The 2019 holiday shopping season is in full swing — is your business meeting the needs of online holiday shoppers? USA consumers alone are expected to spend $135.35 billion this holiday season (that’s a 13.2% increase from last year according to an eMarketer report) and another 2018 study found that 77% of consumers plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping online this season. It’s imperative that businesses catering to holiday shoppers do everything in their power to provide quality consumer experiences during this festive time (and all year long). Don’t forget about the international market, where 58% of global consumers would make international purchases online if they were more familiar with the brand.

One way to prepare your website for the holidays is to add visual interest with holiday themes and seasonal styling on key website elements. Your live chat software is the perfect place to start because it’s one of the first places holiday shoppers will click to further engage with your brand. With a flexible tool at your fingertips, it’s easier than ever to dress up your chatbox elements for the holidays (while adhering to marketing guidelines and remaining on-brand, too!). The tutorial video below will help you get started.

How to make a custom-themed chatbox for your business

It’s easy to make your own winter holiday chatbox theme using the intuitive Design Studio tool in SnapEngage. Watch the video below for a step-by-step tutorial by designer Jackson Carson. We’ll teach you how to quickly customize your chatbox theme using a custom background image, animated GIF background, and matching colors for the holidays!

Additional tips to prepare for the holiday season

• Make sure that your website can successfully handle an influx of holiday site traffic. The last thing you want consumers to experience is any period of site downtime because your server couldn’t keep up.
• Connect with international shoppers using Auto-Translate chat. Offer a real-time, seamless translation between site visitors and your chat team, allowing you to connect with more clients than ever.
• The holiday season is the perfect time to roll out special limited-time-only marketing promotions to entice holiday shoppers. Ensure that your web, marketing, sales, and customer support teams are all aligned on various aspects of current and upcoming promotions (including holiday offers/discounts, messaging, internal processes, and more). This will make the holiday season go more smoothly internally, which also has a positive effect on the external customer experience.
• With increased online traffic during the holiday season, it’s imperative that businesses provide fast, easy ways for website visitors to engage directly with sales and customer support teams. If you’re not already using chat software, you’re missing out on key opportunities during the holiday season and throughout the year. Live chat software helps businesses drive online sales conversions and increase customer satisfaction.
• Double-check that your online purchase/checkout pages and “shopping cart” technology are working well and provide an intuitive shopping experience for website visitors. If an online consumer reaches the point of sale just to encounter unexpected “technical issues”, they will become frustrated and are less likely to complete the purchase. Even if all of your systems are in tip-top shape, make sure that your team has a 24/7 action plan ready to go in case any site issues and bugs arise.