Have you completed preparing your internet store for Christmas shopping yet?
Christmas may be 5 months away, but a huge number of net shoppers and bargain seekers will soon embark on this annual holiday gift buying ritual.
As a web based store owner, what are the key tasks can you perform to best prepare your store for Christmas?
Below are 5 proven steps to get you on the right rack.
Optimize Webstore Pages For The Highest Possible Search Engine Traffic
It takes a little time before you can enjoy the results of your hard work so be sure you get your SEO initiatives done ASAP! Having your SEO preparation done NOW will afford you ample time to prepare for the Christmas shopping spree.
What must you do?
- Do a keyword research by utilizing net based solutions like Wordtracker or Google AdWords' Keyword Tool
- Produce relevant web pages that makes full use of those keywords
- Establish links to your pages to improve your ranking
If you find that you do not have the time you could choose to use the services of a reputable SEO expert to have your site optimized as soon as possible. As a method to generate traffic, you need to rank well so this step is a definite must do!
Test new shopping cart software early
If you are contemplating changing shopping cart solutions, make the change as soon as you can. Make sure you do not do it during the Christmas season or the month before. Changing shopping cart software so close to Christmas will not give you time to acquaint yourself with the new ecommerce software, alter it if necessary and iron out all the kinks. Here are some of the top shopping cart software providers around - Instantestore, 3DCart and Volusion.
Optimize Webpage Layouts
Occasionally, it can be beneficial to give your website a fresh new look. But it is important not to modify layouts just for the sake of it. The change should result in higher conversion rates. To do this you need to generate a few layouts and run a numerous split tests or the more advanced multi variate testing to discover which layouts result in the best conversions. You can use Google Analytics + their Multivariate testing software for this. Naturally, this process takes time so what better time to evaluate your new layout than now.
Build A Substantial Email Manifest
Many underestimate the power of an email broadcast. An email broadcast falls under the Ham category as opposed to that nuisance we know as Spam. If customers give you their email and request updates, it means they are interested in the products you sell. You would be wise to take advantage of this. Improve your email list and send out email broadcasts regularly informing them of the latest deals. It's one of the simplest methods to earn additional profit.
Sell Them What They Ask For
That advice is probably the most logical statement in marketing. If you own a net based shoe store targeting youthful customers, do some research for the latest trends. Make use of online as well as normal resources such as youth and trend magazines. Catch the latest summer blockbusters and be aware of product placements that fit your target market. Remember those yellow Asics Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 trainers that Uma Thurman donned in the film Kill Bill? They sold tremendously well all over the world after the movie was screened. Its like reaping the profits from someone else' effort.
Do not dilly dally when it involves the busiest shopping event of the year. The steps above have been proven over and over again but it boils down to you to take the first step.
