December 11, 2009
By the ZippyCart Shopping Carts Content Team
While many online retailers put their focus on Black Friday and Cyber Monday for the highest sales of the year, some are now expecting a spike in holiday shopping on December 15th that could surpass that of the days following Thanksgiving. Because of this, many online stores like Amazon have pushed out their best holiday deals and free shipping options until the 17th of the month, in hopes that last minute shoppers will take advantage of their mid-month paycheck. The logic behind this possible new “busiest shopping day of the year” is the current economic climate in the US. More households than ever are living paycheck to paycheck with the first paycheck of the month usually going to rent or mortgage, which causes many consumers to start their holiday shopping fairly late in the game. While consumers used to have their mid-month paycheck ready on Black Friday, the low economy has made it hard for many to afford more than the traditional Thanksgiving fare, so deal hunters are staying home and saving their money after their big turkey meal and waiting until the last minute to purchase presents for loved ones.
Online retailers should prepare for this likely rush of consumers in search of top holiday deals. Three ways to surely take advantage of this new trend include:
December 15th Shopping Deals — offering special savings on the 14th through the 20th of December, with a large focus on December 15th holiday deals, will help grab the attention of shoppers ready to get started on their holiday shopping.
Offer Free and Rush Shipping — Another way to attract consumers is to offer free shipping until the 17th of the month, or even beat out Amazon by offering free shipping until the 18th. Some online stores like Overstock, Best Buy, and Target often offer rush shipping up until the 23rd of the month, so small online retailers should see if they can beat their pricing to gain more customers.
Increase PPC Bids on December 15th — Considering this day is expected to rival Black Friday and Cyber Monday, online retailers should prepare their marketing dollars for the 15th in much the same way. Increasing PPC bids by 25-50% could increase sales by the same amount!
By implementing some, or all of these strategies, online retailers should see a nice uptick in traffic on the 15th of the month. Those who have been shopping since the holiday season began, might be less susceptible to all the same advertising, but on December 15th, online retailers have the opportunity to appeal to new eyes and create brand new customers.
Amy is the co-founder of ZippyCart. She went to school for film in Cleveland, Ohio and ended up working in the field of viral video marketing, which eventually led her to her real profession: SEO. When she's not writing for ZippyCart, she can be found out and about Seattle, WA.
