Setting Up Gift Guides & Gift Cards
It’s the Holiday Season! 🎉 Or, if you are reading this during a different time of the year, it’s a great time to great ready for the season!
The holiday season is often the busiest time of year for shop owners as well as the time of year that brings in the most revenue. While featuring your best selling products on your website and highlighting them in newsletters is always a great idea, consider taking things a step further with a gift guide. Featuring a curated gift guide on your homepage and in your navigation makes it easy for your customers to find the perfect gift, guiding them directly to items they’ll want to purchase for everyone on their list!
Why Gift Guides Are Essential for eCommerce Sites
Helps Shoppers Quickly Find A Perfect Gift
Gift guides make shopping easier by categorizing your products by themes like "Gifts Under $50," "Gifts for Him/Her," "Gifts for Kids," or "Holiday Must-Haves." With this, customers save time and feel less overwhelmed by choices. For eCommerce sites, ease and speed are essential, and a gift guide provides both.
Showcases More Products
When you organize items into a gift guide, you're strategically showing products that may otherwise go unnoticed. It’s an opportunity to highlight items that aren’t in your top-sellers but would appeal to a different audience or price range.
Enhances SEO and Discoverability
Gift guides also help improve your website’s SEO. By using keywords that shoppers may search for during the holiday season—like “Gifts for Dad” or “Unique Holiday Gifts”—you make it easier for potential customers to discover your store through search engines. Since search engines my take a while to index your page, this is why having your gift guide available year round is an especially good idea.
Guides First-Time Visitors
Many people who land on your website during the holidays or on special occasions are first-time visitors. They may not be familiar with your product lineup, so a thoughtfully organized guide can help them make faster purchasing decisions.
Pro Tip: Gift Guides are fairly easy to set up on Shopify.
Create collections for all of your gift guide categories and simply link to them in your navigation. You can also create a landing page to showcase the different categories of your gift guide all on one page! Looking for inspiration? SVP@Home created a simple gift guide / lookbook combo.
Don’t Forget Gift Cards!
Sometimes, shoppers aren’t sure what to buy—whether they’re unfamiliar with the recipient’s preferences or need a last minute gift. We recently heard from a client who had a mom wanting to know what her daughter’s purchase history so that she doesn’t buy her the same thing. Since revealing this information isn’t allowed, gift cards were a perfect solution!
Offering gift cards provides a convenient option for last-minute shoppers and ensures that their money is spent on something the recipient will love. Gift cards are also beneficial for your business, as they typically help generate additional sales when redeemed as well as bring in new customers that aren’t yet familiar with your store. It’s a win-win!
Tips for Setting Up Gift Cards:
Ensure the gift card option is prominent. We like to put it in the navigation or in the footer of your website. We also recommend setting up a section of your homepage or a ‘super footer’ to talk about this option!
Mention the availability of gift cards in your gift guide to make it part of the customer’s journey.
Offer both physical and digital versions, if possible, to cater to different shopper preferences. You can get custom physical gift cards from Shopify directly here.
Add Gift Cards To Your Shopify Store
In Shopify, there is a great built-in option for adding gift cards to your store. We talked about this on our Instagram a couple of months ago and made a tutorial. You can view that here. If your theme or needs are unique, consider a highly regarded Shopify app like Gift Card Hero.
Gift Guides And Gift Cards For The Win
Adding gift guides and gift cards not only makes holiday shopping on your website easier for your customers but also enhances your website’s appeal and functionality.
As a store owner, consider making these elements an integral part of your holiday strategy. Here’s to a great holiday season!🎄
If you'd like to discuss related ideas or want assistance reviewing options for your Shopify theme and your specific needs, please signup for a Get Answers session with us.
