Every December, families exchange lists: “What do you want for Christmas?” If your store lets customers build a wishlist and share it with a link, the people who receive that link arrive on your site already knowing what to buy. It is the most qualified traffic you can get, and it costs nothing.
How a shared wishlist works
- A visitor taps the heart on products they like.
- They open their wishlist and copy the share link.
- They send it to family by message or email.
- Family members open the list and add the products to their cart.
What your wishlist needs for Christmas
- No account required: most visitors will not register to save a list.
- A share link that works for anyone, on any device.
- Add to cart from the list, with price and stock visible.
- Compatible with page caching, so it stays fast during the rush.
Wishly covers these points and adds a “most wished” report so you know which products to stock up on. Try the hearts on the live demo, and read how to choose a wishlist plugin.
Promote the wishlist in December
- Announcement bar: “Make your Christmas list and share it with your family”.
- A line in your gift guide and newsletters.
- A post on social media showing how to create a list in three taps.
- A message on the wishlist page itself: “Share your list before 15 December for delivery in time”.
Use the data
The most wished products show demand before it turns into orders. Use them to plan stock, choose products for your Christmas email, or run a small promotion on items people want but hesitate to buy.
Privacy
A shared list should only show products, not personal data. Tell users that anyone with the link can see the list.
Ideas to make wishlists part of Christmas
- A “Letter to Santa” page explaining how to build and share a list in three steps, with screenshots.
- A family moment on social media: “Share your list with us, we pick one to gift on 20 December”, if you can run a simple, legal giveaway.
- A reminder email to customers who saved products: “Your list is waiting, delivery before Christmas until 18 December”, if they agreed to receive emails.
- A heart counter in the header, so visitors find their list again.
Mistakes to avoid
- Forcing registration before saving a product.
- A share link that only works when logged in.
- A wishlist page without add to cart buttons.
How to measure the result
Compare the same weeks before and after the change in WooCommerce › Analytics: conversion rate (orders divided by visits in your statistics tool), average order value and the share of mobile orders. Change one thing at a time when you can, and give each change at least a week of traffic before judging it. In December, compare with the first half of November rather than with last year, because your catalogue and traffic have changed.
Frequently asked questions
Do customers need an account to share a wishlist?
Not with a browser-based wishlist; a share link is generated without registration.
Does a wishlist help Christmas sales?
Yes, shared lists bring visitors who already know which products to buy.
Can I see which products are most wished?
With a most wished report, yes, which helps plan stock.