Well, the predictions are in and according to Investors Business Daily, Forrester Research, Inc. states that despite concerns over consumer confidence and the impact of gas prices, U.S. consumers will spend $18 billion online during this holiday season [2005]. That's up 25% from 2004. If this predication comes true, youll potentially have hordes of traffic at your site starting right about... NOW! Are you ready? Of course you are. Youve done your marketing, placed your ads, stocked your shelves. What else could possibly need to be done? Well, here are a few things most people dont think about. Be sure you give due attention to them to ensure your holiday season is very merry. Web Site Bandwidth Many hosting companies place limits on your bandwidth or file transfers. This is so they are able to have an accurate idea of how much their servers will be put through. When you reach or exceed your bandwidth with your host, one of two things happens. (1) They charge you an extra fee;
(2) They shut you down. Neither option is good! ACTION STEP 1
Be sure you have enough bandwidth to handle extra traffic at this time of year. Check with your host. What happens if you exceed your limit? Its better to know now and plan ahead than to find out the hard way. ACTION STEP 2
Double-check your ordering process. Is it simple and easy? Have you checked it? Have you had someone whos unfamiliar with it check it? The last thing you need during a holiday rush is 50% of your visitors dumping out of your shopping cart because they cant figure out how to include a gift card. ACTION STEP 3
Speaking of gift cards... be sure you have a way to include them with orders. Most purchases from now until December 25th will be for gifts. Your inability to include gift cards with orders may very well knock out some of your sales. ACTION STEP 4
Double-check your follow-up mailings or confirmations. Are they in place? Have they been tested? This includes order confirmation notices, credit card purchase receipts, shipping notice templates, autoresponder messages for backend sales, and so on. ACTION STEP 5
Place customer service information prominently on your site. If customers hit a glitch, theyll need someone to call. If the shopping cart wont cooperate, what can customers do? If your customer service/support information is clearly placed on your site, your customers can contact you rather than choosing another site to buy from. ACTION STEP 6
Verify all links on your site. Have you checked them lately? You should! How awful would it be if the link to your new, hot, oh-so-very-popular product had a typo in it? "Page Cannot Be Found" is the song youd be singing instead of "Joy to the World." ACTION STEP 7
Talk with your suppliers. Are they ready? Do they have enough of their products to meet your expected demands? This is not the time of year for backorders! ACTION STEP 8
Set shipping deadlines. Calculate the exact date youll have to stop promising delivery before Christmas then make it crystal clear to your visitors. Nothings worse than a ticked-off customer whose presents didnt arrive on time. ACTION STEP 9
Verify shipper deadlines. Have you spoken with your local shipper? Whether youre using the postal service, UPS, FedEx, or some other company, youll want to contact them to find out THEIR "before Christmas" deadline. While these may seem like small details, they can truly cause some serious delays to your holiday shoppers (not to mention damage to your bottom line). However, if youre prepared before the rush starts... if you give due attention to the little details... youll find your Christmas rush is a lot more pleasant and a lot more profitable! Copyright 2005 Diane Hughes |
