Retailers: Are you ready for Cyber Monday?

The holidays are just around the corner and retailers are gearing up for their most important time of the year, furiously preparing to create an optimized online shopping experience that will drive the most revenue possible. Last year, nearly half of holiday retail shopping transactions were conducted online and with such high competition for consumer holiday dollars, stores need to ensure they are on their game. Below are some quick website A/B testing tips for retailers to best prepare for and succeed this holiday season:

1. Experiment with personalization features – especially on mobile. With so many e-retailers adopting mobile apps for iOS and\or Android, establishing a flawless mobile experience for customers becomes a competitive advantage. Rewards, personalization and loyalty features are crucial aspects that emerge in almost every app update, and by experimenting with them, retailers can detect what characteristics work best and attract/retain customers. A/B testing personalized features, such as shopping cart reminders and including the customer’s name on the page, can lead to insights that will drive conversion improvements, attracting consumers and eventually increasing sales. When it comes to rewards and loyalty features, pricing incentives rank as the top three factors that influence retail app downloads.
2. Develop a seamless, multichannel experience. Consumers use multiple devices to shop online, so, providing a consistent user experience across devices is key. Track and test conversion routes across devices by carrying over shopping cart items, A/B testing welcome messages and more. Blending online and in-store shopping can also be very beneficial to retailers. JCPenney, for example, has a buy online, pickup in store program that consists of more than 150,000 items. Having these seamless multichannel options for consumers, especially around the holidays, is vital to retailers.
3. Be smart about A/B testing. Retailer budgets are tight and some may struggle to make a case for investing in optimization. Targeting a smaller audience with well-liked, pre-existing content is a crafty way to A/B test your channels without breaking the bank. Smart targeting tricks like these enable retailers and marketers to implement an effective and efficient customer experience.

As Fall approaches, shopping lists grow and the magic of the holiday season reenters our lives, retailers must be prepared for the holiday shopping surge. Not sure where to begin when it comes to A/B testing your channels for the holiday retail rush? Check out our latest ebook on omnichannel testing to help you get started.

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