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Xmas is Now!
About three weeks from now my phone will start to ring hard – it'll be people wanting to know how they can “get in” on this holiday online sales thing.
This time of year is retailer’s paradise and the web keeps gobbling a bigger percentage every season – this year will be no exception. The researchers are currently predicting a 22% jump over last year, and that would make the total spending this year just over 26 Billion. |
It is unlikely today you can get a full fledged holiday sales program off the ground for 2005, but there are five simple things you can do today to ensure you get your share of the action.
Let people give you a Gold Nugget – their email address
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At your site and in your store you need to prominently feature email address collection. Oodles of folks live in their email inbox, and it serves as their default “to do” list. You should be running an effective planned email marketing campaign year round, but even if you aren't, now is the time to collect and build your house list. People generally are more receptive to writing their email address down in your store when they are in a cheery holiday mood – offer them a chance to win a gift certificate or something like that to seal the deal. |
Appeal to the Shopper in us all – use a coupon or special deal
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Most people aren't like me – I hate shopping. Using basic old school marketing techniques, you can offer a variety of coupons or deals for the holidays. Many shoppers only buy at the “sales” during the holidays. Free shipping with a minimum purchase is very effective, also. |
Promote everywhere you can – what goes in the bags that leave your store
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One of the simplest ways to promote your site is right in your own store – put an insert in the bag. It need not be fancy, a half sheet of paper letting people know they can find you online is all it takes. This works especially well in combo with a coupon. You already know these folks are your customers, and it’s easy to offer them something special to get them shopping at your site.
I had a client ask me about “cannibalizing” his own sales this way – I reminded him that his customers were already shopping online and sending a sweater to their Aunt Suzie – they just weren't doing it with him. Online shopping and store shopping are very different experiences, and most people do both. |
Batton Down the Hatches – play customer and test those systems
When the site or systems fail, people are gone – they are very unlikely to try again or call you. The simplest thing in the world is for you to personally kick the tires. Go to your own site and place an order; if you’re feeling sneaky, go get a free email address at Yahoo and play secret shopper. Try to break things... think like your customer would. It'll never be 100% perfect, but getting those holes closed will increase sales.
Run CPC to Landing Pages – quick, simple, effective
Landing pages are single products featured all by themselves (no idea what CPC is? Click here ). When used in combination with CPC they are incredibly effective – the search result for a very specific product has you as the number one result, they click and find exactly what they wanted. The conversion rates with this tactic can be over 50%.
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We All Love Google |
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The last issue of IAGTM created lots
of feedback on the love for google - it seems many of you
have the same favorite engine. Everyone has a special use
and several of you pointed to the book "Google
Hacks"
as a great source of new ideas.
An old Google standard was sent by several people and I thought it appropriate
to share. On the front end of google - http://www.google.com - you'll
notice the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button to the right of the search button, this
button takes you directly to the first result instead of to the web search results.
Try going to Google and typing Miserable Failure in the search box, hit the I'm
Feeling Lucky button, and....you'll find that geeks love politics.
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