The wind is cranking for our local Hood River wind sports, BBQ’s are bountiful and camping trips are still eminent for the summer, but before we know it, it will be holiday season and great planning for online retail sales starts now.

One of the biggest truths in online sales for the holiday is that visitors decide at a glance whether or not to explore. If someone is looking for a holiday gift to inspire and they don’t see anything relative to the holidays, they’ll leave. Period. Update your product catalog to include your holiday products and specials. Add holiday ideas and creative to your home page storefornt.

Simplicity counts. Your guests have a lot to do during the holidays. Make their shopping experience simple and straight forward.

Be concise about timing. Under promise and over deliver, if it will take 4 days to ship, tell your customers it will take 5 and they’ll be pleased when they see it in 4. Your customers just want the straight scoop.

Understand Lifetime Value of a Customer (LVC). Getting a new customer in the door with a special with a low profit margin works for some businesses. Understand your LVC. If your visitors don’t repeat, know that you have to make margin on the first and only sale. But if your customers repeat, know that your great product, customer service and follow up business have impact to your bottom line and take that into account when you’re defining ROI for an online campaign.

Analyze site metrics. What do your customers do online? If you know that a particular landing page drives traffic, leads and sales, use that landing page to help drive sales during the holidays. Know how your visitors use your site and drive traffic there through natural and paid search.

Reward your customers. What better time than the hollday to thank your customers for being customers? Include a special sample pack or added value item for your repeat customers during the holidays. This simple gesture will gain you favor and loyalty.

And finally, plan now. Don’t wait until the beginning of November to make your holiday plans, then it’s too late. Decide now how you’ll communicate with your visitors during the holiday. Do it now while the sun shines and the thoughts of snow and Christmas cookies are a distant inevitability. You never know how inspired the summer can make you until you try.

View our YouTube for Oregon Winery-Cathedral Ridge Winery and find the answer to getting a free glass of award winning wine at this perfect spot for your next Hood River Oregon Wine Tour.