Although it’s only October, the Christmas holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. This means that NOW is the time to start preparing your web site and online store for the droves of online shoppers looking to snag some shopping deals.

Here are a few pointers to get your web site in order for the Christmas 2009 season:

• Security Certificate: if you have an e-commerce store, be sure that your security certificate is valid.  People want to know that your web site is secure if they are putting in credit card information.  You can verify your security cert by clicking on the padlock and checking the expiration date.  An expired security cert will give a warning to prospective Christmas shoppers which could turn them away.
• Update, update, update.  If your web site is still selling the Tickle Me Elmo from two or three years ago, it’s time to add the most relevant products to your store.
• Feature products on your home page.  As an online retailer, you need to stay on top of the trends.  Place the anticipated hottest Christmas 2009 sellers on your home page and make it easy to purchase.
• Reviews.  Consumers LOVE to read reviews: see if you can add a module to your e-commerce store and solicit consumer reviews on products, etc.  Not only does this help instill confidence in consumers, it is great food for the search engines.
• Google Checkout. Consider adding an easy to use payment tool on your web site such as Google Checkout.  Most e-commerce stores now have modules to support Google Checkout.
• Make it festive. Everyone wants to get into the Christmas spirit: without distracting from your products, add some Christmas flair to your home page. I’m NOT advocating that your web site plays cheesy Christmas carols upon load…… Add a bow or a simple Santa graphic.
• Customer Service.  One of the biggest mistakes I see in e-commerce is not putting a phone number on your web site. If people have questions, let them call you! Place your customer support stuff on the home page and encourage phone calls… Sure, it’s more work, but in the long run, giving people confidence that there is a human being behind the operation can work wonders in terms of revenue.

In my next blog, I’ll discuss some social media possibilities for getting the good word out about your online brand. And, hopefully by then, In sunny Orlando, Florida it will NOT still be 95 degrees outside! I’d like it to start feeling a lot more like Christmas, less like the 4th of July……

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Tags: christmas 2009, web site