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Helping Visitors Like You So They Contact You
Web writing is about creating comfort for your visitor. When people feel comfortable and understand what you do, that’s when they choose you.
16 January 2026
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If your website still shows winter specials in the middle of an Aussie summer, or a “Sale ends September” banner is hanging around in late November, you are not alone. Many business websites drift out of date while owners serve customers and deal with the day to day. The problem is simple. When someone lands on a page that talks about last year’s deals or Easter opening hours, it signals that no one is watching. People hesitate. They click away.
You do not need a redesign to fix this. You can bring your site back to life with two short updates – one before Christmas, and another ready to go for Boxing Day.
Start with a quick sweep for anything that is out of date. Open your homepage, your most important service or product page, your contact page and your footer. Use your browser’s search to look for giveaway words like “2024”, “Winter”, “Spring” or “Easter”. You will likely spot an expired shipping note, last year’s pricing, or an old sale message tucked under the hero image. Make a short list of the top three fixes. That is enough to get moving.
Now refresh for Christmas shoppers. Treat it like cleaning your shop window before the rush. You do not need to change everything, you just need to show that you are open, current and ready to help. Start with the main heading and a simple line that speaks to people shopping or booking for Christmas. If you run a service business, a line such as “Christmas bookings are open now with appointments available until 22 December.” sets clear expectations.
If you run an online store, clarity is everything. “Order by 18 December for pre-Christmas delivery. Click and collect available.” Put exact dates on the page rather than vague holiday phrasing, and repeat the key detail near the button that matters – whether that is Add to Cart, Book Now or Enquire.
While you are there, make sure holiday hours are visible on the contact page and in the footer. Add them to your Google Business Profile as well, because many customers will check that first. When those updates are live, test on your phone. If the right dates and buttons are visible without hunting, you are in good shape.
In Japan, Christmas is all done and packed up by boxing day. Your store can take a lesson from the Japanese.
Write your Boxing Day switch now while you are in the flow. When you close for Christmas, your website should already know what happens next. Keep it short and specific. “Boxing Day sale starts 26 December. New offers live at 7 am.” For service businesses, “We reopen 28 December. January bookings are now open.” If your site lets you schedule content, set the message to publish automatically on Boxing Day. If your tools do not support scheduling, put the exact words into a calendar reminder so you can paste and publish in under a minute. The goal is a calm handover, not another scramble.
Avoid the common traps. Do not over-promise delivery dates, especially with couriers under pressure. Do not hide holiday hours behind a menu. Do not leave the year wrong in the footer or on policy pages. A tiny line that says “Updated December 2025” adds quiet confidence.
You will notice the difference immediately. Season-specific language shows you are present. Dates match reality. Calls to action feel timely. None of this needs a developer. It needs ten focused minutes now and a scheduled minute later
Your page now says the right thing for Christmas and you have queued the Boxing Day note. Before you move on, decide how you will help people take the next step at each stage. This is not about blasting your list. It is about gentle, timely prompts that meet customers where they are.
Think in three stages. Before Christmas, people want reassurance. Are you open? When will orders arrive? How do they book? One short email that says what changed and where to click is enough. On Instagram, show the updated section of your site on your phone and point to the information. Keep it human. Keep it short. Use the same words in both places so there is no confusion.
On Boxing Day, attention shifts fast. If you are running an online sale, your message should remove friction and make the first step obvious. In email, write a single paragraph that says what is available, how to get it and how long it lasts. Be specific in the subject line about the one thing that matters, such as the start time or the benefit. On social, show one product or one offer and link to the page you have already prepared. If you sell services rather than goods, the same idea applies. Tell people when you reopen and what they can book today for January. Make the action the hero, not the announcement.
In January, many businesses go quiet and lose momentum. A simple re-opening note resets the relationship. “We are back. Here is what is available today. Here is how to start.” If you work by appointment, invite people to book their first slot of the year. If you sell online, point to a helpful first step such as a popular bundle or an easy pick-up option. Keep the tone fresh. It is a new year, not a leftover sale.
Email and Instagram have different jobs, but they should tell the same story. Email is a private tap on the shoulder. Instagram is the friendly wave in the feed. Write one sentence that says what changed and one sentence that says what to do next. Reuse those two sentences everywhere. Put them on the website note, in the email, as the social caption and in your Google Business Profile update. Consistency wins because busy people do not have time to decode variations.
A light touch with segments helps without turning this into a project. If you can identify customers who bought from you last Boxing Day, send them the shorter note that gets to the point. If you can spot service clients, talk to them about January slots. Everyone else gets the standard message. “Previous buyers” and “everyone else” is enough.
Keep links simple. Send people to the one page that proves what you have said and lets them act within a click or two. If you are running a sale, send to the sale page. If you are taking bookings, send to the booking page with January times visible. Do not send people to the homepage and hope they will find the path.
Tone matters. Warm and plain beats clever every time. “Here is what changed. Here is how to get it.” If you want a touch of personality, add it in the second sentence with a nod to the heat, a quick thanks for the year, or a line about leftovers and cricket on the telly. Keep it local. Keep it human.
Here are a few lines you can lift and adjust:
A final safeguard helps in busy weeks. When you schedule your Boxing Day switch, paste the exact words for your email and Instagram into a note beside it. If you are flat out, you can copy, paste and press send without thinking. The point of this plan is not louder marketing. It is fewer decisions at the busiest time of the year, delivered in the same calm voice your customers already trust.
If you want a simple way to stay on top of all this, I have put together a one page Christmas and Boxing Day checklist. It covers the exact steps to follow now and the one minute update to schedule for later. Download it, keep it handy and use it each December to stay organised without the year end scramble.
Did you enjoy this read? Release Notes is a newsletter that lands in your inbox once a month with one focused idea, a quick how to, and a tiny check to measure progress. Subscribe to get a monthly note focused on better site management, optimised websites and steps you can take to make your site more secure.
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