The holiday season is the most critical and competitive time of year for e-commerce brands. The outlook on projected holiday online shopping looks robust, according to a report by Adobe for Business. They forecast that the upcoming holiday season will see $253 billion spent, with over $142 billion of that being mobile purchases. This represents an over 5% increase, giving businesses hope for a season of joy. Knowing what to do to tap into that is crucial for business owners.
“Most brands think they have a marketing problem when they really have a data problem,” says Mia Umanos, CEO and co-founder of Clickvoyant, a Techstars-backed AI analytics company. “The holiday season doesn’t just test your website, it tests your team’s ability to listen to your shoppers at scale.”
She reminds us that online business success during the holidays comes down to one thing: understanding your customers through data. Every click, scroll, and abandoned cart represents not only lost revenue but also lost opportunity. It's a missed mark in turning someone into a repeat customer, as well as gaining the holiday sales. Those selling online must stay up-to-date with the growing demands and changes in the tech world so that they can meet their customers' needs and capitalize on opportunities.
Here are Umanos’ top five tips for e-commerce leaders to not just survive this holiday season, but to thrive, in what is the busiest shopping time of the year:
1. Fix the funnel before you fuel it.
Don't "solve" weak conversions with louder ads. My mantra: "Don't pour more people into a leaky funnel, as you'll just waste money faster." The holiday rush tempts brands to crank up ad spend, but if your product pages or checkout flows aren't converting, you're just accelerating the leak. Use behavioral data to identify where shoppers hesitate, such as when they click, scroll, or abandon their cart. Repair those friction points before scaling traffic.
2. Design for mobile first — not as an afterthought.
The majority of shoppers discover, compare, and even complete purchases on their phones. Yet most teams design from their desktop computers, and it shows. Tiny buttons, slow loading times, or cramped forms can kill conversions. Audit your site through your customer’s eyes (or thumbs): if you can’t buy in under 60 seconds on mobile, you’re leaving money on the table.
3. Let data challenge your assumptions — not confirm them.
The holidays amplify bias. Marketing teams double down on last year’s “winning” messaging or deals, even when the audience has shifted. I call this “ego-driven analytics.” Instead of cherry-picking numbers that prove you’re right, look for what’s surprising. If your top SKU is suddenly slipping, be curious about why. Data is your most honest holiday team member, the one brave enough to tell you there’s spinach in your teeth.
4. Turn insights into empathy — every click is a conversation.
Data isn’t just numbers; it’s how your customers talk to you at scale. Every bounce, add-to-cart, or drop-off is a sentence in that dialogue. My philosophy is that "data creates empathy between you and your customers." Use those micro-signals to make shoppers feel seen: surface what they love, simplify their journey, and remove anxiety from checkout. The brands that treat analytics as a means of listening, not judging, win loyalty long after the holidays.
5. Build a “curiosity-over-ego” culture — even under pressure.
The holiday season magnifies chaos, and leadership often defaults to gut instinct. I've seen firsthand that the real growth advantage lies in culture: teams that value testing over "being right." Run experiments, such as A/B testing imagery, promotional timing, or bundle strategy. Treat each test result as a gift. "Ego defends. Curiosity explores. And exploration is where breakthroughs live."
“Our goal is to make analytics fast, human, and empathetic,” says Umanos. “Every insight is an opportunity to listen better and serve smarter. When you harness the power of this insight, there's no stopping you! We help e-commerce businesses ensure everything is aligned so they can thrive.”
With over 16 years of experience in digital marketing, analytics, and AI, Umanos has helped brands from Apple to emerging Shopify stores turn shopper behavior into a more innovative strategy. At Clickvoyant, Umanos, and her team are helping e-commerce brands close the gap between data and decision-making. Their AI-driven analytics platform identifies conversion leaks, shopper hesitation points, and growth opportunities in minutes, without needing a data science team. To get more information, visit the site at: https://clickvoyant.com/
