How to Prepare Your E-Commerce Business For Diwali of a Thousand Sales: 5 Expert Diwali Business Ideas

The festival of lights, joy and prosperity is here again. This is another fantastic opportunity to boost your sales.

But how can you prepare your online store for Diwali? 

How can products stand out from the crowd? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

This article has 10 expert tips for the Diwali season.

You’ll learn how to create an engaging shopping experience for your visitors. And how to delight your customers with fast delivery and personalised support.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Why is Diwali so special?

Diwali is a Sanskrit word which means “row of light”.

It’s also known as Deepawali and is a major Indian festival.

People light clay lamps (diyas) outside their homes. Diyas symbolise the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness.

Diwali means different things to different regions and religions in India. Let’s take a look:

• Hindus in northern India celebrate the return of Lord Rama and Sita from exile.
• Bengalis honour the goddess Kali’s victory over evil.
• And, in Nepal, Diwali marks Lord Krishna’s defeat of the tyrant Narakaasura.

However, each group have similar ways of celebrating Diwali:

• Exchanging gifts with family and friends
• Making colourful patterns (rangolis) on the floor. Using coloured powders or flowers.
• Watching new movies or cultural shows together
• Enjoying delicious food and snacks, and
• Bursting crackers or fireworks together.

And for businesses? It’s the start of the new Hindu financial year.

Generally, it’s a festival of happiness, prosperity, and peace for everyone.

Use SMSCountry to send fast and personalized Diwali messages via SMS or WhatsApp. See how it works and schedule a quick demo or sign up.

Does this influence the buying behaviour of millions of customers? It does.

Some Diwali stats to note

Businesses make huge profits during Diwali.

These statistics show how important Diwali is to Indian e-commerce:

• Diwali is the peak season for online shopping in India. Online shopping increases by 45% during Diwali.
• Diwali is when people buy gifts for themselves and their loved ones. Over 1.5 million iPhone units were sold during the first sales week.
• People gladly spend more than usual during Diwali, especially on premium and luxury items. This means that you can offer higher margins and discounts. As well as upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
• People search for exciting products and experiences during Diwali. This is the time to create engaging content and campaigns.

Diwali is a massive opportunity for e-commerce businesses like you in India. And just like in Dussehra, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity.

What’s the difference between Diwali and Dussehra?

Diwali and Dussehra are two major Hindu festivals. They both celebrate the victory of good over evil.

However, they have some different origins, rituals, and significance.

DIWALI	DUSSEHRA
Diwali falls between October and November.	Dussehra falls between September and October.
Diwali falls on the last day of the month of Ashwini.	Dussehra falls on the tenth day of the month of Ashvina.
Diwali, the “darkest new moon day”, falls at the waning phase of the moon.	Dussehra, the “bright fortnight”, falls on the day the full moon appears.
Diwali is celebrated 20 days after Dussehra.	Dussehra is celebrated 20 days before Diwali.
Diwali honours the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom, Ayodhya, following 14 years of exile. Diwali also honours the goddess Lakshmi, associated with wealth and prosperity.	Dussehra marks the defeat of the demon king Ravana by Lord Rama.
Lighting lamps, candles, and lanterns celebrate Diwali.	Dussehra is commemorated by burning effigies of Ravana and his brothers Kumbhakarna and Meghnad.

Both festivals involve rituals, prayers, fireworks, and the exchange of gifts and sweets.

Check out: 101+ Great SMS Messages to Wish Your Customers Happy Diwali

Now, you have these details at your fingertips.

So, how does your e-commerce business come in?

5 expert ideas to prepare your e-commerce business for Diwali

Here are five expert ideas to prepare your e-commerce business for Diwali.

#1. Start early and plan

“Make your brand and products irresistible for the festive season. Start early and plan for two to three months.” 

“Don’t miss out on the early birds. Send them festive ads and offers to lure them in. The earlier, the better.” – Sandeep Israni, cofounder at BrightBrain Marketing Technologies LLP

Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your e-commerce store for Diwali.

