This year, Ramadan isn’t like every other year. Most of us are not be able to spend it or celebrate its ending with our friends and family members, showing love and gratitude with gifts requires some creative solutions.
Social distancing is an amazing opportunity for e-commerce retailers to help their customers connect with their beloved ones in spite of this difficult situation. All it takes is a little bit of compassion and creativity — so here are a few simple tricks for online businesses to make this Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr special.
What you need to know about Ramadan sales
Even in normal circumstances, Ramadan is a time when most people retreat to their homes and minimize their outdoor activities — save for daily prayers, work, and regular errands. In general, as people spend more time at home, their online activity sparks — and you’ll easily notice it if you track your site’s metrics such as traffic and conversions.
During the holy month, online shopping increases by 55% as its ending, Eid al Fitr, comes closer. According to Criteo, the peak of online sales during Ramadan happens in the third week, with steady growth starting in week two and a steep decline from week four.
Source: Criteo
The behavior patterns show that in the first two weeks, people are mostly looking around — and then come back to make a decision and purchase. Since gifts are an important part of the holy month tradition, it’s important to stock up on the most popular items. In the Middle East, clothes, perfumes, and toiletries are the most common choice. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, buyers still prefer cash on delivery (COD) payment method.
For online retailers, Covid-19 pandemic can be a great opportunity. On top of regular increases in sales, e-commerce may experience an even greater rise in sales compared to previous years, since online purchases are now a necessity, rather than choice. Now let’s see how you’ll make the best of the upcoming, most important three weeks of Ramadan.
1. Optimize the user experience
Although desktop sales in the Middle East account for 80% of retail sales, something unusual happens during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, with weekly mobile sales growing by stunning 61%. What does this mean? If you haven’t done this already, now’s the time — audit your site for fast performance and mobile-optimized experience.
No matter how amazing your marketing campaign is, if your site is not delivering a smooth user experience, you’re wasting time and money. A mere second delay in page loading can result in a 7% decrease in conversions — which can be a significant loss if you have a large volume of sales. Similarly, Google reported that 61% of users won’t return to your site if they had trouble accessing it — so make sure your online store is built for everyone’s fingertips.
2. Celebrate Ramadan, but respond to Covid-19
While it seems easier to just post a 50% OFF sign for certain product categories, the holidays are all about showing special care — so show your customers you care about them. Create a festive atmosphere on your website with Ramadan banners, decorative site elements, and holiday item sections. But don’t stop there — personalized packages and sets are a great way to both boost sales and upsell.
For example, if you sell food, creating Ramadan menus is bound to make life easier for everyone who needs a take-away meal. If you’re a grocery retailer, offer special baskets with all the food and household essentials for a week — a super practical trick in the midst of coronavirus pandemic.
You can do the same with perfumes, clothes, and other popular Ramadan product categories. As we mentioned, most of us won’t be able to see all of our friends and family members during Eid. Invite your customers to show their love with specially wrapped gifts and cards delivered to their friends’ and family members’ doorstep. Remember — the greatest thing a business can do is identify the consumers’ problems and offer creative solutions. Based on your target audience and their needs, personalize your offer with this guideline in mind.
3. Gamify the online experience
We discussed that the first 10 days or so of Ramadan are all about “window-shopping” — so save your best marketing tricks for the upcoming weeks. Since your customers have plenty of time for leisure both due to the holiday and the pandemic lockdowns, make their time spent on your site is both worthwhile and worth coming back. How? Well, everybody loves a good game.
Personalized quizzes, surprise discounts with countdown timers, treasure hunts — you name it — can easily make your sales skyrocket. You can use quizzes to engage your customers and create special product offers based on their answers.
Surprise discounts will keep your website visitors on edge as they are coming back for more — and once the countdown timer starts, they won’t have much time for second thoughts.
Finally, treasure hunts (rewarding site visitors who find a small image or item hidden on one page of your site) are a great way to get customers to truly peruse your entire site — and feel a sense of accomplishment as they purchase a special discounted item.
4. Show compassion
As we’re facing these difficult and uncertain times, connecting with your customers in compassion and solidarity can do wonders for your brand. During the month of Ramadan, we practice zakat, and what better way to honor this great holiday than by leading by our own example?
If it is possible for your business, offer discounts or coupons for certain vulnerable categories of consumers. You can include free giveaways with specific orders. You can donate a percentage of Ramadan earnings to local and regional charities, or even invite buyers to decide where they’d like their zakat to go.
Conclusion
Ramadan is a time for reflection, peace, and compassion. We end it by coming together to celebrate life and its beauty. Similarly, start creating a perfect holiday customer experience by asking yourself — what kind of product and service would I like to receive in these times? Offer your customers something that will make them feel valued, honored, and celebrated.
Fetchr is here to help you with that. We’ve been with our customers and business partners in the Middle East for eight years now. We’ve gone through good and bad times with one mission in mind — to make it to our customers’ doors no matter the circumstances. This year, we’ll help you deliver the holiday to everyone’s doorstep — start the journey by clicking below!
We are Fetchr; a company specialized in e-fulfillment. We help e-commerce entrepreneurs grow their business in the Middle East. Let’s make it happen! One box at a time. Learn more here.
