Website Tips for Holiday Traffic Spikes

Just because Cyber Monday is over, doesn't mean that holiday website traffic is going to slow down.

And while this may be welcome news to retailers, it is important to make sure that websites are optimized for the holidays and can handle an increase in traffic. This is why content delivery network Mirror Image is sharing these valuable tips that will help retailers manage the traffic spikes that the holidays can bring.

Go Mobile - Mobile is a fast growing and profitable channel, so it is important to make sure your mobile site loads fast and works correctly - especially during the holidays. According to the National Retail Federation, 52.6 percent of smartphone users use their device to research products, redeem coupons and purchase holiday gifts and items.

Detect devices and optimize content - It is important to understand how content is being delivered and received on desktop and mobile devices. Images, ads and apps should be delivered based on the specific endpoint type.

Prepare for peak traffic times - Make sure that your site is monitored 24-7 and that resources are set in place to avoid latency problems and downtime.

Log ad data for future campaigns - Start preparing for future ad campaigns. It is important to know how many ads were viewed in entirety, how many ads were dropped before the end, how many ads were clicked on, what types of devices viewed the ads, when the content was viewed and from what geographic location. 

The fun doesn't end on Cyber Monday - Cyber Monday is one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, but there will likely be additional high-traffic spikes throughout the season, especially for last-minute shoppers. Continue to engage with consumers throughout the busy season, and leverage best practices such as geo-location mobile advertising, highly targeted online display advertising and real-time bidding to reach customers at optimal purchasing times.