Every year, customers turn up to closed shops, ring numbers that aren't answered, and email businesses expecting a same-day reply — all because the website still says "open as usual." A few small updates before you close for Christmas can save you a lot of confused customers and missed enquiries. Here's what's worth checking.
Why this matters more than it seems
People check your website before they check anything else — before they call, before they drive over, before they message you on social media. If your site doesn't reflect your actual Christmas hours, you're creating a bad experience right at the point customers are trying to give you money or book you in. It's a small job with a disproportionately large effect on customer trust.
What to actually update
Your opening hours page or footer. If your site lists standard opening hours anywhere — footer, contact page, homepage — add your Christmas and New Year dates clearly, ideally with exact dates rather than "closed over Christmas."
Your Google Business Profile. This is often where people check first, before they even land on your website. Update your special hours there directly — Google shows a prompt for this every December. See our local SEO guide if you haven't set this up properly yet.
A homepage banner or notice. A short, visible line — "We're closed from 24 Dec to 2 Jan, back to normal service in the New Year" — removes any doubt before someone has to go looking for it.
Contact form and email auto-replies. If enquiries usually get a same-day response, set an auto-reply explaining when you'll actually get back to people. This alone prevents a lot of "did you get my message?" follow-ups in January.
Delivery and order cut-off dates. If you sell online, this is essential, not optional. Be specific about the last order date for Christmas delivery and when dispatch resumes.
Booking systems. If clients book appointments or services online, make sure your Christmas closure dates are blocked out in the booking calendar itself, not just mentioned in text elsewhere.
How far in advance to do this
Early December is usually plenty of time, but if you're closing for an extended period or relying on Royal Mail or courier cut-off dates, those get published in November — so it's worth checking and publishing your own dates as soon as they're confirmed.
The bit everyone forgets
Set a reminder to change everything back in January. A surprising number of small business websites still say "closed for Christmas" in February, which does nothing for customer confidence. If you have a website support arrangement, this is exactly the kind of small, easy-to-forget task worth handing off — see what to expect from ongoing website support.
If you'd rather not think about it
If your website needs updating for Christmas and you'd rather it just got done, this is a quick job for us. Get in touch and we'll sort your opening hours, banner, and auto-replies before you close up for the year — and switch everything back in January.