Today’s consumer connects with her favorite retailer in many ways.  Here is a checklist to make certain that your webstore is as festive, fresh, friendly and full-service as your bricks ‘n’ mortar store:

• Deck your webstore with boughs of holly…but don’t overdo it.  Your webstore’s first responsibility is to present your products, product information and prices clearly and with call-to-action impact.  Don’t hide the product behind Santa’s sleigh.  Your webstore’s second responsibility is to build the brand of your business.  Your name, your competitive advantages, your customer service excellence.  Again, don’t obscure this critical information with seasonal decoration.

• Get your best sellers up front.  Your webstore is a convenient way to shop, but it is not a convenience store.  Don’t bury your best sellers inside the store, forcing your customer to navigate through dozens of pages.  Your online customer wants fast and convenient service.  If not from you, your competition is only a couple of clicks away.

• Sell what you have in stock.  At least in the main pages of your webstore, every product you display needs to be in-stock and ready for delivery.  Webstore pages perform very much like physical store space.  Don’t tie up your better selling space with out of season or out of date products. Create a Clearance or Out-of-Season section on your department or category bar.  The bargain hunters will be happy to hunt; your regular customer won’t have to navigate through the clutter.

• Will it arrive before Christmas?  Do not disappoint regular and new customers.  Make certain that your seasonal delivery schedule, delivery rates and premium delivery services are clearly posted.  Make certain that every employee serving your online customers fulfills your published commitments on delivery.  If any unexpected problems arise, inform your customer.  She will appreciate having the bad news early enough to make alternative purchasing arrangements.

• Gift-giving and stocking-stuffer suggestions.  If you have developed and are using a customer e-mail marketing list, now is time to send your online customers an informative gift and stocking-stuffer suggestion list.  Provide product information details including selling price, approximate shipping cost and the webstore department or category where each suggested product can be found.  Send two mailings, one before November 15 and one before December 10.  Remember - it’s customer service first in all your e-mail marketing events.

• Here’s how to contact us.  An everyday concern, made even more critical during the Christmas season, is giving your online customers clear direction on how and when to contact you.  If you have one, prominently post your toll-free number.  If not, your regular telephone and fax numbers are OK.  Prominently post your customer service e-mail address.  And prominently post your business hours, when you will have someone on your end of the connection to serve your customers.  Make certain your customer service employees understand that just because your customer is at the other end of the Internet doesn’t make her problems any less important or her patronage any easier to replace, if she is lost to the competition.

• Use your customer feedback. Today’s consumer is empowered like never before.  And she knows it.  You have undoubtedly received feedback from your online customer – by phone, by e-mail and by walking through the door of your bricks ‘n’ mortar store.  What is she telling you?  What you are doing right – do more of it!  What isn’t quite right – get it fixed!  And if it can’t be fixed, for instance you can’t offer free delivery, then make certain your webstore information on your delivery service, or any other customer concern, is clearly and fairly explained.  Misinformation is the number one reason for online shopping cart abandonment.  Don’t let misinformation or lack of information limit your e-Christmas sales.

• Integrate, integrate, integrate.  If you are like most retailers, the largest portion of your annual in-store customer traffic and the largest portion of your annual advertising expenditure will occur in the next eight weeks.  Make certain that every ad, every radio and TV commercial, every window display and every piece of POS material includes mention of your webstore.  Make every effort to inform every walk-in customer about your webstore.  Word of mouth remains the best advertising delivery available.  Get your customers talking about your stores – online and off line - today.

Wishing your employees, your family and you a happy, healthy and prosperous holiday season,

Peter

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