Is Your Online Business Prepared For Christmas?
Thanksgiving's at the doorstep and the Christmas shopping season is on the horizon; is your business ready
? Whether it's an online or offline business, or both, you must prepare now for those extra holiday sales. Doing so eases the stress of the season and helps you realize your income goals better.
At the best of times, marketing a business involves myriad tasks. It seems there's never enough time to get everything done. With Christmas, these tasks multiply. Add to that the family responsibilities of the season and that overwhelmed feeling rears its ugly head.
Being organized is a necessity. A well thought out plan keeps you focused on your business goals. It also promotes efficiency of operations. With that in mind, here are ten tips to help you prepare for Christmas business:
1. Plan Product Requirements
Christmas season selling success depends on having enough products to sell. If you handle physical inventory yourself, make sure you have enough product ready to ship. If you're an affiliate, make sure you align with a reputable company that can meet increased customer demand. Your income depends on products ready-to-go.
2. Plan Personnel Requirements
The Christmas season also means having enough staff on hand to handle orders. This is a given in a bricks and mortar business. Online, if you're not a one-person show, have enough staff on hand to take orders. In addition, as an affiliate, only select programs that offer exemplary customer service and order fulfillment.
3. Get the Word out Via E-mail Marketing
The time is now to write those holiday e-mails to send to your list. After Thanksgiving, you can send these out each week leading up to December 25. Have these e-mails inform customers of new products and specials for the holiday shopping season. Use these e-mails to pique customers' interest in your business for the Christmas season.
4. Write Articles to Pre-Sell Your Niche Market
Article marketing is a proven method for gaining website traffic. Make use of it now to build a stream of visitors to your website over the Christmas season. Write articles on topics relevant to the season and your products and services. The more articles you write the merrier; that's more links on the web ready to send customers your way.
5. Use a Quality Article Distribution Service to Market Your Articles
You can't reach your niche without constant and ongoing distribution of your content. Your Christmas-themed articles need a quality content distribution service working for them. Choose a service that offers article marketing automation. In this way, you write articles now, and schedule them for November/December distribution.
6. Spread the Word via Social Media
The use of social media platforms is growing rapidly. Make plans now to promote your business through these sites come the holiday season. Most certainly, these sites will be as busy as Santa in December. People will chat about Christmas shopping and holiday plans. Be part of the discussion while promoting your business in a reputable way.
7. Decorate Your Site
This is simple and effective. Dress up your website in holiday garb. You don't have to overdo it; you don't have to be gaudy. However, add some pizzazz to your website with Christmas-themed pictures, graphics, colors, text, and such. Upload an audio holiday greeting, or a video message to your visitors.
8. Plan Your Online Advertising
Prepare your text and banner ads now for Christmas. Have them ready to go for after Thanksgiving. Figure out what ads you need for paid and free sites. If you have a set of ads from last year, check that they're still relevant. If they're not, reword them to fit the current season.
9. Don't Forget Traditional Media
You may market your online business offline as well. Prepare any radio spots, newspaper ads, brochures, postcards and such now. You don't want to be scrambling come the first weeks of December to get these ready. Have ample business cards ready for the increased amount of people you're sure to meet during the busy season.
10. Offer Something Unique this Christmas
Whether you're promoting your own business, or an affiliate program, offer something special this year. Don't make your Christmas promotions the same each year. Inquire of your affiliate program manager of any new products you can offer this year. If you promote a handicraft you make, consider a unique version for Christmas.
Let pre-planning make your Christmas season a joyous one from a business and personal point-of-view. Come December you can work your plan on a daily basis. Before you know it, the fruits of all that planning will manifest themselves in extra sales. You, your business, and your customers benefit when you're organized and ready for the holiday shopping season.
by: Ken Vogt
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