• Search Engines, Wii, Gift Cards Top Holiday Shopping
• What Were You Doing the Day After?
• The Purpose of Pay-per-Click - Part One: Short Term Campaigns
• Preparing for a Competitive Holiday Season

We are Web design and Development Company in India. We also engage in SEO work for client whose ecommerce websites we development and have already started working on such sites since late July. Yahoo is rather late in issuing such tips as i understand American and European Ecommerce Websites have already geared up for their Holiday sales. and for the India market (which is world wide as we are they in almost all countries) the holiday season starts much earlier with Diwali; and Eid is less than a fortnight away.

these tips i guess are for those webmasters and SEOs who work in the 11th hr.

Posted by: Outsource to India on September 28, 2007

Jennifer,
Good advice. Most ecommerce webmasters don't take an objective look at their site nearly often enough, but it's especially important at this time of year. There is an article posted on www.mightymerchant.com about holiday optimization.

Posted by: vsalvia on September 28, 2007

Establish a tight budget and stick to it yearlong. Avoid the temptation to spend excessively when coffers are full.Seasonal businesses require special time management skills. Plan schedules carefully. Some periods may call for only 25-hour workweeks, while others reach double or triple that.Create a special cash reserve account for use only in leaner months. Set money aside whenever you can.Use slow times to devise new marketing plans, do customer surveys, catch up on maintenance or strengthen client relationships. Send mailers, make calls, set up meetings.Use only a small core of permanent employees. Consider temps, part time workers and interns for busy times. Planning ahead is crucial to having the right staff with the right skills, when you need them.Create a cash flow forecast. This will help you identify patterns and see what you are up against. Include a worst-case plan to anticipate any nasty shocks.
Keep stock levels low. Carrying unneeded inventory ties up cash you may need elsewhere.Shop for the best deals from suppliers; then build strong relationships with them to establish credit.Offer off season sales or rates, and look for ways to generate revenue during quieter periods.
Work on your Web site. Off-season is a great time to fine-tune your online presence.
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francis
Buzz Marketing

Posted by: francis on September 8, 2008

Excellent article, Jennifer. I absolutely agree that time management for the holidays is very important if not crucial for many retailers. It is a bit too late to worry about re-stocking inventory or conducting any research on the best selling products though. However, it is a perfect time for planning and optimization.

Posted by: GreatRussianGifts on September 12, 2008