Focus on what you want to achieve. And how you will execute it.

Here’s how:

• Conduct a SWOT analysis of your e-commerce business. Identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Set SMART goals for your Diwali sales and track your progress regularly.
• Analyse your previous Diwali sales data. Learn from your successes and failures.
• Research your competitors. Find out what they’re doing differently or better than you.
• Create a detailed action plan. Do this for each aspect of your e-commerce business, like inventory management, pricing strategy, marketing campaigns, delivery options, and customer support.

The possible outcome?

• You’ll have a clear roadmap for your e-commerce business during Diwali.
• You can optimise your resources. This will enhance your profits and minimise your risks.
• You can also respond quickly to any changes in the market or customer behaviour.

Of course, some challenges may arise, like:

• Unexpected issues or delays in your supply chain, logistics, or technology.
• Increased competition or price wars from other e-commerce businesses.
• Increased customer expectations or complaints.

But you can overcome these challenges. How?

• Draw a contingency plan for any potential problems or emergencies.
• Monitor your competitors’ activities and adjust your strategy accordingly.
• Provide excellent customer service and offer incentives or rewards for loyal customers.

#2. Create festive-themed content and offers

“Write catchy blogs, ads and social media posts that match your festive theme. Link them together so your audience can find them easily.” 

“For example, if you have a special offer, share it on social media with the same vibe. Also, use relevant hashtags. They create a buzz about your offers.” – Sandeep says.

Are you confused about which service providers are on the top? Here you can find a list of top service providers so that you can make an informed choice, delight your customers, and multiply your revenue.

Don’t just sell your products and services. Tell a story around them. Ensure that it resonates with your target audience’s values.

To get started with creative Diwali content:

• Identify your target audience’s pain points, needs, wants, and preferences.
• Create a content calendar. It should outline the topics, formats, channels, frequency, and goals of your content.
• Produce high-quality content. Showcase your brand personality, USP (unique selling proposition), and CTA (call to action).
• Promote your content across various platforms. Use social media, email marketing, blogs, videos, podcasts, and webinars.
• Offer relevant and exclusive deals and discounts. And align them with your brand image.

However, challenges like these may arise:

• Struggling to create original and unique content.
• Measuring your content marketing efforts.
• Deciding between offering attractive deals and maintaining your profit margins.

Here’s how to overcome these challenges:

• Conduct keyword research and competitor analysis. It’ll show you what type of content works best for your niche.
• Employ analytics tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Insights. They track and measure your content marketing campaigns.
• Test different offers and prices. Find out what works best for your customers and your business.

#3. Optimise your website for mobile devices

“Slow websites are even slower on phones, especially in busy places with bad signals. So, ensure your website works well on any device, old or new. 

“If your desktop site drags, it will be worse on mobile.” – Salvador Ordorica, Founder and CEO, The Spanish Group LLC.

Customers mostly use mobile devices during festive periods. Imagine a customer trying to find you on a slow 3G connection in a busy subway.

Ensure that your website loads fast and functions smoothly. Do this for different devices and browsers.

Also provides secure and convenient payment options for mobile users.

Here’s how to follow this tip:

• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or PageSpeed Insights. They help you check the mobile-friendliness and speed of your website.
• Implement responsive or adaptive web design. They make your website adapt to different devices and resolutions.
• Use AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) or PWA (Progressive Web Apps). They improve the user’s website experience on mobile devices.
• Integrate mobile wallets like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. They offer a fast and easy payment option for mobile users.

The result?

• It will increase your website traffic, conversions, and sales.
• It’ll also reduce your bounce rate, cart abandonment rate, and customer churn rate.

Well, challenges may arise from following this tip:

• Additional time and expenses
• Technical issues or bugs. Which may affect your website’s functionality or security on mobile devices. And,
• Compliance with the regulations and policies of the mobile wallet providers.

