Prepare your online store for spring & summer holidays

Table of Contents:

1. Follow the shopping trends

2. Host seasonal campaigns

3. Set the mood with your site

4. Provide sales support online

1. Follow the shopping trends

There is an array of items that become popular for online shoppers to buy around this time of year. It is essential for store owners to understand how customers’ activity will influence the purchase for warmer weather. With those in mind, you can start exploring the most relevant products for the spring and summer shopping season.

< Spring and summer travel trends >

Long-distance trips

Families and young adults may be among the most eager to travel this year. Families are more interested in multi-generational family trips, and excitement over travel is reflected in shopping trends in luggage sets and travel bags.

Beach getaways

For many consumers, the beach is a staple of spring and summer breaks. Store owners can naturally expect sales to increase for beach chairs and umbrellas.

The family-fun also shows that parents are shopping for their kids for beach holidays. Some products, like a water & sand table would be great to add in your inventory list.

Spring holidays

Spring travel is back on for many university-age consumers this year. Generation Z and young university students are eager for the spring holidays. They are looking for fun for their group activities, which is why a beer pong table would be popular.

Getaways in the great outdoors

Consumers are also planning for outdoor adventuring this spring and summer. Paddle boards and inflatable boats are hot-sellers for the adventurous consumers.

Other category segments, like camping equipment, are expected to have a surge in demand. Items such as tents, portal camping furniture, and fishing gear.

<Shopping for spring and summer at home>

Though many people like to travel during the warmer seasons, there are also a lot of people that feel torn between long-awaited holidays and cost-conscious staycations.

At-home entertaining

Considering the tight budget and rising cost for long distance travelling, many consumers are looking forward to spring and summer entertainment at home.

Outdoor grills and outdoor furniture are ideal to expand your product line if you haven’t added them to your webshop yet. Shoppers are also getting ready for summer by the pool. Pool & spa accessories will always be the best selling sales unit in the hot season.

Family water fun

For cost-effective quality time at home, families are shopping for ways to enjoy warmer weather together in their gardens. Outdoor toys and games, and even bigger garden swing sets, outdoor playsets, and bouncy castles would be a good bet.

2. Host seasonal campaigns

Use previous year's sales data and product forecasts to find your best-selling items, as well as choose your sales timing and when to start campaigns. From here, you can begin planning relevant and timely offers.

There are different promotions you could try to give the best results and reach your campaign goals:

• Summer party in the garden of your dreams
• Splashing fun in the sun
• Family water fun
• Get ready! The beach is calling

Don't forget to check your website’s functionality, making sure you avoid unwanted site crashes. A faulty website will prevent sales and can deter customers from coming back. Another tip is to stay prepared for the spring and summer holiday calendar. There are many important dates worldwide, including when schools finish for the holidays. Use a calendar to remind yourself when to start a campaign in time with these dates.

With budget-conscious consumers on the lookout for deals, think about scheduling flash sales with a countdown to push the hurry to purchase. Alternatively, make a product or category selection available only for a campaign that lasts a few weeks.

3. Set the mood with your site

To advertise for summer deals and sales, store owners can update their website aesthetically by using warm and bright colours. By incorporating such changes, you are catching the attention of buyers online. Using fresh imagery and wording for spring and summer will instantly appeal to everyone looking for items during this season.

Routinely updating your website with new graphics as the year progresses will keep consumers interested. Customers enjoy seasonally-appropriate websites while they are shopping. Repeat buyers appreciate it when a website does not have the same old pictures as the last time they came to make a purchase.

Make sure to organise your site with a clear structure and call-to-actions (CTAs). Shoppers should easily navigate your site and find what they’re looking for. If your product catalogue isn't displayed directly on your site’s homepage, add a prominent “Shop Now” or “Start Shopping” button that leads customers to the right pages.

Store owners could also use SEO-friendly blog content on the website. As shoppers start their shopping journey on search engines like Google, search engine optimisation (SEO) content will help your ecommerce store appear in their search engine results page.

Provide sales support online

With increased website traffic, expect to receive more support enquiries regarding your promotions, delivery times, and returns.

Your support channels are important touch-points throughout the customer purchasing journey. You should think about offering assistance for the customers before and after converting, for example, triggering a chat with a proactive message not only improves your visitor’s experience - but gets you closer to closing the sale. Also, automated product recommendations will increase basket size, up-sell or cross-sell, and reduce shopping cart abandonment.

Avoid lost customers

Offer a seamless checkout process. An overly complex checkout process is one common cause of abandoned shopping carts online. Simplify the checkout process as much as possible while also accepting various forms of payment.

Make information readily available

Make sure your return policy is easy to find so that shoppers can enjoy some peace of mind while they shop. Most shoppers want to see a return policy before they complete a purchase.

Prepare your customer service team

Providing your customer service team with the right tools will ensure your site is ready for the sales season rush. Create a phone script with answers for the most frequently asked questions and create a web-form to receive pre-sale and after-sale requests.