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Businesses urged to review their e-commerce strategy this Christmas

00:01, 16 December 2011

Computer keyboard
Computer keyboard

It's time to review your festive e-commerce strategy.

Last year British shoppers spent £6.8bn online – 25% more than the year before.

Large-scale, time-consuming strategies such as re-engineering your e-commerce platform, launching a dedicated iPad app or selling from within Facebook, via f-commerce, will now have to wait until next Christmas.

But there is still time to focus on quick enhancements and optimising your existing offering to improve festive fortunes.

Mobile online sales will be considerable in 2011 as internet-enabled handheld devices allow customers to browse online during previously empty time.

Local retailers without a native mobile application need not feel as if they are missing out; more than two-thirds of mobile users still prefer to shop via the web on their phone rather than use a smartphone app.

And tweaking your site for mobile should not involve a lengthy rebuild.

Careful use of new responsive techniques and using resizable page elements can optimise it for shopping on smaller screens.

It's also worth cutting down on the use of flash for promotional banners and making sure your navigation and buying process works using just a keypad and touch gestures.

Tie in print marketing with online promotions.

Shortened, memorable links should point straight to relevant landing pages and adding a scannable QR code shortens this step further.

A seasonal redesign can be accomplished through a spruced-up wallpaper, festive logo and targeted banners.

If you connect with your customers on social media, enhance your identity there. Remember interaction is at the heart of successful social media campaigns.

Whatever new features and promotions you launch, don't forget to leave yourself adequate time to test your enhancements.

Make sure any promotional discounts work as expected – and can't be abused.

Then go through your shopping cart process on as many different devices as you can.

  • Brant McNaughton can be contacted viaemail or by calling 01689 874395.
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