It's that magical time of year, friends! The holiday season is in full swing and if you're an online retailer, getting your website ready for a successful buying season is imperative. Here are a few quick things to consider that can help out a lot.

1) What worked last year?

How did your season go last year?  What went well and what do you need to change this year? You can learn a lot about what you need to do this year by taking a look back at previous holiday seasons. You can check out your Google Analytics to see which pages visitors were looking at and how many people came to your site when you started marketing at the start of the season.

If your business is new, you'll be able to use this first year's data to help you get ready for next year.

2) Optimize your SEO

Do some research into what keywords people are searching for this year and update your content with those keywords. This is a great time to keep new and fresh content coming in regularly. Don't forget that SEO is something you have to keep updating, so stay on top of that content and those keywords and search engines will find you irresistible.

3) Start a pay per click campaign

Paid search, when done correctly, is a great strategy, but you need to have a plan and the expertise to set it up for success first. Once it's perfect, you can flex and change your budget to fit your needs.

4) Send out an email

Create an email newsletter and send it to your customers with your best offers and maybe even throw in some coupons to go with it. You might want to offer next day shipping for those last minute purchasers, too. You know they're out there and they're in a blind panic. Offering that one thing alone could make the sale.

5) Make sure your homepage looks awesome

Your homepage is very likely the most visited place on your website. If it's cluttered or confusing, people are going to feel overwhelmed and leave. Make sure it's cleaned up and that your top deals are easily visible. Use high quality images to showcase your products, and make sure there's an easy way for customers to contact you directly with any questions. 

With these quick tips, you'll be able to increase traffic, sales and performance and have a happy, happy holiday season. If you need help getting things all spiffy, you know where to find us.