Like years past, retailers like Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Amazon, and Best Buy are planning to appeal to shoppers early and extend “Cyber Monday” deals through the week.

Fearing the shipping crunch, retailers are adjusting their plans accordingly to meet consumer demands:

• Target, Best Buy, and Kohl’s will begin marketing holiday deals in October, before Halloween.
• “Comfortable apparel” is leading the category list for the first time as more people adapt to working from home.
• Same-day delivery using gig economy providers like Shipt, DoorDash, and Postmates will increase this year.
• Many retailers are expected to shift online and close down physical stores for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
• eCommerce is expected to reach a new high this year, totaling 15% of all U.S. sales in 2020.

To boost your digital efforts further, consider incorporating these three critical techniques into your 2020 holiday retail strategy: 

Offer BOPIS & Shipping Assurances

Low prices were the most important incentive for 2019 shoppers, but free shipping tops the chart for 54% of 2020 consumers. Only 24% of surveyed shoppers believe low prices are the most important consideration this year. 

To alleviate the stress of shopping in-store, many retailers will offer Buy Online Pickup In Store (BOPIS). Our survey found that 44% of consumers plan to take advantage of BOPIS for the holiday season. 

When implemented, you will find that this added convenience feature pays off. Last year, Cyber Monday conversion rates were 45% higher for merchants with BOPIS options than non-BOPIS retailers.

In addition to offering BOPIS, retailers should:

• Boast on-time shipping guarantees. (if possible!)
• Expand selection of items eligible for same-day shipping.
• Offer free shipping for large orders.
• Market “hassle-free” returns.

Invest in Paid Search and Local SEO

People will be shopping online this year, no doubt, but where are retailers’ dollars best spent? Advertising with Google and capturing organic search traffic will continue to be a priority. 

Omnichannel advertising will need to occur on all fronts to keep retailers top-of-mind. Last year, paid search accounted for 24.4% of all sales, followed by direct traffic (21.2%), natural search (18.8%), email (16.8%), and social (2.6%). 

To boost web presence:

• Launch local offers at scale.
• Use local inventory in messages.
• Ensure search listing accuracy.
• Update holiday store hours.
• Manage Google reviews.
• Focus on site speed and UX.
• Recognize repeat visitors.
• Offer personal recommendations.
• Publish helpful, inspiring blog posts.
• Assist with comparison shopping.
• Provide inspiration via video and email.

Don’t Forget to Optimize for Mobile

Mobile plays a key role in the buyer’s journey: 54% of Cyber Monday web traffic and 33% of purchases derived from mobile devices in 2019.

This year, Shopkick found that 82% of in-store shoppers plan to use mobile devices to research their holiday purchases, compare prices, and read reviews. 

Shoppers on-the-go are often using their mobile devices for more information on whichever retail location they’re visiting. Google has noted 3x the engagement from shoppers interacting with mobile ads. Furthermore, 88% of local business searches on mobile result in a phone call or visit to the physical store within 24 hours.

Retailers can optimize for mobile by:

• Speeding up pages.
• Reducing checkout steps.
• Delivering personal texts.
• Targeting precise segments.
• Automating activity-triggered texts.
• Using apps to expand their audience.
• Encouraging UPC scanning.
• Automating customer service.

Omnichannel Capabilities: The Overarching Theme in Our Cyber Monday Tips for Retailers

The year’s most important retail season is right around the corner. COVID-19 crisis or not, shoppers have many of the same desires and needs. Holiday gatherings may not be as big and the purchases may skew toward practical clothing rather than expensive electronics this year, but prepared retailers have every opportunity to recoup some of their 2020 losses through a bustling (and extended) holiday season that kicks off with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The 2020 holiday shopping season will be less about bustling in-store events, free samples, and decorated window displays, and more about paid search ads, mobile optimization, and new partnerships. Retailers should begin ramping up their omnichannel capabilities now to ensure success through the end of the year and into 2021.