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December 2006 Tip of the Month

4 easy online tips to cash in this holiday season!

According to Entrepreneur.com, holiday sales account for more than half of many retail sites’ total annual sales. In addition, ecommerce is expected to increase by approximately 25% this holiday season. Knowing this, the best advice that you can give your customers is to encourage them to spruce up their sites and get them holiday-ready, so that they can maximize their December profits. To help them out, just give them these 4 easy online tips to cash in this holiday season:

Decorate your site early.
Nothing gets your customers in the holiday spirit faster than viewing festive holiday decorations on your business site’s pages. Look at the malls. They have their Christmas trees trimmed and Hanukah candles lit faster than you can say bye to “Boo!”. Simple, tasteful graphics like twinkling lights, candy canes, snowmen and bells sprinkled throughout your site is a great way to remind your customers that it’s time to do some shopping before the rush.

Order inventory in all price ranges (small, medium and large). This year make sure you order enough inventory to accommodate a variety of price ranges. Not only do you want to push this year’s “must have” big-ticket items, but also, stock up on several mid-range price products ($20-50), as well as under $20 stocking stuffers. By giving your customers a choice, you will broaden your target market, as well as promote customer loyalty.

Do a BIG holiday email blast. The beginning of December is the perfect time to send out a big email blast to your customer database. Keep it short and sweet, easy-to-read and full of hard-to-resist specials with deadlines. Give them great incentives like free gift-wrapping, free shipping/handling and special discounts to get them online and buying before the special ends. 

Emphasize “Guaranteed Delivery!” Research has shown that “Guaranteed Delivery” is one of the most enticing holiday incentives that you can offer your customers (just remember that they must make their purchases before the shipping cut-off date).  Knowing this, don’t be afraid to scream it out from the rooftops and use it until the very last minute. Make it fun -- by advertising in a “Guaranteed Delivery Countdown!” on your home page. It’s easy to do and will be a big hit with your customers. Seeing your flashing “Only 2 days left for guaranteed delivery!” banner will create a sense of urgency for them to buy now; and your customers will love the unique, thoughtfulness of the gesture.


 

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