5 easy ways to ramp up the back-to-school e-commerce strategy

There is no doubt this back-to-school season will look different than all others. While your site may have promo'd back-to-school at-home or hybrid preparedness last year, with in-person learning back in full swing, your e-commerce strategy will go through another upheaval this year.

A recent study reveals this year's back-to-school spending will spike to an all-time high compared to recent years, reaching a whopping $32.5 billion for K-12 students. Many parents who previously trudged around the mall with kids in tow will be looking to spend their dollars online, or leverage buy online, pick up in-store and curbside pickup. Is your site ready to withstand what could be one of the most anticipated back-to-school seasons yet?

With the right e-commerce strategy, back-to-school prep can generate a significant boost in conversions for your online store. This article will walk you through five easy-to-implement strategies to get your store ready in time for the back-to-school rush.

Summer reading ahead....Quiz optional.

No. 1: Optimize your online store — and make it mobile-friendly

Is there any date more stressful in a parent's shopping calendar than the back-to-school rush? Between books, stationery, backpacks, clothing, tech devices, the list can be overwhelming. With little time and energy on shoppers' hands, simplify and optimize your digital shopping experience by making your products easily findable. You have the power to up your digital game with a dedicated landing page, branded campaigns, integrating campaign banners and badges to create consistency across your online store.

With over half of online shopping traffic coming from mobile devices, it is also imperative you make your store mobile-friendly. While most platforms will automatically adjust to desktop vs. mobile settings, there are manual tweaks you might need to make. Ensure your images are loading properly, and your CTA buttons aren't out of place. Nothing a regular QA test can't fix or catch.

No. 2: Create a cohesive shopping experience, both online and in-store

With stores being back open, how will you cohesively blend the online and in-store experience for these hybrid shoppers? Creating an omnichannel experience will be key to a brand that converts, and one that is stagnant, or worse, forgotten.

Omnichannel merchandising means creating a consistent shopping experience across every touchpoint, including brick-and-mortar, ecommerce, and third-party marketplaces. Take advantage of being able to tell your story, and communicate your campaigns across all these different avenues. You can do so by incorporating a link back to your campaign on social media, highlighting your house brand online whenever possible, implementing BOPIS or curbside pickup, and by welcoming your new customers to your brand with a dedicated email.

Online, social, email, in-store — what is your common denominator? Think it through, and implement the same message across all your channels to amplify your brand and message. This will not only enhance the customer experience but also boost your sales and traffic while creating lifelong fans.

No. 3: Invest in your relationship with your customer

Much like any relationship, the one with your customer needs constant nurturing. You want to avoid your classic one-time-purchase offenders by investing in the customer journey from start to finish. Warning, it's one dynamic journey. From the moment they land on your site, you can incentivize them with a discount for their first purchase, followed by a welcome email, thanking them for being a part of your brand. Chatbots and loyalty programs are also great retention strategies.

Once you have their trust, you must maintain it. Invite them to join an exclusive rewards program, or leverage their data to recommend products they might be interested in to finish their cart. If your customer is looking for a notebook, recommending pens, papers, and binders to finish their school cart might be the natural next step. While back-to-school shopping may seem like a once-a-year type of occasion, by creating and maintaining a relationship with your customers, you will find them coming back time and time over - beyond just back-to-school.

No. 4: Bulk up your tech stock

Let's say you have a killer platform, an amazing search provider, and the greatest e-commerce team to help you push your brand to life. Now what?

Your tech community doesn't have to end there. E-commerce is growing fast, and there are countless tech companies out there that can help you enhance your shopping experience regardless of context.

Whether you're looking for tech review experts, SEO services to increase your leads, sales and ROIs, or an email marketing provider that will help you with retargeting and getting customers back onto your site, seek out expert tech companies who are skilled in these areas and are there to help you. You do not have to do this on your own. It takes a village. Leave the heavy lifting to tech experts, and watch it pay off.

No. 5: What are your customers looking for this year?

Finally, tap into your customer data to find out what they are on the hunt for this year. By understanding their intentions you can make strategic and informed decisions around your campaign strategies. While last year you may have highlighted a "school from home" campaign featuring comfy chairs, cozy school accessories and electronics, this year your strategy will certainly look different.

Using Google Analytics and reporting from your search platform, look into your popular searches to discover what your customers want, and your zero search results to find out what keywords lead customers to "no results found." Are parents searching for items that aren't readily available yet but easy to add to your catalog?

The more you know about your data, the more easily you can make profitable decisions. Pay attention to zero results, top converting searches, top-grossing searches, and popular searches reports to improve the shopping experience and increase sales.

With back-to-school shopping in full swing, take the time to overhaul your site to cater to this new shopping generation of parents looking for a fast, convenient and streamlined shopping experience.

Ten Chu is VP of products at Searchspring