Portent Interactive Announces Eight Ways to Prepare for Cyber Monday

SEATTLE, WA — 11/19/2007.

Here are some last-minute tips on preparing for the Black Friday of the online world:

1. E-commerce owners should consult last year’s analytics and sales. They should note any jump in sales on Cyber Monday. They should then note what keywords caused the jump.

2.They should increase their pay-per-click spend for those keywords.

3. Such a potentially heavy traffic day calls for thorough site-testing. E-commerce owners should double-check shopping carts, general usability, speed and site appearance, such as product images.

4. Online business-owners should also send a thank-you note to loyal customers. Emailing past customers and sincerely thanking them for their business is the first step. After that, a reminder that Cyber Monday presents an opportunity for great sales without having to get up at four in the morning and stand in line for hours is appropriate.

5. E-commerce sites should have a big badge on every page showing shipping options with corresponding price points and dates. These badges should emphasize that it’s not too late to have items shipped in time for Christmas.

6. E-commerce owners should keep in mind that some of their customers may celebrate other holidays, like Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. Business-owners should aim for a breadth of ads that appeal to all customer demographics.

7. Online-business owners should prepare for Cyber Monday with an emergency plan. They should equip themselves with the phone numbers for their company’s hosting provider, development team, credit card processor and bank. They should alert all these parties that they’ll be calling if anything seems out of place, and asking them to please be prepared for this e-shopping boom.

8. Other than fixing essential glitches, e-commerce owners are advised against making dramatic changes to their site during this time. Portent Interactive President Ian Lurie says, “Don’t push your luck by trying to change things on your site, no matter how tempting. Just make sure your current site is running smoothly.”

Portent Interactive recommends this checklist to any e-commerce site owners who sell holiday or gift items. By following this guide, online business owners can be prepared for one of the most potentially profitable online shopping days of the year.

You can read the blog post here.

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