Every December, a lot of people are looking for a gift for someone who is hard to buy for. A gift card to a business that person already likes is an easy answer, and it is one of the few things a local business can sell right up to the last minute. There is nothing to ship and nothing to run out of.
Yet on many small business websites, the gift card is hard to find. It sits on a page called something like Shop or More, linked from the footer, or it is mentioned only in an Instagram post from last year. Someone who came to buy one leaves without it, and they rarely come back to look again.
Put it where people look first
From now until the end of the year, a gift card should be visible within a few seconds of landing on your site. That usually means three places:
- Your main menu, with a plain label such as Gift Cards rather than something clever.
- Your homepage, above the fold on a phone, as a short line or button rather than a full banner.
- Near your booking or ordering button, so someone booking for themselves sees they can buy one for someone else.
Test it on your phone, not just your laptop. Most holiday browsing happens on a small screen, and a menu item that is obvious on a desktop can be buried behind a tap or two on mobile.
Make the gift card page answer every question
The page itself should be short, but it should not leave anyone guessing. A shopper wants to know:
- What amounts are available, or whether they can choose their own.
- Whether it arrives by email, can be printed, or needs to be picked up.
- How quickly it arrives, especially on December 23 or 24.
- Whether it can be personalised with a name and a message.
- What it can be used for, and whether it expires.
If your gift cards can only be bought in person, say so clearly, with your hours, rather than leaving people to work it out. That is still useful information, and it may bring them through the door.
A gift card is the easiest thing you sell. The only way to lose the sale is to make it hard to find.
Keep the checkout short
Once someone has decided, every extra field and step is a chance to give up. Ask only for what you need to deliver the card and take payment. If the purchase passes through a separate system, check that it works end to end on a phone, and that the confirmation email actually arrives. The same applies to any landing page you build for a holiday offer.
Then tell people the cards exist. Mention them in your holiday emails, social posts and Google Business Profile, and link each one straight to the gift card page rather than your homepage. If you have not already, add it to the checks in testing your website before the holiday rush.
Making sure your site turns visitors into sales is what Vizible's website service is built around. If you would like a fresh look at your own, start with a free growth proposal.
Frequently asked questions
- Where should gift cards appear on a small business website?
- In the main menu, on the homepage where it is visible on a phone without scrolling far, and near the main booking or ordering button.
- What should a gift card page include?
- The available amounts, how and when the card is delivered, whether it can be personalised, what it can be used for and whether it expires.
- Should I sell digital gift cards?
- Digital gift cards that arrive by email suit last-minute shoppers well, because they can be bought and given right up to the day itself.
- How do I promote gift cards during the holidays?
- Mention them in your holiday emails, social posts and Google Business Profile, and link each mention directly to the gift card page.