4 More Tips To Get Your Business Online Shopping-Ready

Who doesn’t love the holidays? Sure, there some Grinches out there. But for the most part, the upcoming holiday season is one that brings joy and excitement. This is especially true for business owners in the retail industry. ‘Tis the season when sales are bound to boost as holiday shoppers will be crowding the malls looking for the perfect gifts for their family members and friends.

Not everyone will be in the mall, however. Online shopping is the go-to choice for many a shopper these days. When you consider how busy the malls get, it makes sense that many people would prefer to sit in front of their computers or tablets wearing their pyjamas while making their purchases. No looking for parking spots, no waiting in long line ups – these are just a few of the perks of online shopping.

As we mentioned in yesterday’s blog, making purchases via the internet is only becoming more popular in Canada. According to Dianne Buckner of CBC News, “Canadians of all ages will set new records shopping online this holiday season.” She writes that “Canada Post expects to deliver 20 per cent more parcels related to e-commerce this November and December.” Rod Hart, Canada Post’s general manager of parcels and e-commerce, is preparing for a busy holiday season.

“The growth has been amazing,” he is quoted as saying, “And you also see that online shopping used to skew to an age category that was on the younger side. Now we see that right through to 60-plus, they\’ve becoming more comfortable with it.” So what will you be doing to welcome online shoppers to your website? Yesterday, we detailed four tips offered by Karen E. Klein on BusinessWeek.com to get your business online shopping-ready. Here are four more.

1. Offer free shipping. There’s nothing like the word “free” to attract customers. This is especially true during the holiday season when people will be spending more money than usual. If you can offer them discounts or free shipping, you’re bound to make more customers happy. Klein reveals that “Free Shipping Day” founder, Luke Knowles believes that “free shipping is the No. 1 promotion that shoppers respond to.”

2. Hire staff and focus on service. As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, it’s important to remember that online shopping doesn’t replace traditional shopping. So you still have to make sure that those who visit your store in person are having great shopping experiences. Your staff members should not only be helpful and cheerful, but you may want to encourage them to mention to customers that your products are available online as well.

3. Arrange some special deals. “Cost-conscious consumers will be looking for unique products and good deals this holiday season,” Klein reminds us. In addition to free shipping, you may also want to offer free gift-wrapping. It’s a busy time of year. With all of the shopping going on, people will truly cherish any time-savers that they can take advantage of. If you can do the gift-wrapping for them, it may be reason for them to choose your brand over a competitor.

4. Get organized. Map out your plans for the holiday season. Consider the different dates that you may want to hold particular sales or have contests. Consider the ways that you can promote to your online visitors so that it’s worth their while to visit you in-store. Think about the discounts you may give on particular days when people buy from you online. Cyber Monday is a perfect example. The possibilities are endless. And the benefits are many!

For more information on Canadian POS Corporation’s Ecommerce solutions, call 1-877-748-2884.