Spring is here! Do you know what that means? It’s time to do a little tidying up. And we don’t just mean licking that batter bowl clean or reorganizing your pantry. eCommerce websites need a little TLC every so often, and spring is a good time to tackle a few of those digital projects you’ve put off.
Why? Well, we’re far enough out from the holiday shopping season that it just makes sense. Reviewing your processes, cleaning up your website, and generally making sure you’re set to meet your goals into the summer and fall is pretty essential.
That said, it’s hard to know what part of your eCommerce strategy should be freshened up. That’s why we asked our CAKE team of eCommerce marketing strategists what they felt were the most important areas to pay attention to. Here’s what they had to say:
Inventory Update
The first step to spring cleaning for your eCommerce business is really to look at your inventory. Decide which items need to be taken off the website because they’re out of stock (and not coming back) and make a proper 301 redirect from the product page to an alternate place on the website.
If you have low-stock items and they’re not being replaced, you can also run a flash sale. Offer free shipping and a super discount to help get them out the door. Send out an email blast to your list letting them know what’s going on and offer a coupon code for dedicated shoppers. Product bundles are another option, too!
Why is moving out limited stock important? Over the next few months, you’re likely going to start making room for new items and the increased ramp-up to the holidays. This clears items off the website, out of your warehouse, and ensures you’re ready to go for the fall.
Audit Your eCommerce User Experience (UX)
As part of your eCommerce spring cleaning, it is also important to go ahead and audit your eCommerce user experience strategy. Are your pages taking too long to load, or is the checkout process too complicated? Put your shopper hat on and run through an order as though you weren’t affiliated with the brand. Take notes and make adjustments accordingly.
This is important to do early in the year because it allows you to see where you need to make changes and what you need help with before the busy shopping season. (Pro Tip: At CAKE, we have a dedicated team of retail marketing experts ready to assist with any technical changes that go above and beyond the normal.)
Clean Up Your Website Pages
Next on your spring cleaning list, you’ll want to clean up your website pages. Delete old photos that are out of date and add new text where you can. If you have a blog, add a few more posts to help improve search engine ranking.
Of course, if you need help with content creation or keyword research, it might be a good idea to go ahead and contact a dedicated eCommerce SEO agency like CAKE. We can help you create a plan for publishing content and imagery to your website over the summer, so you’re in a good place with organic traffic before the end of the year.
Clear Your Customer Database
Every eCommerce business has it: an online database of past customers or email subscribers that never engage. That’s why it is a good idea to include clearing out the so-called dead weight from your list during your eCommerce spring cleaning.
Delete any duplicates on your list while sending out emails to those you haven’t heard from in a while. You can also create a plan for targeting social media marketing to certain individuals who need a reminder that your brand exists. If certain individuals haven’t made a purchase or even opened a marketing email in several years, consider sending a ‘last chance’ message before removing them from your list.
Wrap Up: Spring Cleaning for eCommerce Brands
While it might sound like spring cleaning your eCommerce website and business is a tedious process, it is an important one. Knowing where you stand with inventory and working to make sure your website is ready for this year’s holiday shopping season is crucial to your success later on in the year.
However, if you aren’t sure where to start or really need to go a little further with your marketing efforts, don’t worry. As a dedicated omnichannel marketing agency, CAKE can help you with all facets of your eCommerce business. From those little website UX changes to major content marketing upgrades, we’re here to get the job done. Please contact us today for further details on our available eCommerce marketing services.
