The holiday gifting season can be a great time for affiliates and online retailers, but you have to be prepared. Image: Flickr / stevendepolo / CC-BY
The holiday shopping season is fast approaching. For affiliates and online retailers, the time to start thinking about the holidays is now.
Set holiday order deadlines
As the holidays get closer, the deadlines for holiday ordering will be even more important to customers. Setting and displaying ordering deadlines now will help customers plan ahead. Order deadlines should be based on the shipping deadlines for your preferred shipping method and how long it takes you to fulfill orders.
2011 Holiday shipping deadlines
Shipping deadlines are the first step in determining ordering deadlines. Dec. 25 is on a Sunday for 2011, so the last delivery day for most services will be Friday, Dec. 23 or Saturday, Dec. 24. The U.S. Postal Service has already set 2011 shipping deadlines for packages to arrive on time. The FedEx shipping deadlines are also set. UPS shipping deadlines for 2011 holidays have not been set yet.
Set the sales
Three of the largest days for online shopping for the holiday season are Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Free Shipping Day. The Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend is all about deals. Let your customers know you will be offering a special that weekend. Use your e-mail marketing list to inform customers of the deals as well. Generally, it is a good idea to push Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals live late on Thanksgiving Thursday, so early-morning online shoppers have access to the deal. Free shipping or reduced shipping offers can also get you listed on Free Shipping Day, Dec. 16th.
Test now
Holiday shopping can have a heavy strain on your website servers and online store. Use the time now, before your website gets busy, to make sure that servers, payment systems, email marketing, and coupon codes all work correctly. Run test orders. Check with your website host. Update your SEO, because search engine results pages get more competitive as the shopping season ramps up.
Get your site listed
There are many websites that list the online stores offering deals and sales for the holiday season. Search for these websites, trade associations, and coupon listings and get your website listed. Start with FreeShippingDay.com and go from there.
Offer gift certificates
Not everyone gets their shopping done on time, and not everyone knows exactly what to purchase. If you offer any kind of product or service for sale, you should offer gift certificates in printable or emailed form.
For affiliates who only offer links
If your website is an affiliate site that drives links or traffic to another retailer, you can still make use of the holiday rush. Pour your effort into marketing, SEO, and social networking. Now is the time to start building traffic and links to take advantage of the season.
Final thoughts
Keep in mind that while Christmas is widely celebrated and is the major deadline for many retailers, it is not the only winter holiday. Focusing on longtail marketing for Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year and even Festivus.
