How to Make a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

And just like that, we go from the most wonderful time of the year to the most contentious. We know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Valentine’s Day all about love?” Of course! But, it’s also a holiday that demands finding that perfect gift…again. 

With many shoppers already on the hunt – still recovering from the holiday comedown and dreading the return of “gift-giving stress” – brands better be ready; we’ve got a lot to do!

Like any holiday, V-Day is an opportunity for brands to build their business and boost sales. One sure way to win customers’ hearts this year: Valentine’s Day gift guides. With many shoppers still recovering from holiday gift purchases, just the thought of now having to find a perfect V-Day gift for that special someone is enough to turn this sweet day sour. 

We are feeling the love here at CAKE, and our team is here to make the first big gift holiday of Q1 a little easier on businesses and their customers. This Valentine’s Day, we want to give our beloved brands in eCommerce something extra sweet. 

Because we know the quickest way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach, we have a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth. From the experts at CAKE, here are our tips for creating a Valentine’s Day gift guide masterpiece. 

Organizing Your V-Day Gift Guide 

First thing’s first: organization. When it comes to developing a top-tier gift guide, organizing your holiday gifts by category is key. It’s all about presentation and readability. You want to make it easy for shoppers to find that perfect Valentine’s Day gift for their special someone. 

Many users will search for V-Day gifts based on characteristics of the recipient’s identity like gender, interests, or age. Other users will search within a designated price range. So, you’ll want to arrange your gift guide in the most user-friendly way possible and appeal to these specific search queries. 

First, identify a target group (or groups). To do this, determine your customers. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you do so:

  • Who are my customers? Who makes up the majority of my customer base?
  • What is the age range of my customers? 
  • What are my customers’ shared interests, needs, and values?
  • What is the bulk price range of their purchases?  

Once you determine the defining characteristics of your customer base, you then need to structure your gift guide with a format that targets your audience. Here are a few examples:

  • Gifts by gender: “Gifts for Him” or “Gifts for Her”
  • Gifts by age: “Gifts for Toddlers,” “Gifts for Tween,” “Gifts for Teens,” or “Gifts for Parents”
  • Gifts by personality or interests: “Gifts for Wine Lovers,” “Gifts for Bakers,” “Gifts for Workaholics,” or “Gifts for Athletes”
  • Gifts by budget: “Gifts Under $20,” “Cheap Gifts,” or “Low-Cost, High-Value Gifts”

You can pick one group to target or pick a few! Either way, you can’t go wrong because your guide will apply to a direct target group (or groups). This will increase the chances of your brand’s Valentine’s Day gift guide ranking on Google search results and getting your products in front of your audience. 

Define the Relationship (DTR)

Not to bring relationship status into this, but… it's time to DTR! While everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day differently – whether you’re single, dating, or “it’s complicated” – you can actually use these varied relationship statuses to your advantage. 

When creating your gift guide categories, consider your customers’ varied relationship statuses. For the singles who may be celebrating Valentine’s Day with friends or families, consider targeting “Valentine’s Day Gifts for Friends” or “V-Day Gifts for Parents.” 

Of course, we have to credit our love birds on Valentine’s Day. But, for a competitive edge, try to get as specific as possible with your target group. While many brands will be marketing to “Gifts for Couples,” we at CAKE like to get a bit more creative with our efforts. 

Every relationship has different stages, labels, and characteristics – talking, exclusive, dating, just-married, high-school sweethearts, honeymooners, new parents, and life-long lovers. Each one is unique. So, instead of using umbrella terms like “couples,” “spouses,” or “partners,” consider targeting these particular stages and milestones of relationships. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • “Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Crush”
  • “Gifts to Celebrate a Budding Relationship”
  • “V-Day Gifts for Newly Weds” or “V-Day Gifts for Your Bride-To-Be”
  • “Gifts for Your High School Sweetheart” 
  • “V-Day Gifts for Honeymooners” 
  • “Valentine’s Gifts for a New Mom” 
  • “Gifts for Your Life-Long Partner”

The more specific, unique, and creative you get, the more you’ll be able to target a niche group of Valentine’s Day shoppers.

The Only Time It’s OK To Dwell on the Past – Data!

When deciding which products to feature in a holiday sale or gift guide, it’s always a good idea to look at data from previous years – and Valentine’s Day is no exception! Consult your performance data from the period leading up to Valentine’s Day (after the new year through February 14th) for the last few years. Look for shopping trends among your customers and identify some of your bestsellers. 

If you saw a few particular products or services that were popular with shoppers around the time of Valentine’s Day, be sure to highlight these in your gift guide. 

Don’t Come on Too Strong

Often, we see brands featuring seasonal and holiday gift guides that highlight all of their products and services. This is a big no, no. Just like eating too many valentines chocolates can result in a stomach ache, trying to stuff everything your business offers into one gift guide can be too much for your customers to digest.

So, if you’re planning to incorporate a few themes in your Valentine’s Day gift guide – like gifts for him, gifts for her, and gifts for kids, for example – highlight three, two, or even one product for each category. When you give your readers too many options to pick from, you can confuse potential customers and make it difficult for them to decide on one. But, when you keep it simple, you aren’t force-feeding shoppers too many options. Make it easy for them to choose! 

Three Magical Words – and We Don’t Mean “I Love You”

Bundles and baskets. Now, this is something worth falling head over heels for! Featuring Valentine’s Day-themed baskets in your gift guide is a must if you’re looking to make sales. 

Bundle items together that complement one another. For example, if your brand has a skincare collection with multiple products, consider bundling your facewash, exfoliator, and mask together. This makes it easy for customers to buy related products in bulk, so the recipient gets the most out of their purchase.

However you choose to bundle your Valentine’s Day gift baskets, the total amount should cost less than it would be to buy each item separately. However, the total amount spent should still be higher than if the customer purchased one of these items. That way, you’re still making a worthwhile profit, and customers feel like they’re getting a deal or special offer – which increases brand loyalty and enhances customer experiences. 

Pro tip: Throw in complimentary V-Day gift wrapping as an added incentive to purchase. 

Be Ours! 

This February 14th, fall in love with CakeCommerce. Because our love language is “acts of service,” we offer a variety of comprehensive eCommerce marketing services to take your brand to the next level. Contact our passionate team of eComm experts to discuss how we can help your brand be a hit this Valentine’s Day. 

Back to eCommerce Marketing Blog