2013 Holiday Season 1 - 3DCart

2013 Holiday Season Guide11 Start NowLike snowflakes, no two e-stores are alike, and the time it takes to prepare for the holiday season willvary depending on business size, sales volume, man power, money and website optimization.In the world of ecommerce, the holiday shopping season spans the months of November andDecember, and in an effort to prepare for the upcoming spending rush, online store owners need tocreate a marketing strategy, update their website design, add holiday-themed sliders, cross-sellproducts, establish promotions, revamp product libraries and so much more.The list as a whole can seem daunting at first, but we promise that if you focus on creating, andadhering to, a point-by-point game plan, you’ll trim that list down faster than Santa can throw backChristmas cookies.Even the most successful and well-staffed online stores need several weeks of holiday preparation, and if you haven’t already startedgetting your ecommerce website ready, now’s the time!Don’t procrastinate when it comes to preparing for the holidays. If you do, you’ll miss out on a golden opportunity to grow yourbusiness. And at the end of the day, stepping up and seizing moments of growth is what being a successful ecommerce merchantis all about.2 Create a Marketing PlanYour e-store’s holiday preparations are only as effective as its marketing strategy. If youfall short and create a plan that fails to position your business for success, all of thehard work that went in to getting your e-store ready for the holiday season will be fornaught. Before you do anything, grab your team members, lock yourselves in a roomand come up with an effective holiday marketing plan that contains a detailed,step-by-step execution guide.Keep in mind that your plan should include email and social media marketingstrategies, website optimization, homepage design revisions, promotional packagesand banners, call-to-action buttons, inventory management, etc… The list goes on, andit’s up to you and your team to decide what course of action is best for your business.Once you’ve outlined a plan and uncovered a way to market it effectively, then and onlythen should you start altering your e-store for the holiday season. If you startpreparations without a plan in place, you’ll likely waste time and money.3