17 percent of consumers have already started shopping for Christmas gifts, says Google and publishes tips for online retailers.
The Christmas countdown is on. Not just because there is speculoos on the supermarket shelves – it feels like it has been there since shortly after Easter. Google also states that now is the time to take care of business. According to their own surveys, 17 percent of consumers started Christmas shopping in May, and 36 percent of those surveyed said they had ideas for gifts that they would buy.
Admittedly, this and other data was not published entirely unselfishly: Google uses it to promote its advertising business and offers online retailers a best practice guide. In fact, following the tips should lead to more visibility and correspondingly more sales. Last year, 54 percent of the buyers surveyed reportedly used at least five channels for shopping. Retailers also used at least five channels, generating double the sales compared to those who only used one or two channels. This also means that people are more likely to buy when they see the same product on multiple platforms.
Google’s advertising also works offline
Since, according to Google, 55 percent of buyers are waiting for offers and the sale, sellers should plan and pass them on in good time. At the same time, last year customers were particularly concerned about whether products would arrive on time. The tip is therefore: provide precise information about the delivery. The same applies to the return conditions.
In addition to online business, inquiries about the opening times of shops are said to have increased by around 400 percent worldwide this year. Again, Google recommends specific and updated information.
The guide includes numerous small and large measures with which the visibility of shops and products can be increased, also for a fee. In addition, there are the parameters that Google uses for its search query rankings. Websites that are particularly fast are rated better – the “Core Web Vitals” are such key figures for Google. The so-called “Helpful Content Update” is currently running in English-speaking countries, with which Google would like to rate websites that are helpful better than those that consist of content that has been copied together and keywords that are suitable for SEO. Basically, the shopping area should also be emphasized.
