E-commerce + Christmas - 5 Top Tips to Boost Holiday Sales

Your online business has been steadily growing all year. You're pleased with your current rate of sales, but know you need to pick up the pace if you want to reach your yearly sales target. Rather than just hope your sales totals are up over Christmas, you can take the bull by the horns (or should that be reindeer?) and maximize the chances of a phenomenal holiday selling season. If you incorporate the following five e-commerce Christmas tips into your growth strategy, you just might have your biggest sales month yet:

1. Change the backgrounds on your website pages for Christmas.

Updated borders and trimmings show you're in the holiday spirit without being too distracting or garish. Don't go overboard; less is definitely more when it comes to seasonal trimmings for your site.

2. Consider offering a holiday coupon.

Your customers will appreciate your kind offer and you'll be building brand loyalty at the same time. Make sure your online coupon is appropriately decorated for the Christmas season.

3. Don't forget SEO during the holidays.

If you want your online business to be found, you have to give search engines holiday content to index. Add seasonal blog posts optimized with keywords shoppers will be using to find holiday gift items.

4. Update your shipping information page to indicate your holiday schedule.

Shoppers need to know they'll receive their purchases in time for Christmas. There's no easier way to lose goodwill than to ruin someone's holiday by not shipping their purchase on time.

5. For extra points with your customers, consider offering free gift wrapping.

You can make free gift wrapping available with a minimum purchase to increase your average sale. Your customers will be thrilled there's one less thing for them to do and you'll be boosting your holiday sales total at the same time.

Maximizing the potential of your e-commerce business over the holidays is easy if you're willing to tweak your regular methods just a bit. The extra effort is likely to pay off and finish your business year with a bang. Do you think you'll be incorporating any of the above-listed festive tips into your online business this season?