How to Win the Holiday Ecommerce Season in 2023

Holiday Search Trends and Google Ads Strategies
Holiday Search Trends and Google Ads Strategies
Holiday Google Shopping Trends

The holiday ecommerce season is off to a slow start, with Q4 sales growing just +1.4% YoY as of Nov 4, according to Mastercard. However, the holiday season is far from over with only 33% of holiday shopping complete so far. But that doesn’t mean that shoppers aren’t active. It is reported that 79% of shoppers say they’ll be researching their purchases before buying them.

Google Search Trends & Market Reports

So, what will the rest of Q4 look like? Well, it depends on who you ask. Forecasts in the CA market range from -11% according to Deloitte, all the way to +15% according to RCC/Leger.

This is a season of extremes: We see this in our own data, and Google reports searches for “food banks” surging by 52% YoY while at the same time luxury retail searches increase by +12% YoY.

Consumer intent is up: Google report an undeniable surge in real-time shopping intent – so far this Q4. Searches across all retail categories have increased YoY +14%, a signal that stronger pent-up sales may actually be around the corner.

Holiday Season Digital Marketing Strategies

Rather than C5 (Cyber 5 day shopping), consider the Cyber fortnight, as the intense buying period lasts 12 days now, not 5. In analyzing Mastercard spending behavior within key gifting categories over the last few years, it was uncovered that the average spend/day on the “shoulder days” – the ramp in and out of Cyber – are almost as high as the average during C5 itself.

Implications/Actions: Even in a world of decreased spend, there are more opportunities than ever to reach shoppers if you are showing up in the right places.

Deal days have never been more important. Early deal seekers are already on the hunt for bargains, and you don’t want to miss out on this lucrative segment. Here are some tips to make the most of your deal days strategy:

– Start early and end late: Extend your promotions beyond the traditional Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates. Shoppers are looking for deals throughout November and December, so don’t limit yourself to a few days.

– Be clear and consistent: Make sure your deals are easy to find and understand on your website, social media, email, and ads. Use clear and consistent messaging across all channels to avoid confusion and frustration.

– Optimize for mobile: More than half of online shoppers will use their smartphones to research and buy products this holiday season. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, fast, and secure. Use mobile-specific features like click-to-call, location extensions, and app downloads to drive conversions.

– Track and measure: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics and Google Ads to track your performance and measure your return on investment. Identify what does and doesn’t work and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Finish Out The Holiday eCommerce Season with a Strong Marketing Strategy

The holiday ecommerce season is not over yet. There is still time for online retailers to turn things around and end the year on a high note. By adapting to the changing market conditions and customer needs, you can create a memorable and satisfying shopping experience for your customers and increase your sales and profits.

New Features and Reporting Added to Goole Ads Before the Holiday Season

Google Ads is Leveling Up Its Offerings

Google Ads has just announced a major update that will bring new features and capabilities to advertisers and marketers. These are some of the most exciting changes and how they can help you grow your business online.

    • Google is expanding and promoting Performance Max. This is a fully automated campaign type that uses Google’s machine learning to optimize your ads across all Google inventory, including Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover. You can set your goals, budget, and audience, and with a close eye let Google do the rest. Performance Max campaigns are designed to help you reach more customers and drive more conversions, while saving you time and resources. Performance Max has been very successful for our eCommerce clients, but we are still testing the overall viability for lead gen.

 

    • Google is also expanding its insights and reporting tools to help you understand your customers better and measure your performance more accurately. You can now access the new Insights page, which shows you the latest trends and opportunities in your market and industry. You can also use the new attribution reports, which show you how your ads influence customers across different channels and devices. These tools can help you make smarter decisions and optimize your campaigns based on real data.

 

    • Additionally, Google is enhancing its creative solutions for Google Ads to help you deliver more engaging and relevant ads to your audience. You can use the new Video Builder tool, which lets you create professional-looking video ads in minutes, using templates and assets from your existing campaigns. You can also use the new dynamic remarketing feature, which automatically generates personalized ads for your past visitors based on their browsing behavior and preferences. These features can help you increase your brand awareness and loyalty and drive more sales if you have a large enough audience segment generally of 1000 plus visitors or converters.

 

These are just some of the new features and capabilities that Google Ads has announced in its major update. There are many more improvements and innovations that you can explore and try out for yourself. If you want to learn more about how Google ads and working with a Google Partner can benefit your business, contact McCord Web Services for a free consultation. Google Ads is constantly evolving and innovating to help you grow your business online. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your advertising to the next level with a Google Partner.

The Importance of Google and Bing Business Pages

Man sitting under a banner which says local business at a desk.

Connecting your business and social media efforts to your Google Business Profile and Bing Places for Business has never been more important as both Google and Microsoft will have their AI (Artificial Intelligence) search engines pull data (including images) from these accounts and show the information in the AI generated answers snapshot. Reviews from your profiles may also appear in organic results and AI generated content at the top of the page.  

It is time to ensure that all your information is correct on these two profiles and that you are making regular updates to keep the content meaningful to visitors. If you have not already asked us to assist you with these search engine business pages, please get with us now to check our service offerings and even on-demand optimizations. 

Updating your Bing Places for Business page is important because it helps increase your search traffic and can only help you get more organic traffic to your site. Bing Places is the platform where the profile info is set up. This includes account, list, submit, manage your client business. Bing Places enables local business owners to add their listing to Bing Maps.

For both Google and Bing, updating your business pages are important because these pages may appear in location specific searches. The more active you are on the platform, the more signals you send to Google and Bing that your listing is accurate and trustworthy.

Additionally both search engines use their local pages for gathering reviews and even allow you to link to the page when you ask clients to review your businesses and services.

So, these search engine business pages help you to:

Place organically for local searches
Gather customer reviews and showcase them
Showcase your business

Check out our website for our complete service listing and check to see if we can help you with the set up or optimization of a Google Business Page or Bing Places for Business page.

Why Using a Google Partner for Google Ads Makes Sense

Team reviewing a proposal from McCord Web Services.
Google Partner Badge
McCord Web Services is a Google Partner

McCord Web Services is a Google Partner. Our team works hard each year by recertifying in search advertising, shopping advertising, display advertising, and video advertising. We are required by Google in order to retain our Partner status each year to recertify.

These exams are intensive and take many hours of study and preparation. Add to that we certify also in Microsoft Advertising.

Why Should You Assure that Your Account Manager is a Google Partner for Google Ads?

Working with a Google Partner can provide you with many benefits. Here are some of them:

* A dedicated Google representative: Google Partners are assigned a representative straight from Google to help with your campaigns. This means that you can get fast service and expert advice when you need it.

* Unmatched expertise: Google Partners have the latest product knowledge and insights to help you optimize your campaigns for better performance. They can provide you with data-driven insights to make informed decisions and help you stay ahead of the competition.

* Access to beta features: Google Partners have access to beta features that are not yet available to the general public. This means that they can help you stay ahead of the curve by testing new features before they are released.

* Keeping up with industry updates and trends: Google Partners keep up with industry updates and trends so that they can provide you with the latest insights and best practices for your campaigns.

* Product training from Google: Google Partners have access to product training from Google so that they can stay up-to-date on the latest product features and best practices.

* Assurance of quality: Perhaps the most important benefit of working with a Google Partner is the assurance that the company is certified and employs knowledgeable experts who are held to a higher standard of excellence in campaign management and ad performance.

Working with a Google Partner can provide you with many benefits such as fast service, expert advice, access to beta features, keeping up with industry updates and trends, product training from Google, and assurance of quality.

Visit the McCord Web Services website to learn more about our credentials and our Google Ads services.