Get more Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales using address data

Webinar recap: The holiday sales race is almost on, and if you’re not prepared with your checkout game plan, you might be left behind with a sea of cart abandonments and “Where’s my order?” calls. But fear not! 

We recently held a webinar with address data experts Caroline Roweton and Brent Francom to talk about the ways bad address data can WRECK your holliday sales bump.

They covered 7 ways you can use address data tools like autocomplete and address verification to crush the competition faster than a Black Friday doorbuster crowd will crush your beautiful holiday displays.

In 2023, online retail sales accounted for over 22% of all sales in the US, and the number continues to grow. If you're doing business online or are just starting, you'll want to make sure that your online buying experience is the best it can possibly be. These 7 tips are focused on doing just that.

Maybe you don't ship your stuff but offer BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store). According to Raydiant, 75% of shoppers love BOPIS, and half grab extra goodies when they pick up. Cha-ching! However, knowing where your customers are can prevent a purchase for pickup in the wrong city or state.

7 tips to improve Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

On the first day of Black Friday prep, my Point of Sale gave to me…

#1: Reduce fields on forms whenever possible

Online shoppers are the ultimate multitaskers, juggling multiple tabs to find the perfect deal. With the Baymard Institute reporting a 70% cart abandonment (thanks, Baymard Institute!), every second of checkout friction counts. And nothing is quite as scary as a huge form.

To reduce the shipping address fields from taking up your whole form, you can use address autocomplete—your secret weapon for slashing address entry time by up to 40%. Instead of forcing customers through 15 different fields, let them start typing and watch the magic happen. 

For U.S. customers, the system gets even smarter, using IP positioning to show local addresses within 15 miles from just a few keystrokes. Not only does this speed up checkout, but it also ensures you get verified, valid addresses straight into your database.

Key point 1:
In the world of online shopping, every extra field is another chance for your customer to think, "Do I really need this?" Don't give them that chance!

#2: Avoid delivery issues by checking addresses up-front

While address autocomplete is powerful, customers can still edit their addresses after selection—that's why address verification acts as your shipping insurance policy. Checking addresses against authoritative databases confirms existence, fixes typos, and can add any missing delivery information.

The stakes are high during the holidays. (Just ask Brent's grandmother who maintains a blacklist of companies that botched her Christmas deliveries!) Combining autocomplete with verification creates a powerful duo that builds customer loyalty, reduces support tickets, and ensures accurate deliveries.
And you can't rely on your shipping carrier to check all of your addresses.

Key point 2:
When customers trust you with their holiday gifts, they're also trusting you with their holiday memories. Don't let address errors turn your holiday cheer into holiday tears!

#3: Remember addresses for repeat customers

Nothing frustrates repeat customers more than re-entering their address on a site where they've already purchased—even on Amazon, managing multiple profiles for the same address is a hassle. According to McKinsey data, 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn't happen.

Clean, stored address data enables faster repeat purchases, location-based shipping options, and regional promotions. It's also crucial for BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick up In-Store), where 50% of customers make additional unplanned purchases during pickup. You don't want to have someone order something for pickup at a store location in a different state.

Key point 3:
One bad shipping experience during the holidays can lose you a customer forever. Make every address interaction count!

#4: Build for mobile shoppers

The numbers are clear: smartphones accounted for over 75% of retail site visits and generated roughly two-thirds of online shopping orders in Q2, 2024. Caroline's shopping habits reflect this trend—she admitted to making the vast majority of purchases exclusively on her cell phone.

Mobile optimization means having an address autocomplete available, reducing form fields, and ensuring your autocomplete provider can handle high traffic loads without slowing down the mobile experience.

And it's not just about convenience—it's about preventing lost sales. When mobile users encounter friction at checkout, especially during hectic holiday shopping, they're more likely to abandon their purchase entirely. 

Nobody wants to wrestle with tiny touchscreens, so make sure your site’s checkout removes as many required keystrokes as possible.

Key point 4: 
It's not a great user experience if you expect 100% accuracy in something as key as address data in a world of predictive text fails.

#5: Personalize based on location

As mentioned before, according to McKinsey, 71% of customers want personalized shopping experiences, and 76% throw a tantrum when it doesn’t happen (metaphorically, we hope).

Use address data to tailor shipping options like same-day delivery or offer location-specific deals. By simply reading your users' IP addresses, you can present the best products to them when they need them.

Think snowboards for Minnesota and sunscreen for Florida. You can even make the address autocomplete tool show only addresses you can deliver to.

Key point 5: Personalized shopping experiences, like tailored shipping options and location-specific promotions, can significantly improve customer satisfaction.

#6: Cover your international business bases

Got international customers? Or maybe you're hoping to get some. You better have an autocomplete tool and address validation API that knows its way around foreign formats.

Speed up checkout for those buying a gift for Aunt Sophie in Paris and avoid shipping disasters that end up… well, not Paris.

Key point 6:
Don't limit yourself to a small customer base if you're capable of serving the entire planet, and make sure you have the tools already set up to succeed when you do.

#7: Test your tech now

Don’t wait until you’re drowning in orders. Test that slick autocomplete and optimize your flow before the holiday tsunami hits. It’s the equivalent of checking your lights before the Christmas party.

A tech outage right in the middle of high demand is the worst. If you need proof, you can ask CrowdStrike. We also suggest that you ensure that all of your tech providers build in ways that are secure and outage-proof.

Key point 7: 
No one wants to troubleshoot in the middle of the chaos.

Reasons to follow these tips beyond increasing sales

It's easy to look at these seven tips and see how each will make you more money through increased purchases. However, there are several additional not-so-easy-to-see benefits to having the best front-facing and database-attached address data tools.

Say "nope" to holiday fraudsters
The holiday season isn’t just about spreading cheer—fraudsters are just as eager to take advantage of the shopping rush. A common scheme is when customers intentionally enter incorrect address details to dispute deliveries later.

By implementing address verification, your site confirms that each address entered is valid, minimizing the chances of fraudsters sneaking down the chimney with fake addresses like “000 Main Street” in a random town.

Smarty’s verification tools also return metadata, alerting you to significant address changes. This extra layer lets your team spot anything suspicious—such as significant discrepancies between entered and corrected addresses—adding one more tool to prevent costly fraud and protect your holiday sales from becoming another scam statistic.

Data: Your new BFF
Once the holiday season winds down, you'll have time to turn your attention to all the valuable data you’ve collected from those addresses. Analyzing address data insights can reveal hidden opportunities, such as identifying untapped markets or high-engagement areas where you might consider expanding—maybe even opening a new brick-and-mortar location.

Address data also helps optimize shipping routes, allowing you to identify more efficient delivery paths to reduce costs and streamline future holiday logistics.

And when it comes to marketing, these insights can pinpoint regions needing tailored messaging or extra promotions. So, as you look ahead to next year, let your address data be your guide to smarter growth and more efficient operations.

Wrap it up!

I can't believe you read all the way down here. Hopefully, you found some actionable items in these 7 ways to use address data to sleigh (pun intended) your holiday sales. 

Check out Smarty’s US and International autocomplete and US and International verification and turn holiday chaos into smooth sales.
And if you want to see the webinar itself, you can view it here.