Christmas is drawing closer. Every quaintest shop, sprawling district, and faintest recesses of dimly lit street readies itself to burst from the dancing symphonies of luminance, magnificent garlands, and parols in the open spaces. The immortalized and timeless album of Jose Mari Chan, “Christmas In Our Hearts,” the yuletide soundtrack, will find its way into every holiday playlist of public and commercial spaces in the Philippines. And there’s more to that. The holiday here also spells the impending Christmas traffic to come.
The Festive Rush At Its Finest – Understanding Holiday Traffic in PH
As we know it, Manila will soon be fed and choked with automobiles and the hectic rushing of public movements darting in and out of landmark establishments, from malls to markets and public transit. Traffic jams will soon plague the busy highways with engine roars and cacophonic honks. Needlessly, we buy ourselves the time and currency to prepare our holiday gifts and attune ourselves to the preparational spirit of Christmas. In terms of traffic congestion, a 2022 report from Statista concluded that the traffic index in Manila was 255.4, a tad lower than the previous year. Nevertheless, Manila had the highest traffic index among Southeast Asian capital cities that year.
December has always been congested, which sometimes hinders the joyful air with dread and chaos. And the digital landscape isn’t spared.
Most of today’s malls are prepared to deal with the coming holiday rush. On the other side of the road, online stores and e-commerce sectors will have to deal with the constant, unstoppable mass purchasing force from various buyers around the country, leading to server crashes and downtime. Christmas also sparks a seasonal prime time for many Filipinos to enjoy online shopping, from clothes to decors, food stocks, holiday essentials, and even electronic luxuries. Hence, e-commerce websites also take their time to brace for the surge of on-coming traffic and transactions when the “Ber” months kick in until the pre-Christmas rush. After all, it’s the peak shopping period. While this may sound like pleasant music with a wave of revenues and cash flow, the process is far from being free and easy.
A Look Into the Peak Shopping Trend Periods
In trends, we are familiar with how the surge of mobile shopping continues to transform the contemporary consumerism landscape. According to Contentsquare, mobile makes up 77% of all traffic during peak shopping periods. Additionally, mobile browsing takes up at least 65% of all buying sessions during peak.
Most of the intense online shopping periods are composed of key dates and events that have become the undying trends as the holiday season is nearing. We can all agree that periods starting from September to October may begin to see early sales and the start of holiday-themed marketing campaigns. However, this may not be in full swing until November.
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November
Most e-commerce and shopping platforms heavily promote 11.11, becoming a popular day for shopping sprees in the Philippines. On the other hand, Black Friday is also gaining popularity despite being more widely observed in Western countries where both local and international e-commerce platforms offer ridiculous and tempting discount deals.
December
Much like Black Friday, Cyber Monday remains a cherished tradition and anticipated period in online shopping for tech-savvy individuals, offering remarkable deals on smartphones, laptops, and other in-demand gadgets. Following Cyber Monday, 12.12 marks another major shopping event where discounts and deals rain from offline and online sellers.
The pre-Christmas rush, beginning from December 20 to 24, marks the period for last-minute shoppers wanting to complete their holiday shopping spree, leading to increased sales and crowded malls.
Understanding the Shopper’s Preferences & Trends
Christmas greatly reminds us of generosity and gift-giving. It’s no surprise to see why Christmas celebrations influence our shopping habits. To effectively tap into the holiday market, businesses must comprehend the unique behaviors and preferences of Filipino shoppers during this season.
Family-centric shopping
Family is at the heart of our culture and is deeply ingrained in our identity. Christmas is the perfect opportunity for reunions and gatherings to unite with loved ones and relatives from different places. Therefore, brands adapt their marketing tactics to emphasize the importance of family-oriented products to resonate and appeal to typical Filipino consumers.
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Thoughtful gift-giving
Filipinos are known to take time to select items that hold personal meaning and can convey profound appreciation. Marketers and sellers can emphasize customizable options to strike chords with shoppers seeking more personalized and meaningful gifts for their partners and loved ones.
Flash sales and limited-time offers
The continuous allure of discounts is irresistible to Filipino consumers, from groceries to gadget stores and online shopping departments. Flash sales and limited-time offers, as well as “buy one, take one” captures attention and creates a strong sense of urgency to purchase.
