Getting Ready for the Holidays: Part 4

Getting Ready For the Holidays: Part 1
Getting Ready For the Holidays: Part 2
Getting Ready For the Holidays: Part 3

As stores continue to prepare for the upcoming holiday season, the IndieCommerce team has put together a list of recommended tools and practices IndieCommerce and IndieLite stores can use to maximize their holiday marketing and communication efforts.

Tips and Best Practices 

Overall, communication with customers is crucial as the holiday season ramps up.  Communicate with customers regarding their orders to keep them informed of any possible delays or order-related issues.  Below are simple and actionable steps that stores can take using pages, blocks, and the built-in contact form on the site.

• How to Build Pages
• How to Create and Use Blocks
• How to Create Links

Be sure to check that the contact form on the site is quick to find via a link and that an email address the store monitors is attached, so messages are sent to the correct staff.  

To edit the store’s contact form, navigate to Structure > Contact form, and then:

1. For the form in use, click ‘Edit’
2. Update the category and any recipients, if needed
3. An optional auto-reply can be created as well; if you do not wish to use an auto-reply, leave this field blank
4. Set ‘Selected’ to ‘Yes’ if this particular contact form category should be the one selected by default
5. Save the changes

• Clear, brief, and direct calls to action make website navigation quicker and easier, especially when they are visually distinctive.
  • For example, ‘Buy’, ‘Register’, ‘Sign Up!’
• This is especially important during checkout.  Be sure the cart and checkout links are easy to locate and that the checkout process itself is easy and smooth to navigate.

Features For IndieCommerce and IndieLite Sites

Email Signup Form (Constant Contact, MailChimp, MailMunch)
Email marketing allows stores to build relationships with leads and to reach customers in real-time.  It’s an important channel, especially during holiday seasons.  IndieCommerce and IndieLite stores have a few different options to create a sign-up form to assist in converting visitors into email subscribers and customers.  

• MailChimp Help Document
• Constant Contact Help Document
• MailMunch Help Document

To offer this option on your IndieCommerce website during checkout:

1. Navigate to Store > Configuration > Checkout
2. Click the left tab 'Custom Checkout Pane 1'
   1. NOTE: If you are already using this tab and have changed the language, the tab will reflect what your store has written.
3. Header: "Cancel Items Not Available by Xmas"
4. Description: Explain to customers that you can remove/cancel any items from their order that aren't available by Christmas.
5. Checkbox Label: "Yes, please remove any items unavailable by Xmas"
6. Textarea Label: "Special Instructions" or any language appropriate for the store