Believe it or not, it’s that time of year again.
The holiday spirit fills the air. Colorful greeting cards arrive in the mail. And excited shoppers begin pulling out their laptops, iPads and smartphones to get the best possible deals on holiday gifts.
According to The Associated Press, this week marked the busiest week ever in online holiday shopping, with a record $6.3 billion click-to-pay online transactions documented. More impressively, shoppers have spent almost $32 billion online for the current holiday season to date – a healthy 15% increase from just one year ago.
While economists are debating whether this indicates that the struggling economy is about to rebound, marketers such as myself are debating whether this is ushering in a new dynamic that will change the way both large and small retailers operate during peak shopping seasons.
Previously, many small and medium-sized business owners were content dealing with customers at the front counter. In their mindset, things like websites, social media and online ad banners were for big-box retailers who had the ability to spend lots of money on sophisticated web-based marketing technology.
But not anymore.
Businesses across the country are beginning to realize how these important marketing tactics are crucial for attracting new customers – and keeping the old ones. And the aforementioned figures listed by The Associated Press illustrate that point more than ever.
Here are some Ptex Practical Pointers that you should keep in mind to create your very own web-based marketing business blueprint.
- Frequent Fun: Online retailing is all about providing customers with that extra bit of excitement. From Cyber Monday which features exclusive deals for online shoppers at the click of a button, to unique Facebook contests that offer free gifts to visitors, web-based marketing is proven to help generate sales.
- Great Graphics: Email blasts and banner ads are effective mediums with which to help boost sales, and will directly reflect the image your business wishes to portray. As such, choose colors, fonts and visuals which accurately convey that desired look.
- Heavy Hype: Many businesses are using Twitter to tweet discounted deals on an hourly basis. Aside from the hype which this method creates, it allows business owners to see which items are being snapped up quickest and adjust their advertising message accordingly.
In all, the holiday season is a time to usher in well-deserved relaxation, inspiration and happiness. And for those business owners utilizing the benefits of web-based marketing, well-deserved profits too.
Onwards and upwards,
Meny Hoffman
