It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
While some of our publishers have been planning their holiday season since June, others may have procrastinated just a bit. Most of you might be somewhere in between. Don't fret - there are still things to do to take advantage of the many offers out there.
It is never too late to implement a holiday plan to deliver the best deals and promotions to your customers. To get you started or to enhance your current holiday plan, use this list and check it twice - we are sure there will be plenty of treats under your tree:
December Check List
- Analyze November reports to see what items were top sellers
- Check all links to ensure they are live and land at the right location
- Ensure you can handle an increase in traffic
- Look for new holiday offerings to promote on your site
- Leverage offline promotions from advertisers
- Create lists for gifts for different age groups
- Highlight expiring offers
- Check for free shipping from any of your advertisers
- Implement any affiliate tools provided by advertisers to help create custom links
- Create a list of in-store pick up items for last minute shoppers
By implementing just a few of our suggestions, we are sure there will be more than coal in your stocking!
Get Started and Be Sure to Give Thanks
Analyze your performance in November. Identify the best performing categories and advertisers. Use this data to work strategically throughout the remaining weeks before Christmas. One of our strongest recommendations is to any publisher at any time of the year is to take advantage of our sophisticated reporting solutions to help you plan for this busy time.
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
With the shopping frenzy in full swing, you want to ensure your site is looking and performing at its best - all your links are live, your offerings are current and you are ready to handle the increased traffic. Make sure you dedicate some extra time to answer any questions your customers may have or be ready to deal with other customer service issues. Check your site many times though out the day so you are not wasting your customers' valuable time. Is your site attractive to a wandering eye? Look for holiday promotions to add to entice your users - and don't wait to include these great finds - we are sure your users are just looking for the great finds. Check for new deals in your CJ Account Manager from advertisers.
Deck the Halls
Leverage retailer's offline promotions. Your advertisers are doing a lot of creative marketing both on- and offline - leverage it to win sales and increase interest in your site. Advertisers such as Home Depot, eBay, Brookstone, Lamps Plus and the Discovery Channel are all decking the halls with extensive multimedia campaigns to reach holiday shoppers. Take advantage of their hard work - they want you to!
All I Want for Christmas
Put yourself in your users' shoes. The countdown until Christmas has begun and they might be in a bit of a panic to get all the presents under the tree. You are the expert - so share some of your knowledge. Create last minute gift sections for all members of the household at different price points. If you can inspire ideas for great gifts for all ages, they won't need to go anywhere else!
Frosty the Snowman
Our favorite snowman has something in common with some of the holiday offerings - he won't last forever. Highlight your expiring offers for your site visitors. Help them understand not all the promotions are valid though out the shopping season and will soon melt away. This might give some indecisive buyers the push they need to complete their list. Ensure expiring offers are front and center on your site. Create extra banners or call outs to bring attention to the offers before they melt away.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
While some customers wish they had a personal delivery system complete with reindeer and sleigh, many know they might have to do some last minute shopping and in turn pay a little extra for shipping. Promote advertisers you know that have a good history of quick and reliable shipping. Check often to see who is having specials with reduced or free shipping up until Christmas. You can find shipping information either in the CJ Account Manager under advertiser information or ask the program manager directly.
Rudolph with Your Nose So Bright
Direct your site visitors to exactly what they are looking for. While they might not have Rudolph's red nose, the affiliate tools provided by some advertisers to create custom links and product links are some of the best ways to direct customers to top-selling items. Seek out links that allow for the URL to be re-directed to a specific product, or pull product links from the advertiser's product catalogs.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
We aren't there - yet. But to help customers save time and money, have you heard about in-store pick up offerings? Your customers are sure to like them. Not only will they have peace of mind they will get their gifts on time, but also save time and money on shipping. Present a list of stores offering in-store pick up for online purchase to last minute shoppers. Search and display as many "online only" deals as you can.
We believe this truly is "the most wonderful time of the year" if you prepare your program for your busy online shoppers. We hope you are able to take some time to enjoy your holiday season and get some much needed rest and relaxation to get ready for 2006! Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
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