How To Target Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday get a lot of attention, according to RetailMeNot's 2015 Shoppers Trend Report, nearly one in three consumers wait until the week of Christmas to do most of their holiday shopping.

Last-minute shoppers behave differently than those who plan ahead. They are less likely to comparison shop and even more reliant on their smartphones compared to early shoppers who may do research at home on their desktops. These shoppers look to get the information they need quickly and don't have time to spend searching around.

As shoppers hit the pavement, there are a few things you can do to make sure your business gets found during the last-minute rush.

Highlight Last-Minute Promotions
Update your online presence to highlight last-minute gift items, including social media promotions that address these (stressed out) consumers directly.

Build a Local Audience to Engage with Relevant Offers Consumers will make more than six shopping trips on average during the holidays. Create a local audience of customers to engage with relevant offers by requesting customer emails, leveraging organic social media, or employing new technologies such as location-based ads. You'll be more likely to attract last-minute shoppers as they scramble to make their purchases.

Make Deals Locally Relevant
Engage last-minute customers with relevant nearby deals while they are searching for where to shop: on business listings, search engines, your website, and in store. Update your enhanced listing content and local pages to highlight events and other seasonal promotions that may convince last-minute shoppers to walk through your doors.

While 90% of purchases still happen in a physical location, they are heavily influenced by digital. Consumers expect instant access to information about what and where to make their purchases — especially as they inch closer and closer to the big gift-giving day. Anticipating their needs and making their experience seamless from start to finish will take every department within an organization having access to timely and accurate information. With the surge of local searches and shoppers' loyalty up for grabs, the organization that is the most prepared to respond to mobile consumers will reap the rewards this season.

Download The Yext Guide to Holiday Prep now and learn how to make the most of this year's holiday season.