If you haven\u2019t done so already, you need to be prepared so your ecommerce business won\u2019t be left out in the cold. The holiday season can represent as much as 30 percent of annual sales for some retailers, according to the National Retail Federation<\/a>, and the sooner you get started, the better \u2013 about 40 percent of consumers start their holiday shopping before Halloween, says the NRF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wondering where to get started? Here are three areas where you can focus your efforts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plan, plan, plan!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to minimize any unpleasant surprises during the holiday season, sit down and take stock of your current order fulfillment process to determine where you need to ramp things up in order to be ready for increased traffic and sales. If this isn\u2019t your ecommerce business\u2019 first holiday season, think back to last year in case there were any snags you\u2019d like to avoid again. Review your product inventory and make sure you\u2019re happy with what you have in stock, paying special attention to best-sellers as well as items that might have more appeal during this gift-giving season. Are you properly staffed in order to handle increased orders, and are your employees set up for order-fulfillment success? You might want to consider designating certain times of day where everyone devotes their time to processing orders and getting shipments out the door in order to minimize the potential backlog. And speaking of shipments, don\u2019t forget to stock up on packing and shipping materials!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Review and update policies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to make sure your policies are easy to find and easy to understand. Communicate your holiday shipping cutoff dates so your customers understand when they need to buy in order to receive gifts and other urgent items in time. Clearly state your customer support contact information and hours so shoppers know how and when they can reach you with questions. Free shipping is a huge draw for customers, with 60 percent of people surveyed by Bizrate Insights<\/a> earlier this year saying they\u2019d be more tempted to buy if offered free shipping with no minimum purchase. Determine whether your ecommerce business will offer free shipping for all orders or, if that\u2019s not feasible, if you want to offer free shipping when a customer hits a certain spending minimum. Your returns policy is also something that requires a holiday-season spruce-up\u2014consider adjusting it to accommodate gift givers and recipients and the fact that there may be a bit of time between when a gift is bought and when it\u2019s actually received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Appeal to your customers\u2019 needs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Everybody\u2019s busy this time of year, so do what you can to make holiday shopping fun and easy for your customers. Add holiday cheer to the shopping experience with limited-time sales and promotions. You could save your customers time by providing giftwrapping services, or appeal to the last-minute shopper with free expedited delivery. No matter how close they are to finding the perfect gift for everyone on their list, these little bits of holiday cheer can help the customer but also help your ecommerce business close out the year on a high note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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