Businesses are gearing up for a difficult holiday season. Rising expenses and stagnant salaries mean Americans are spending less. According to a recent U.S. Commerce Department report, individual American expenditures fell 0.3 percent in September from August. This drop is the biggest since June, 2004.
With American spending less rather than more as the holiday season draws closer, businesses need to take a new approach. What can mean the difference between success and failure for your business this holiday season? A navigable website design, compelling content, effective email campaign and secure eCommerce store will put you ahead of the competition.
A navigable website makes it easy for your visitors to find what they want right away. Information is assembled in a clear, logical fashion. Links are operational so it’s easy for your visitors to take action. Include search options and useful content about your products and services.
Avoid using tired content and articles that were rehashed everywhere else on the web. Keep your content fresh, informative and unique. Become a valuable resource so visitors want to return and tell others about you. Use SEO tactics to move your rank up in the popular search engines. Maintain a blog to post ongoing holiday updates.
A well-planned email campaign gives your visitors additional reasons and reminders to take action. Have a newsletter to offer sales and coupons and announce new products and services. Discuss industry updates. Stay in touch with your visitors so they want to stay in touch with you.
Finally, a secure eCommerce store makes it simple for visitors to makes purchases from your website. Make sure to have site signs indicating the existence of an SSL certificate so visitors know their transactions are secure.
With the American public tightening their belts before the holidays, you need a plan for success. Update your website design and initiate an email campaign to engage your visitors. Don’t wait until the last minute or you may lose serious holiday profits.