How to prepare for eCommerce holidays – 2025

4. Launch holiday marketing campaigns that convert

Next on your to-do list is deciding what deals you’ll offer for the upcoming holiday season. 

Pick one or mix and match to find what works for your target audience:

Once you’ve chosen your offer, it’s time to create targeted campaigns that will get it in front of the right people and drive sales. The two most effective channels for most eCommerce businesses are email marketing and social media marketing.

Craft compelling email campaigns

Almost 70% of shoppers prefer email marketing over other methods, making it the most effective for customer engagement. Plus, email marketing is cost-effective, easy to automate with AI tools, and lets you track opens, clicks, and sales so you can see which campaigns perform best.

Here are a few ideas for your email campaigns:

• Order deadlines announcement and reminders

• Product or offer of the week

• Sale sneak peek

• Free shipping campaign announcement and reminders

• Gift guide

• New product launch

Valuable read: Holiday Email Marketing Campaign Ideas You Must Try

Create scroll-stopping social content

Social media marketing can build awareness, drive traffic, and convert shoppers – especially when campaigns are timed around peak shopping days and backed by retargeting, limited-time offers, and seasonal content.

Focus on the platforms where your audience spends the most time. Then, adapt your social media posts to each channel – share gift-unboxing videos or product demos on TikTok and Instagram, post customer reviews on Facebook to build trust, and use lifestyle shots on Pinterest to inspire holiday shopping ideas.

Valuable read: Social Media Trends to Inspire Your Holiday Marketing Campaigns

Start crafting marketing copy (the written content for your emails, posts, etc.) well before the holiday season starts. That way, you have time to test different angles and schedule campaigns ahead of time instead of scrambling to write during the busiest weeks.

5. Win customer trust with fast shipping and easy returns

Reliable delivery and a simple returns process are essential to creating a positive shopping experience during the holiday season. Offer multiple shipping options with accurate delivery estimates, and provide real-time tracking so customers know exactly where their order is.

Returns should be just as straightforward. Extend your return window through mid-January, use clear, friendly language in your policy, and include prepaid return labels to make things easier for customers. These preparations prevent lost sales during the holiday rush and build trust.

One of the most important details to communicate is your shipping cutoff dates. These dates mark the last day customers can place an order and still receive it by a specific deadline – like before Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Display them prominently on your eCommerce store, so holiday shoppers know when to order to get their purchase in time.

6. Keep the momentum going after the holidays

The end of the holiday season doesn’t mean the end of sales. Use this time to gather insights that will strengthen your next holiday eCommerce strategy.

Start by asking for customer feedback through post-purchase surveys, review requests, or social media polls to learn what they loved and what you can improve. This approach builds customer engagement and gives you an opportunity to refine products and create stronger holiday deals next year.

Follow up with a post-holiday email to thank customers for their orders, share a preview of upcoming products, or offer repeat purchase incentives like loyalty points or a limited-time discount to turn first-time online shoppers into loyal customers.

Keep them engaged year-round, so you’re entering the next holiday shopping season with a ready-to-buy audience.