Tips and Tricks for Holiday Web Design

The holidays aren’t just a time for pumpkin lattes and wintry festivities for consumers. They’re also the perfect time for web designers to extend that holiday cheer to the online world in fun ways to enhance user experience. Designers and website owners can celebrate the holidays just as much everyone else by adding some festive yet tactful charm to their designs. Here are some tips and tricks to bring a little festive sparkle to your holiday web design this season.

Tip 1: Spruce Up Your Content

With the fierce online competition that inevitably comes with the holiday season, users are expecting to see content that fits the times. Add subtle textures, illustrative elements or photos of products being used during the current season that add value to the design and usability. Be careful to not overdo your additions; it’s important that your design doesn’t look tacky and that your brand message and site functionality remain strong.

Update your product descriptions by inputting holiday jargon, which will help spruce up your site’s seasonal whimsy, as well as improve its SEO – which will allow users to find items more easily.

Trick: Get creative by actually making a new version of your logo or navigational menu that incorporates holiday elements. For example, if your logo is a butterfly, duplicate the butterfly into several smaller ones to form a wreath. It will integrate charm into your brand image, rather than simply adding images to your message.

Bigstock has a bunch of free holiday images you can use to test out a holiday theme for your site.

Tip 2: Emphasize Products and Categories

A great way to add holiday spirit to your site tactfully and effectively is to show your products in use in the current season, like people wearing scarves and sweaters in the snow. This shows the value that your product gives to the real needs of your users, as well as helps them connect with your brand in a more personal way. They see how your brand will benefit them, and these quality images build up a positive impression of your products.

Trick: Visit Amazon’s ecommerce resource center for more tips on how to optimize your site for the influx of holiday shopping.

Tip 3: Leverage Social Media

Extend your added holiday charm across all of your brand’s online channels, including social media. Use consistent copy and graphic elements so that when users visit your other sites, they’ll recognize your brand and be comfortable using it. You can even do something as simple as adding a new image for your Twitter header or Facebook cover photo.

Trick: To increase user engagement and ultimately drive sales, start fun conversations with holiday-centered hashtags, offer a seasonal deal or insider freebie or create a unique gift finder to aid users while they shop.

Tip 4: Create a Special Landing Page

One of the best ways to eliminate clutter in a time where it tends to take over is to dedicate an entire landing page to one particular product, promotion or offer. If you want to bring focus to one aspect of your brand during the holidays, design a landing page that spotlights its features and benefits for your user. Make sure to include a single call-to-action so that visitors know exactly what they’re agreeing to. This is also another opportunity to continue your established holiday elements to further develop your brand consistency.

Trick: Include social sharing buttons so that when happy customers leave your landing page, they can share their success with their friends – allowing you to reach a wider audience and gain positive rapport among users.

Tip 5: Go With Your Gut

While you’re making these additions to your web design this season, take into consideration what users commonly see in websites this time of year, and consider what will make you unique. Remember that users are constantly bombarded with information and cluttered designs, so the best solution is to keep yours simple and classy; your users will be happy for the breath of fresh air in your tasteful design.