The holidays are a time when ecommerce merchants need to be on top of their game. Not only do they have to worry about fulfilling all of their regular orders, but they also have to worry about the influx of holiday orders. This can be a lot of work, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
That’s why automating as many tasks as possible is essential during the holiday season.
In this blog post, we will discuss five popular workflows that every Shopify merchant should depend on during the holiday season.
Is your business ready for automation?
Absolutely. 80 percent of companies are already using automation software or plan to use this technology in the next 12 months.
Now, more than ever, businesses are leaning toward automation to help them maintain current operations and scale in more efficient ways.
Businesses embracing automation know that to scale successfully, you must have reliable data to make quicker decisions.
Holiday demands on your ecommerce business
The last few years proved difficult to predict. With shoppers returning to retail stores and online sales falling for the first time, this year will no doubt be unique. On average, holiday sales represent 20% of annual sales across most industries. How does that compare to your business?
Most importantly, have a plan.
Battle-test your seasonal website on every device.
Be diligent in finding any break in the operation process, so you know the business will succeed when things get busy.
Benefits of workflow automation for ecommerce businesses
Workflow automation can significantly improve the efficiency of ecommerce businesses.
Improve customer experience
With the ever-changing world of ecommerce, customers are looking for more than just a good price. They want their orders delivered quickly with accurate information on how they can get in touch if there are any problems – all while maintaining an amazing experience that will keep them coming back!
Allow employees to remain engaged in their roles
Now your team members are more engaged in the operation since they have all their information, including jobs and goals. There’s clarity about what is under control for each staff member to improve performance levels!
Solves problems that allow your business to thrive
You’ll be able to solve problems that allow your business to thrive, all while saving time on tedious tasks like entering information or updating spreadsheets – which would have otherwise been spent doing paperwork at work (or wasting precious family moments).
Cost savings
Applying cutting-edge technological solutions can save you money in the long run. With automation, your employees have an advantage by accessing advanced tools that help them do their jobs more quickly and efficiently, reducing labor costs over time.
Overall reduction in manual errors
With order accuracy improved, fulfillment workflows eliminate any potential problems with manual inputs and tasks. You can rest easy knowing all the shipment information is automatically up-to-date as soon as an order exists.
Popular workflows for the busy holiday season
The most effective workflow to focus on implementing during the busy holiday season includes automating order fulfillment, shipping, and inventory management. Automating these processes can help reduce the time spent on manual tasks, allowing business owners to focus on other aspects of their business.
Auto-tag orders & customers
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With so much data being generated as you run an online store, getting lost in the sea of information is easy. Luckily there is auto-tagging that can help make things easier by organizing and categorizing your inventory list; product descriptions for each item on sale along with their images (which are also organized neatly); customers who have placed orders or shopped at some point but not sure what they want now due all this new knowledge about them!
Schedule a product price change
With this workflow, you can update the prices of all your products in one go or individually, depending on what best suits each product’s needs. You’ll also be able to schedule specific price drops and increases for when it is most convenient – whether that means once per month/week, weekdays only, every other day at 3 pm EST, etc…
Schedule a theme change on a specific date and time
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With Shopify’s app, Launchpad, you can schedule your online store’s theme to change on different days, so it can fit better with particular dates and events. For example, you could have Thanksgiving as one day of the promotion before Christmas begins again in December, when everything reverts back after New Year’s Eve ends!
Organize and tag first-time subscription orders
Once you’ve set up your subscriptions with Recharge, it’s easy to track how many times someone has ordered. Whenever a customer places their first order, tag them as having Subscription First Order, so everything is clear on what they wanted.
Add a free product to a new customer’s first order
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What’s your first impression of a company? What sticks with you long after it’s over is the moment when something special happened and left its mark. That could be anything from an amazing sale or product launch, but for ecommerce stores, this means giving customers who’ve never ordered from you before a free gift with purchase. You can boost your customer retention rates by giving away a free product with orders from new customers.
Workflow Wrap-up
Workflows are an important part of any ecommerce business. Automating your workflows can improve the customer experience, reduce repetitive tasks, eliminate errors, and improve revenue.
Many different workflow automation tools are available, so choosing the right one for your business is essential.
Start automating today to see the benefits within your own ecommerce business.