I’m swamped from September through October working with clients to “Holidize” their sites. We plan their specials calendar from shipping discounts, mailings and discount coupons and when we are going to put them live on the site. Including little graphics here and there to reflect the Holiday at hand. From Halloween, then on to Thanksgiving and then finally to the big Holidays.

Even though adding little graphics here and there to acknowledge special days is not that expensive, it is amazing how many folks do nothing at all. Why plan specials, discounts or mailings? More business — that’s why! What do you think your competitors are doing? Not sitting on their hands and ignoring the Holidays!

Like it or not the Holidays are a time that give you an excuse to pump up your business and send good tidings in the process. Is your site run by Mr. Scrooge?

All my sites get little touches reflecting the Holiday Season. No big redos, redesigns or revamps are required. Usually a stocking, wreath or a little “Happy Holidays” graphic added to your site is all it takes to let folks know there are living breathing human beings behind these screens.

What do you think it says to site visitors when they arrive at your site and there is no indication or acknowledgment of the Holidays?

• Is this site current?
• Does the person who runs this site care?
• Don’t they know what time of year it is?
• Is anyone home?

I know that if I were to go to a site at this time of year and see no Holiday anything, I would probably move on. I would think the site to be stagnant and forgotten about. Especially with sites doing eCommerce. Why would I risk doing business with a site that doesn’t indicate the most important time of the year retail-wise, even gratuitously? I wouldn’t. Again, I would assume no one is home.

So you still have time to Happy New Year your site. Wishing your site visitors a Happy New Year! is something they will appreciate while you give them a subconscious clue that you are alive and well and aware of what time of year it is.

At your service,
Judith

Each day I receive e-mail through all my various sites from other site owners offering to exchange links. Most approach me in the wrong manner making it clear that they have no idea about the proper way to run an effective linking program. See, in a true linking program, it isn’t just about you - it is about both sites involved in the process. Read the rest of this entry »