| Is Your Site Ready for Christmas? | | | | gift baskets. |
| Jeremy Palmer and I held a Holiday Shopping | | | | 4. Seek out specialty merchants. Brookstone, |
| Teleseminar on Black Friday (November 24th) to | | | | Hammacher Schlemmer, Hickory Farms and |
| assist affiliate marketers ready their sites for the | | | | Sharper Image that specialize in higher-end, unique |
| busy holiday season ahead. | | | | gift items. |
| The good news is that if you haven't started | | | | 5. Limit the number of merchants that you |
| your holiday promotions, you still have time to do | | | | promote to a manageable number, and seek out |
| so. | | | | those that don't sell offline and/or offer expanded |
| Contrary to the popular claim that Cyber Monday | | | | online selection. Refrain from promoting merchants |
| is the biggest online shopping day of the year, | | | | that have stores in every town or that offer |
| Comscore ranks it as the 12th busiest shopping | | | | in-store only deals and pricing, ie. Circuit City, Best |
| day and most e-tailers report their peak days | | | | Buy and WalMart. |
| happening between December 5th and the 15th. | | | | 6. Get in touch with your merchant partners. Ask |
| Better yet, the opportunity for new and | | | | them what their recommendations are regarding |
| seasoned affiliate marketers continues to expand. | | | | hot product and best deals. |
| Disenchanted with holiday shopping crowds, limited | | | | 7. Address your visitors' concern for price. |
| selection and stock, a record 114 million people are | | | | Promote those merchants that offer the best |
| forecast to buy online this year; and the average | | | | prices, deals and coupons. |
| consumer will spend $728 - compared to $681 in | | | | 8. Focus on your paid search campaigns. Budget |
| 2006. | | | | for higher volume and review ad costs and sales |
| Here are some basic points to consider as you | | | | reports from merchants and ad campaigns daily. |
| prepare both your site and your paid search | | | | 58% of people shop at work on Mondays after a |
| campaigns: | | | | frustrating weekend shopping offline, so where |
| 1. Know your merchants' shipping cut-off dates | | | | possible (MSN Adcenter) target your ads to |
| and inventory status. Merchants will communicate | | | | specific days of the week, or times of the day. |
| this information to affiliates either through email or | | | | Consider direct linking (arbitrage) where permitted |
| their sites. Cease paid search campaigns for those | | | | by your merchant partners. |
| merchants and or products that are out of stock | | | | 9. Increase your broadcast message frequency. |
| or that cannot reach the consumer in time for | | | | Your subscribers are actively looking for deals at |
| Christmas delivery. | | | | this time of year - be the first to tell them about |
| 2. Look for last minute opportunities. Promote gift | | | | the best ones! |
| cards and certificates for merchants that pay a | | | | 10. Stay focused. While we all want to have the |
| referral fee, such as Amazon which is paying 6% | | | | perfect site that promotes all the best merchants; |
| on gift certificates until December 31st. Be aware | | | | limit your site changes, landing page creations and |
| of those merchants that offer express shipping | | | | paid search campaigns to a number that you can |
| and in-store pickup. | | | | handle. |
| 3. Know what your audience wants. The most | | | | Keep those points in mind and you're guaranteed |
| popular items to promote include clothing, books, | | | | to have a Happy Holiday! |
| toys, music, fragrances, consumer electronics and | | | | |