Holiday shopping season is just around the corner and people have started to search online for the perfect gift.

November and December are responsible for 30% of an entire year’s sales. As web search and online shopping peaks have already started, the website needs to be all set to make the most out of this holiday season. Here is a list of things to test and ensure you’re ready for the holiday rush.

 

Mobile Friendly Website

43% of smartphone users say they are as comfortable making purchases on mobile devices as they are on their personal computers. If your website is not mobile friendly, the website won’t fit the screen size of the device.  The user needs to zoom and pinch your website to find what they are looking for so it’s most likely you are going to lose a potential client.

Due to the increase of mobile users performing searches on a device, Google has started considering mobile friendly sites as one of the ranking factors in search engine results. In other words, a website optimised for a mobile device will show up in a better rank than those that are not.

Not sure if your website is mobile friendly? You can use Google mobile friendly test and check if your website is ready for holidays! If your website didn’t pass on the test, AU Digital can help you to upgrade your website to a responsive design.

 

Speed Up Your Website Load Time

Slow websites drive visitors away, according to a survey 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less. Page speed isn’t only important to keep the visitors, but it’s also an important ranking factor in Google search results.

This time of the year is the perfect time to improve the website speed and take the opportunity to attract more visitors. Test your website speed with Google’s page speed tool and then optimise images, remove unnecessary page and extras from your website.

 

First Impression Matter

It’s all about the website giving the best first impression to attract customer attention to stay on the page and interact with your business.

The average people’s span attention is getting shorter – from 8 to 12 seconds. Which means the website has 8 seconds to enchant the visitor, after that the majority of people will lose interest and leave.

Follow the 8 second rule on the website. Think about what changes need to be done to make the customer stay and stop them leaving in 8 seconds.

  • Keep the website design clean and simple. It is easier to navigate, scan business’ message, loads faster and won’t easily get outdated.
  • Make sure the website text is easy to read in all devices.
  • Homepage or landing pages should clearly convince visitors to do business with you. Use eye-catching images and content to show why they should do business with your company.

 

Use High-Quality Images

Whether you have online sales or offer a service, a high-quality image emphasizes products and services in a way that words cannot convey.  As the saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

An image online brings your product or service to life, which increases user engagement by creating a link between the customer and the company.  This results in more time spent on the website and more opportunities to sell your business.

To sum it all up, high-quality images add ranking opportunities in traditional / image search results and decrease bounce rate. But without proper image optimisation, you’ll waste a valuable SEO benefit.

 

Secure Website

Holidays are usually a busy time for web traffic.  This could mean an increase in exposed security vulnerabilities with the number of website visitors increasing. When shopping online, users will prioritize a website that is safe as it’ll protect their personal data.

71% of people won’t buy from a website which doesn’t display a security policy or trust seals. Having an SSL certificate on the website builds consumer confidence and establishes trust.

 

We are already in December, but there is still time to improve your website performance and online presence during one of the busiest time of the year. AU Digital can help you with your website update, we are a full-service website agency with the expertise to assist you with all your website needs. Contact us on 9907 3136 and be ready for the annual rush.