Mobile shopping
Mobile shopping and e-commerce platforms have gained significant marks and traction in the holiday season. Mobile devices have granted us ease of purchasing without the hassle of going to crowded malls and groceries. User-friendly websites and apps can accommodate the growing shoppers and trends.
Family-Centric Shopping- Thoughtful Gift-Giving
- Flash Sales & Limited-Time Offer
- Mobile Shopping
8 Ways for Filipino Businesses Can Prepare for the Upcoming Holiday Season
Website Performance Assessment
The Philippine e-commerce continues to steadily grow where market sales reached $17 billion, with up to 73 million online active users contributing, according to the International Trade Administration. Conducting a performance assessment for websites can help accommodate growing site visits or traffic. The key to your successful website performance assessment should prioritize the following:
- Optimizing website load times
- Ensuring mobile responsiveness
- Strengthening website security measures
- Check for SEO readiness
- Assessing scalability
Keyword Research and Christmas Content Strategy
Conducting keyword research is one crucial step in the process of preparedness. Knowing keywords allows you to understand specific search terms and phrases that local shoppers use when searching for specific products or deals during festive periods. Having an insight into these keywords helps you tailor an effective content strategy to match their search intent. It will increase the chance for your website to appear in relevant search results. You can consider topics like gift guides, shopping tips, special promotions, etc.
On-Page SEO for Christmas
Leveraging your on-page SEO is one smart strategy you can invest in to help you gear for the holiday season. Your website’s on-page elements, such as titles, descriptions, image alt tags, headers, etc., require optimization—which means integrating with holiday-related keywords to enhance your website’s visibility in search engine results. Incorporate keywords naturally into your content to attract organic traffic from users searching for holiday-related products or services.
You can also integrate internal links within your website to help guide users to dedicated pages, allowing them to find the information or deals they seek.
ALSO READ: Is Doing Local SEO Worth It?
Think Christmas Promotions and Offers
We’ve seen how much buyers are easily enticed with discounts during the holiday season. Designing attractive and relevant promotions that resonate with the spirit of Christmas can drive sales and traffic. Consider giving bundled packages, limited-time discounts, and exclusive deals for highly sought-after products based on the preferences of Filipino shoppers. Highlight the promotions prominently through your social media ads to capture the attention of potential customers.
Leveraging Social Media and Email Marketing for Christmas
Social media platforms are your way to connect with your target audience and engage with them. It makes it all the more ideal to share meaningful, relevant content and promotions creatively to showcase your festive products. On the other hand, email marketing is your direct line of communication with your existing customers. There, you can craft compelling email campaigns highlighting your holiday offers, product recommendations, and promotions through personalized emails.
Preparing for Surge in Website Traffic
With the influx of online visitors and buyers, your website must be ready to handle the traffic without the server crashing or slowing down. One essential step to condition your website for the surge of traffic is stress-testing your site’s server capacity to handle higher traffic volume. The testing involves simulating heavy load traffic to identify potential bottlenecks and issues that correlate with your website’s performance. Addressing them earlier prevents downtime and ensures smooth sailing shopping for customers.
Monitor & Analyze Christmas Performance
Tracking your website analytics and sales for the holiday period provides insight into your visitor’s behavior, website performance, and popular products. Observing metrics can help you identify trends, peak traffic times, and areas that require improvement or optimization. Then, you can make real-time adjustments based on these data insights to help you allocate resources effectively and have tailored marketing efforts.
Enhance Customer Support and Engagement
At the height of shopping peak, customer support and engagement is your way to enhance their experience and gain their trust as you make sales. Providing timely and helpful assistance to customers can impact their satisfaction. You can also implement live chat options to your website for immediate assistance and for answering Christmas-related inquiries and guiding them to their purchase journey.
You may also want to engage with them through social media platforms by interacting and commenting to create a personal connection, foster trust, and evoke responsiveness. Always be ready to promptly address concerns and showcase your brand’s genuine interest in shopper’s needs.
Conclusion
The Philippines has always been known for preparing early for the holidays. The “Ber Months’ will herald the coming peak shopping period. Understanding buyers’ preferences, the latest market trends, and the knowledge to prepare your website during the Christmas season is crucial to your success as you navigate through the busiest period.
Invest in professional social media marketing and SEO services in the Philippines. Contact OOm PH, and we will help you determine the best course of action and strategies for the coming festive season.
