Holiday Shopping Trends Small Business Owners Should Know About

A Record:Oniline-Holiday Shopping Season; ARE YOU READY? Since the birth of ecommerce, the Internet has changed the way Americans shop for the holidays, cutting down on hassle, saving money, and making it easier to compare prices. But a new eMarketer study reveals that in 2012, online holiday shopping will account for almost a quarter of total retail ecommerce. How can you prepare to make the most of it? HOLIDAY SALES: AN UPWARD TREND First, we see that holiday sales have steadily risen every year since 2007, with the exception of one recession-plagued year in 2008: O Dollar Amount (B) O Percent Change $54.47 $60 60% $50 $46.63 50% $40 $31.61 $40.04 40% $33.79 $29 $30 30% $20 19.8% 16.5% 18.5% 16.5% 16.8% 20% $10 10% 0% -$10 -10% -8.2% 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 BETTER THAN EXPECTED: U.S. ECOMMERCE 2010-2016 Next, we find that online holiday sales are rising at a higher annual percentage than overall retail ecommerce projections: C Dollar Amount (B) O Percent Change $400 16.1% $361.9 20% 15.2% 15.4% 14.2% $325.2 $300 $289.8. 13.2% 15% $224.2 12.2% $194.3 O $256 $200 $167.3 11.3% 10% S100 -0% 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 5 WAYS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR HOLIDAY SALES FUNNEL Marketers can capitalize on the online holiday shopping trend this year and beyond in several ways. HISTORY 25% Off Gifts for Your Loved Enes HOLIDAY GIFT SETS WITH FREE SHIPPING BOTH WAYS! Guaranteed delivery before December 25th! PROVIDE GIFT SUGGESTIONS USE SMART SEGMENTING CLARIFY DELIVERY OFFER HOLIDAY- SPECIFIC DEALS INCLUDE FREE SHIPPING SCHEDULES Use reassuring language such as "Guarantead delivery before December 25th!" Send targeted Make promotions and discounts even Most customers cite a lack of free Create custom landing pages such as "Gifts for Mom and Dad" or "What Your Teen Really offers to customers, based on their demographics and buying history. more appealing with themed shipping as the reason they would not purchase and would chop alsewhere. coupon codes. to give customers peace of mind. Wants This Year." webs Source: eMarketer