Well it’s that time again! Turkey day is almost here- spending time with friends and family, eating not-so-good-for-you meals, giving thanks for what you have and hoping for good times to come. You’re probably ready for it, as it comes the same time every year but is your website ready for it this year?
Here at Bayshore, we’re busy preparing our clients for the busy holiday season, and we thought we’d share some of our research and tips with everyone.
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        Let’s first look at some stats from last year that can help you plan for this year:

• Despite the economic conditions last year, only 15% of online holiday shoppers reduced their online spending last year.* eMarketer predicts this year,  ecommerce will increase by 10.1% to $32.1 billion. You can view their holiday forecast here – http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006647
  With the rise in gas prices this year, people are looking to stay home and do more of their shopping online.
• Though Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) is usually seen as the top online shopping day of the year, the top day last year was actually December 10 (also known as “Green Monday”). The top shopping week was the week before Christmas (December 16). Adjust your campaign budgets to reflect the spike in these peak days.
•  Black Friday online-only promotions increased site traffic over 20% from 2006. Send out a targeted email to your customers this Friday, and give them a deal they can’t find in the stores. 

What are some top trends that are predicted for this year?

• It’s no secret our economy is in a slump. Consumers will be staying home and shopping for deals.
• Free shipping – it’s becoming a requirement, not a special offer. According to Forrester Research, consumers respond to Free Shipping over a percentage off, and 61% of consumers are more likely to shop with an online retailer that offers Free Shipping over one that doesn’t.
• Gift Cards. Consumers want to minimize the time they spend making holiday gift purchases. Gift Cards have tended to be seen as impersonal, but  retailers are getting smarter by allowing you to personalize the Gift Certificate or Card, or even to choose special items or Service Packages tailored especially for the recipient. Check out my personal favorite Red Door Spas Gift Cards as an example, and follow their lead! Gift Cards are a great way to drive foot traffic into your stores in the new year, nearly ½ of redeemers spend more than the Gift Card value.**

So what can you do to increase sales during this holiday season? There are quite a few options, but an integrated offline and online campaign will produce the best results. Here are some online campaigns you can create:

• Email marketing – if you have a database of current customers, segment your list and create messages targeted specifically to their past purchases. Amazon.com does a great job of this. If you don’t have a database of your customers, start creating one now for your 2009 campaigns. Create offers for those peak days that will make you stand out from your competitor.
• PPC (Pay-Per-Click) – Google Adwords is a great place to run short-term, targeted campaigns specific to the products you sell or the services you offer. You can create a campaign just for the holidays and change it at a moment’s notice. It is also extremely easy to track your Return on Investment. Tip: Check Google Insights for up and coming search terms and for peaks in terms during the holiday season.
• Facebook – if your company has a Facebook fan page, run specials specifically for your Facebook friends. You can send them a message, direct them to a landing page, and create a special offer for a limited time.
• Display Advertising – if you have a larger budget to work with, companies like ValueClick can help you create banner, or display advertising focused on branding and driving sales. If you have a high shopping cart abandonment rate, you can target those customers with ads and emails after they’ve visited your site and you know you have their interest.

This is just the tip of the iceberg with everything you can do to increase sales during the holidays this year. Test some campaigns out, see what works best, and you can perfect it next year. But do something! Don’t let your competitors gobble up sales that were meant for you. And if you need help implementing your holiday plan – contact the experts (that’s us).