Gratefully, you can overcome these challenges when you:

• Hire an affordable yet professional web developer. Or use a reliable web hosting service. Both options will optimise your website for mobile devices.
• Test your website regularly and fix any errors or glitches that may occur on mobile devices. 
• Follow the terms and conditions of the mobile wallet providers. Ensure beforehand that your website meets their standards.

#4. Use WhatsApp automation to run your pre-order campaigns

“Let your customers claim their favourite items before they run out. Pre-order campaigns on WhatsApp are a great way to boost your sales and learn what your customers want.” – Sanjay Gouda, WhatsApp Content Specialist

WhatsApp is one of Indians’ most used social media platforms. It has over 493 million users in India.

But, reaching numerous customers at once can be daunting.

That’s why you need powerful WhatsApp Business Service Provider software. So, you can send automated WhatsApp messages to your audience.

How to get started? Easy-peasy:

• Create and verify a WhatsApp Business account. Already have one? Next.
• Connect with Telebu Social WhatsApp BSP software. We’ll help you create a chatbot to handle various queries and tasks.
• Segment your WhatsApp contacts. Determine their location, purchase history, preferences, and behaviour.
• Create a WhatsApp marketing calendar. It should outline the types, timings, and goals of your messages.
• Craft compelling messages. Showcase your brand personality and USP (unique selling proposition). Ensure to add clear CTAs (Call To Action).
• Test and optimise your messages for deliverability, open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and revenue.

This will boost your reach during Diwali. It’ll also enhance sales and boost customer satisfaction.

These challenges will likely arise:

• Complying with WhatsApp Business policies and guidelines.
• Dealing with low response rates, high opt-out rates, and spam reports.
• Competing with other e-commerce businesses.

But, like every challenge, here’s a solution. Telebu Social.

Use Telebu Social to stay compliant with WhatsApp Business regulations.

You’ll also get tools to track and improve your campaigns. Plus, our support team are always available round the clock, 24/7.

Learn more about how to set up Telebu Social and automate your WhatsApp marketing. Or contact our support team to get started right away.

#5. Use SMS and bulk SMS to reach a wider audience and create urgency

“Unlike other channels, SMS is the most direct. It gives you one-on-one access to your customers. And it makes it easier for customers to respond to your offers.” – José Rivas, International Advisor, USFTI

Did you know you can enjoy an SMS open rate of 98% during Diwali?

Use SMS and bulk SMS to follow up with your customers and show appreciation.

Ready to boost your reach via SMS this Diwali?

• Sign up on SMSCountry and enjoy sending bulk SMSes at the best rates.
• Integrate our SMS API into your e-commerce platform or CRM.
• Segment your SMS contacts. Use criteria like location, purchase history, preferences, and behaviour.
• Create an SMS marketing calendar.
• Write catchy messages that highlight your products, offers, and discounts. Include a clear CTA, such as a link or a code. You can get ideas from our Diwali message templates.
• Test and optimise your messages for deliverability, open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and revenue.

Are you facing SMS challenges like:

• Spam complaints?
• Low open rates or high unsubscribe rates?
• Balancing between offering attractive deals and maintaining your profit margins?

Here’s what to do:

• Follow SMS marketing best practices. Use these compliant SMS templates to obtain permission from customers to send SMSes to them. Also, provide value.
• Use tools like SMSCountry to track and improve your SMS marketing campaigns.

You’re now at the end of this exclusive guide on boosting your Diwali e-commerce sales.

How to wrap up your e-commerce marketing for Diwali

Communicate smartly with customers and prospects this year’s Diwali season. Send them valuable Diwali offers that hit the bullseye.

Use Telebu Social and SMSCountry to receive and track customer reviews and feedback.

SMSCountry helps you send personalised bulk SMS to your customers and prospects before, during, and after Diwali. 

And Telebu Social helps you create amazing WhatsApp chatbots for your e-commerce sales. 

So, sign up for free on SMSCountry and Telebu Social or schedule a free demo now.

Our team is waiting to serve you.