An Ecommerce record has been broken, and that's just the beginning…

Black Friday online sales jumped 42 percent from last year while Cyber Monday was up 26 percent, according to the latest numbers from ComScore Networks. In a report released last Wednesday, ComScore's chairman Gian Fulgoni noted that Cyber Monday was "the highest single day in retail e-commerce history and the first day ever to break the $600 million threshold". And although the day was a record breaker, it is likely that the biggest day of holiday sales is yet to come. States Fulgoni, "having analyzed and reported on online sales for more than five years, we fully expect several days in the coming weeks to eclipse the spending that occurred on Cyber Monday."

So don't rest by the yuletide fire just yet. The new record may be broken just as quickly as it was set! Click to read "Holiday Sales: When Will Your Site See its Peak Day? Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the Unnamed Days When Holiday Sales May Be Larger than the Two"

Things you can do to prepare for the approaching Holidays

(Part 2 of a 3 Part Series)

1. Your Products

Holiday Categories. Create separate categories to emphasize holiday gift ideas. Make it easier for customers to find a quick purchase with categories such as, "Gift ideas under $25" and "Stocking Stuffers for Her".
Holiday Gift Wrapping and Gift Notes. Part of the appeal of online holiday shopping is the ability to easily send gifts to others directly from the store. Enhance that appeal by offering cheap gift wrapping options with different choices of paper, and also give customers the option to leave their own customizable gift notes.
Learn how to setup Gift Wrapping and Gift Notes (under Config_EnableGiftWrap)

2. Your Site's Holiday Appearance

The Countdown to Christmas. Does seeing the number of days left until Christmas frighten you into wanting to shop now? Good, that's the idea! Click to download your own countdown at
"Google Gadgets: Add the Countdown to Christmas on Your Own Site"
Holiday Homepage. Evidence shows that a large majority of people research products online first, before heading to a retail store to purchase. Keep your site's visitors from hitting the road this holiday season by reiterating the fact that online shopping is the way to go! A graphic located here says just that, along with other graphics to spread the holiday cheer. Click to download free graphics at
"Christmas Homepage: Free Volusion Graphics to Decorate Your Site"

"Detailed Product Information May Help Make Your Online Business the “One Stop Shop”

Creating return customers this Holiday season

According to last year's WebSurveyor's Holiday Report, 15% of online buyers say they experienced problems in receiving their goods on time. And chances are, those customers won't be returning to those sites again to purchase this holiday season. Remember that the holidays are a time to not only increase your holiday sales, but a time to increase the number of potential future customers. This not only applies to next season, but the next time they are looking for a product you offer.

Holiday Shipping. To prevent confusion, make a clear message on your site about the timeline for Christmas delivery. Place shipping info in a spot that will be noticed by all visitors, such as your homepage, to emphasize the approaching shipping deadline. If you run a brick and mortar store, offer an incentive to boost sales after the shipping deadline has passed, such as "10% Off All Products for In Store Pickup". Remember that Christmas falls on a Monday this year, so shipping companies may end their deliveries the preceding Saturday. Make sure this information is known not only by you, but your customers as well!