Vacations travel

With the holiday season ramping up
shoppers are coming online in droves. In fact
online holiday sales this year are predicted to increase twenty percent
as consumers grow more and more accustomed to the ease and convenience of shopping online. Internet business advisor Ana Rincon (http://OnlineBusiness.About.com) reveals ten tips for increasing your online sales over the holiday season:

1
your website. The biggest buying season of the year is not the time to have a slow-loading site or pages not found—busy holiday shoppers won’t wait around.

2
your customers’ experience. Organize your products in a way that makes it easy for customers to zero in on what they’re looking for. Group items into categories such as “Gifts for Him
” “Gifts for Her
” “Toys for Ages 2-4
” etc.

3
gift certificates. Explains Rincon
“Many buyers don’t know exactly what to get
and a gift certificate is a great alternative.” With online delivery
buyers can purchase all the way up to
and even on Christmas Day and still have purchases reach their recipients on time.

4
gift wrapping and gift cards. People shop online to save time and avoid hassles. They don’t have time to physically receive the gifts they order
and then wrap and resend them. By providing this service
you add value to your products and gain a competitive edge.

5
wish lists. Many shopping cart systems already have a wish list feature built in. Shoppers should be able to choose what they like from your site
create a list
and store it there for other buyers to reference
or have it emailed directly to them.

6
shipping and delivery information highly visible on your website. Holiday shoppers’ number one concern is that their recipients’ packages arrive on time. Make it easy for your customers—tell them exactly how many days they have left to order and be sure their gifts will get there by Christmas.

7
free shipping. You’re not taking a loss here—you’re just building those costs into your price. According to a survey by http://Shopping.org
seventy-five percent of consumers view free shipping as a major selling point. When they don’t have to calculate those extra fees
it’s that much simpler and more convenient for them. So in the end
both you and your customer are happy.

8
pay-per-click advertising. This type of marketing produces quick turnaround. Decide on your budget and keywords
but be flexible as you go and make adjustments as needed.

9
an email campaign around the holidays. Suggests Rincon
“Use your newsletters and emails to share gift tips and announce special sales… Mix informational newsletters with promotions and product specials.”

10
multiple payment options. Buyers expect to be able to pay by credit card
and PayPal and other alternative payments are becoming more widespread. You severely limit your sales and your customers when you only accept payments by money order or wire transfer
so offer as many options as you can.

With online sales projected at 33 billion dollars this holiday season
there’s plenty of profit to go around the e-commerce industry. By employing these simple techniques in your e-business
you can maximize your share of those sales and cash in on the year’s busiest retail season.