| Here comes Santa Claus...here comes | | | | 3. What's your holiday sales slogan? |
| Santa Clause... Yep, it's almost that | | | | 4. Will you be offering any specials or |
| time again. As we head into September, | | | | discounts? |
| every e-commerce site should be | | | | 5. If so, on what products? |
| formulating a plan for the holiday | | | | 6. Is your site updated with all |
| season. Even the sites selling the, "I | | | | products? |
| hate the holidays" t-shirts. | | | | 7. If you've moved up in the search |
| Prepare or Be Doomed | | | | engine rankings, is your site ready to |
| You may be thinking, "It is only | | | | receive more traffic or will it bog |
| September. I've got four months to get | | | | down? |
| ready for the holidays in December." | | | | 8. Have you compiled a list of email |
| Well, you're wrong. Let's consider a | | | | addresses for people that bought from |
| scenario. | | | | you last year? |
| First, the mad dash for purchasing | | | | 9. Do you have your email material ready |
| holiday gifts starts early to | | | | to send to them? |
| mid-November depending on the popularity | | | | 10. Did you make the changes to the site |
| of the products on your site. The online | | | | you wrote down from the last holiday |
| holiday season is not in mid-December! | | | | shopping season? You know. The ones you |
| If you agree with this position, your | | | | swore would be done so the site would |
| preparation time is already down to two | | | | really hum next season? I'll wait while |
| months. | | | | you go dig through the notes crammed in |
| You're probably thinking, "Two months? | | | | your desk. |
| Shorter than I thought, but I still have | | | | Obviously, there are many other |
| plenty of time." Sure you do. | | | | questions that can be asked. The point |
| If you think two months is plenty of | | | | of this article is you should be asking |
| time, ask yourself the following | | | | them NOW! You may find two months isn't |
| questions. | | | | looking like nearly enough time. |
| 1. Is your product line currently | | | | Remember, prepare for the holidays and |
| updated? | | | | you will clean up. |
| 2. Do you have sufficient inventory? | | | | |