Recently, we started talking about how e-commerce owners need to start preparing for the holiday season because we know how important that time of year is to many of you. During every holiday season we get many store owners who are panicking and looking to make changes to capitalize on the holiday season. Preparation is important for anything you do with your business, and gives you the opportunity to get it done right.
Preparing for the holiday's builds VISIBILITY
If you are still using the default templates provided by Yahoo!, chances are you haven't taken advantage of some key elements to getting more traffic. Elements such as unique meta tags, unique content that is keyword rich and more are key to ranking well within Google and other search engines.
Making those changes now allows you to get ahead of the game and catch any mistakes before it's to late. If you're not sure whether or not you are on the right track, have a internet marketing professional take a look at your site and provide a quick evaluation. Remember, the search engines need some time to adjust to the changes you made, so don't delay and start making them now.
Preparing for the holiday's builds TRUST
E-mail marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools at your disposal, and still many e-commerce owners fail to use it. Let's get one thing straight: it's NOT spam. If your customers don't know the difference between your e-mails and spam, then we need to talk.
Use e-mail to highlight new products, specials and most importantly build trust with your mailing list. By starting e-mail marketing now your customers will be looking forward to your e-mails when the holidays come around, and when they do you can be more aggressive with your e-mail marketing.
Preparing for the holiday's builds PROFIT
Preparation is vital if you want to make the most out of this holiday season. By taking the time to prepare now you will capitalize on every possible opportunity and allow you focus on the immediate needs of your customers. We want to see you make the most of this holiday season, and with a little preparation you can.
Turn that preparation into Action
Now that we know why we should prepare for the holidays (you knew most of this stuff already), now it's time to talk about how. Here is a basic checklist of things you should consider:

• Promotions
  • Free shipping
  • Free gift wrapping
  • Free gift card
  • Free personalization
  • Price matching
• Marketing
  • PPC
  • CSE
  • SEO
  • Affiliate
  • E-Mail
• Enhancements
  • Stronger calls to action on your store
  • Seasonal graphics
  • Create sections for Gifts for Mom, Dad, Him, Her, etc.
• Confidence
  • Identify security policies
  • Clear shipping/return policies
  • Tell them about your business and how long you have been in business
  • Testimonials
  • Product reviews

These are just a few ideas to help get you started. What are some of the ways that you prepare your e-commerce website for the holidays?

More...