10 Tips for maximising Christmas sales

If you want to take full advantage of Christmas sales then Thursday and Friday this week are the best days of the year to list auctions on eBay and the best time to launch them is between 1 and 2pm. That’s the prediction of Simon from ChannelAdvisor if you want them to end on the busiest online shopping day of the year.

Last year Monday 8th December was the busiest online shopping day of the 2008, so Simon is betting on Monday 7th December being the top shopping day in 2009 for Internet businesses. Starting auctions on Friday this week will ensure that they’re ending and at the top of search on the 8th to take full advantage of the predicted influx of buyers.

Regardless whether or not Simon’s prediction is spot on, there’s no doubt that next week buyers will be busily spending their last pay cheque before Christmas, so here are our top tips for making the most of the holiday selling season:

Tips for making the most of Christmas

1. Increase the number of auctions you run concurrently on eBay. Auctions are the one way to guarantee you get to the top of the search results page.

2. Add “Buy It Now” feature to eBay auction listings.
3. Schedule eBay listings in advance to ensure they’ll finish at the best time on the busiest days.
4. Top up inventory on fixed price listings and your website – Don’t run out of stock and lose your position in eBay Best Match.
5. Add Best Offer to your fixed price eBay listings. Consider automating accept/decline on Best Offers if you don’t already.
6. Use Markdown Manager on eBay and discounts on your website to attract buyers with discounts.
7. Use Featured First for products for which you have deep inventory.
8. Review shipping options, offer customers guaranteed fast shipping options such as Royal Mail Special Delivery or 24 hour courier.
9. Use email marketing to promote season goods and special offers to your website mailing list and eBay shop subscribers.
10. Send out discount vouchers for your website valid from January 1st with all orders. Offer incentives to keep customers buying from you after the holidays.

Disclosure: ChannelAdvisor advertise with TameBay

9 Responses on "10 Tips for maximising Christmas sales"

1. 1
   Sue Bailey says:

   November 23, 2009 at 10:39 am

   Surely also “offer gift wrapping”? (oh Doug, we miss you )

   And if you’re not closing up shop between Xmas and New Year, I’d say make those vouchers valid from 26th Dec – there’s two weekends in that period, there are going to be a lot of people with not much to do. Give them an incentive to spend the week on your website.
   • 1.1
     Richard says:

     November 23, 2009 at 12:00 pm

     Oh have I got a treat for you Sue. Believe it or not, that thread from 2003 is available to view still, although buried deep inside Liveworld’s archives. for your viewing pleasure I present the Christmas wrapping paper thread…

     http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=100020772&start=0

     Starts getting good at post #87.
     • 1.1.1
       katakitty says:

       November 23, 2009 at 12:12 pm

       I had completely forgotten how funny and surreal that thread was, brilliant (sorry Doug)
       • 1.1.1.1
         Richard says:

         November 23, 2009 at 12:30 pm

         Hard to believe it was six years ago and people still remember it. Still, not as sad as having the damn thread book-marked all these years. LOL
     • 1.1.2
       Sue Bailey says:

       November 23, 2009 at 12:49 pm

       Wow. I’d assumed that’d gone when they culled all the old threads.
       *scared to look how rude I might have been to poor Alexia*
       Ohh, look, post 145. I’m still saying the same thing now. La la la la…

       He’ll be back on the boards in the new year on a more frequent basis.
       Bless, Henry. I don’t think Doug ever came back, did he?
       • 1.1.2.1
         Richard says:

         November 23, 2009 at 1:17 pm

         Old threads are never actually culled, just made invisable…. unless you book-mark them, I have some even older book-marked.
         • 1.1.2.1.1
           board_surfer says:

           November 23, 2009 at 2:38 pm

           I am still of a mind that poor old Doug got set up by Henry.

           
     • 1.1.3
       Ellen says:

       November 23, 2009 at 7:33 pm

       ho ho ho

       “I do gift wrap” is actually code for “it may be 20th December and you are in the Caribbean but don’t worry, I will dash to the PO 1st thing tomorrow and post these mugs to the Great Aunt in Norfolk you forgot about”.

       But poor Doug is too clueless to understand that or he would never have brought it up.
2. 2
   JP says:

   November 23, 2009 at 10:02 pm

   Top Tip 11:

   Answer questions on 25th Dec – lots of bored people around who want to relieve their wallets of money!