviews and highlight bestsellers and trending items. Collaborate with influencers to build trust and credibility.
5. Optimize your checkout. Add one-click upsells, free shipping thresholds, and Buy Now, Pay Later options.
6. Add post-purchase upsells. Send follow-up emails with related product suggestions. Offer loyalty rewards for holiday purchases. Encourage gift card purchases for last-minute shoppers.
7. Measure and adjust. Track key performance indicators (KPIs). A/B test different upselling strategies. Analyze data to refine your approach throughout the season.

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Let us know which strategy you'll try first. As always, we're here to support you every step of the way. If you'd like to simplify upselling this holiday season, try Aftersell.