Snag Those Post Holiday Shoppers

Ryan Faria - January 5, 2010

With the 2009 Holiday season behind us many ecommerce businesses will see a sharp decline in their sales.  So how can ecommerce retailers still bring in revenue without feeling the pinch of the slow economy?  The answer is; incentives, incentives, incentives.

Ecommerce retailers should be especially attentive to product prices.  Even though the holiday season is over, it is still important to be competitive and aggressive.  Searchers are always looking for the best deal regardless of the time of year.

Use ad copy such as, ‘after holiday free shipping’ to entice customers to purchase.  If free shipping is not an option, perhaps charge a small fee to ship regardless of the order size.  For example, charge $1 to ship anywhere in the continental U.S.  This promotion depends greatly on the size and weight of the products you will be shipping.

Is free shipping not an option?  Try offering a free gift with purchase.  This is a great way to move old inventory.  Gift with purchases increase the customer’s perceived value of the overall purchase. You can also offer a gift certificate for a small amount for the shopper to use on their next purchase.   Not only does this give your customer an incentive to return, but also helps build loyalty to your site.

Another way to capture shoppers is to consider specials for upcoming holidays.  For example offer special deals or savings for Presidents or Valentine’s Day.

Although times are tough and the economy is still sluggish; you can still be a shinning star in your industry by thinking outside the box.  Now is your opportunity to attract new customers, as well as retain old ones.  Whatever promotion you decide to utilize, be sure that your efforts are reflected in your search engine marketing campaigns.  Remember to keep to the message cohesive between your site and your ppc ads.  With the amount of people searching on Google, Bing and Yahoo you can get your 2010 sales started off with a bang.