Preparing For Online Holiday Retail Success

According to both the June, 2010 Manufacturing ISM Report on Business and the Non-Manufacturing ISM Report on Business the overall economy continues to grow, joblessness is decreasing  (somewhat), and growth is happening albeit at a slow rate. So what effect can we expect this to have on online holiday retail?  And what do we need to do to get ready for the online selling season?

In an interview with AdAge at the end of the holiday shopping season last year, Phil Rist of Big Research stated, “Whether they were saving on shipping or using an in-store coupon, shoppers dug through every avenue of potential savings before choosing to commit.”

Finding ways to help consumers still have what they desire while realizing what they save may be even more important this year in stimulating consumer spending online. By starting with targeted email campaigns to loyal customers for savings on items you already know to be of interest to them, you are attracting their attention to your brand.  Follow up emails and search engine marketing initiatives with highly targeted landing pages focused on the ways in which they can save will work to maintain that attention throughout the holiday shopping.

Something to keep in mind is women are typically early shoppers looking for bargains while most men are procrastinators who don’t really enjoy holiday shopping and end up spending more money at the eleventh hour. That’s not to say, necessarily, that men don’t like saving money.  Focus your efforts where you are sure to garner the attention you need to get the ball rolling.

Consider solidifying the attention of your loyal customers first, particularly women, who are the early shoppers, and solicit them to use word-of-mouth to help you get new customers. Here’s where social media plays an important role. Get the conversations started early enough so shoppers know to go to you to find not only the quality and selection they are after but most importantly the deals.

Now is the time to start planning and scheduling your online initiatives for the holidays. The best approach online is going to be cross-channel in order to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the search engines, email, your website, and social media. A well-coordinated approach that delivers the right messages to the right audience at the opportune time puts you in the best position to ensure your online holiday retail success.