Surviving the Holidays: A metaphoric way to prepare your website for the holidays

Preparation

When it comes to surviving the holidays there is a secret to keeping your cool and coming out ahead. The simple step to keep your holidays happy is preparation. There is no greater feeling than being stress free and enjoying your time with family and friends.

This is especially true if you own a website or company. Even more so when it comes to your Search Engine Optimization. It is too often we forget our website optimization when heading into the holidays. Considering a website is always open, it is vital to secure your top rankings and customers during the holiday season. Tweet This

 

Weather

When it comes to preparing for the holidays, it is usually the weather that you have to prepare for first. Just like we prepare our house for the cold weather, we have to prepare our website for the season. This usually means ensuring your hosting is up to date and your site is live and reachable.

Once you can confirm the house is in good shape you can look to furnish it. Furniture is the first thing that comes to my mind, in reference to a website we can use content as the furniture for our website. An easy question to ask is do you have enough to satisfy your expected guests.

To further this we want the website to welcoming. Just like a house, lighting has a lot to do with creating the atmosphere of your home. Color is the equivalent to lighting when it comes to your website.

Finally, with all of the other pieces in place you can look at warming the house. Frankly does it feel right? Does it feel good?

The same question can be noted in reference to your website. Can a user flow through the site naturally? Do you have the right internal links in the right place? A great call to action to drive user interaction? These are just a few questions, you can ask yourself to ensure your website has the right elements in place to create a great user experience. Tweet This

Decorations

The outward appearance of our homes is a key indicator the holidays are upon us. With snow comes the need to shovel the sidewalk and pathways going to our house. This is similar to the speed of our site. We can certainly get by with snow on the ground ,but it is annoying and can even detour some people from visiting.

The actual decorations on a house, like the wreath on your door, are similar to an XML Sitemap. It helps your house look great and ensures everyone knows what you are all about.

Of course decorations are not just external of your home but are often a large part of the interior. This is true for Meta information (title, description, header tags, etc.) it is great detail for anyone looking and sets the tone for website.Tweet This

Presents

Of course, when the holidays comes around, there is a multitude of gifts to be given. The quantity of these presents can be a representation for stock or even bandwidth used to balance the number of users your website receives at any given time.

Essentially it comes down to a simple question: Do we have enough inventory or time to service your customers?

Of course, having quantity is great but another factor comes down to the presentation or wrapping of the present. As a reference, this would be your Unique Selling Point or USP for short.

Do you have any sales or specials during the holidays? These can help drive the value of the service or product given. One of the most important factors when it comes to a present is the thought. The same can be said when it comes to your USP.

Are you looking to target a specific audience or customer? A good example would be giving a child a bread maker. It might be functional and cost a good amount of money, but not necessarily in the hands of a small child.  In this scenario it just doesn’t have any inherit value to the person receiving it effectively rendering it useless.  So be sure to target the right kind of audience for your holiday promotions.

Lastly, we all look forward to the presents from Santa Clause right? The same can be true for helping customers remember your brand. Even if you don’t believe in Santa Clause I can guarantee you know who he is, what he does, and even what he represents. Your customers should have the same understanding for you and your business. If this has been missed then now is a good time as any to start targeted marketing to your customers whether new or old.Tweet This

Food

When it comes to the holiday, I enjoy the food. I would dare say we all do (unless you are dieting or doing a weight loss challenge before the popular New Year’s Resolution season).

We all have those treats that come up during the holidays that we cannot live without in the moment. The same can be said for content on your website. It is often in today’s market that customers will come to your site looking for expertise or information before they ever buy. Make sure you are ready to delight them with the information they are looking for.

I think a big highlight when it comes to holiday food is the holiday dinner. This can ultimately translate in how easy it is for a customer to use your website. It is your website working together that makes a great user experience. Just like a holiday dinner, it wouldn’t make sense to go from eating some ham to slurping down some spaghetti. If your site or meal doesn’t work with the various site components than you just end up having a confusing unsatisfying experience.

Finally, we have the dessert this is a great way to end any holiday feast. This is the same when it comes to thanking your customers. It simply adds that final touch to a customer interaction sometimes this step can be elaborate with a card or something special or as simple as an email or a thank you screen. Tweet This

Family and Friends

In my opinion, this is the most important part of the holidays. When it comes to your website your customers become this key element.

Sure, sometimes dealing with family or friends can be stressful but in the end it is worth-it tenfold. Your customers can become your biggest advocates and sources of business. That is why the customer always comes first when it comes to your business.

I think most could agree, the same logic is true for family and friends. Even if sometimes their demands or needs require sacrifices from somewhere else. In the end if we treat them right they can help carry us through anything. Tweet This

Happy Holidays

Remember a few things as we head into the holidays!

• Make sure your house is fit for the weather and accommodating to guests.
• Having a welcoming exterior and interior can set the tone for home.
• Gifts are a great way to not only show your appreciation but truly show that you care about a person.
• Food can create a great atmosphere for guests and is often remembered year after year.
• And, your family and friends can make or break the holidays.

Whether online or in real life, we wish you the best for your holidays!