Fox Business News featured AIS Media’s Chairman and CEO, Thomas Harpointner, for his expertise in e-Commerce on Cyber Monday. Harpointner weighed in with his top pitfalls retailers must avoid this holiday season. Harpointner highlighted that with e-Commerce growing 13%, or $ 21.3 billion, from 2008 to 2009 and with more than half of Americans yet to shop for the holidays, e-Tailers have ample opportunity to profit this holiday season. However with only 25 days remaining before Christmas, there is no time to lose. Retailers must optimize their online storefronts now to get their share from online shoppers. Harpointner’s comments included:
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“Retail sales seem fairly flat but the only thing that is working for them this year is of course online shopping,” says Harpointner. “Consumers are going to the Internet before they set foot in malls. One thing retailers need to consider is that consumers are under pressure. They are looking for bargains and discounts so retailers need to put their best foot forward and consider which items will give them the highest margins and heavily promote those products online. More consumers are using coupons and email discount codes so for retailers the items that will give them the highest profits are the products they aggressively need to market via email and search engines.”
Click here to read the full article: Expect more promos, free shipping as days wane for holiday shoppers
Top 5 Must-Do’s for Retailers Before Christmas:
- Display Your Policies: Do not burry your store policies in mice print or at the end of the checkout process. Keep shipping, return, and coupon information at the forefront of the checkout process. Don’t send your customers to the competition by letting them assume you have reason to hide your policies.
- Offer Promotions: One thing online shoppers look for is value – they are looking for special promotions, free shipping, online coupons and special deals. Customers also go back to these retail websites after the holidays, so it’s a great business-building model.
- Embrace Mobile: Nearly a 5th of Americans are using Smart Phones. Consumers price shop on their mobile handsets while inside the retail locations which creates an opportunity to close the sale.
- Make Inventory Available: Out of stock products are extremely frustrating to customers, especially if they’ve had to fight traffic and crowds to get to the store. Publish in-store inventories and enable customers to purchase online for convenient in-store pickup.
- Show the Cost of Shipping: Shipping cost is the most-cited frustration about online shopping. Offer free shipping incentives and clearly publish the cut-off days.
AIS Media has been helping businesses cut costs and increase productivity for since 1997. With consultants worldwide, AIS Media assist performance-driven companies implement and manage interactive strategies. To contact an AIS Media consultant in your area click here.
