With the holidays fast approaching, stores along Oxford Street have already set up their festive window displays. We all think to decorate our homes and offices, and stores are expected to get shoppers through the door on the strength of their themed displays, interweaving fairytale with small appliances.

But is your website ready for the holidays?

At this time of year consumers are primed to flex the plastic – and with e-commerce sales on the up, it’s your job to make sure they spend on your site rather than your competitor’s.

Recent surveys have shown that e-commerce is exceeding the forecast growth, and Christmas sales have been steadily increasing (excluding 2008’s little crisis). So don’t neglect your website!

• Add some festive cheer to your site – even just adding a few traditional Christmassy images to your site header can make your customers feel the festive spirit of spending (look at Tesco adding a little paper crown on their logo for their Christmas adverts).
• Clearly announce the Christmas delivery schedule and let your customers know when they need to order by – the last thing you need in January is a sea of angry callers wanting to know why Granny’s present didn’t arrive in time and demanding a refund. In fact – why not offer free shipping for the holiday period? Shipping costs can often put consumers off it they only want to buy one gift.
• Offers! Special offers for “gift suggestions” can encourage customers to buy more than one item.