According to the National Retail Federation, citing a study by BIGresearch, nearly 60% of office workers will shop online over their lunch hour on Monday. And depending on your target demographic, it may be more - 70% of those ages 18-34 will shop from work on Monday. All of those online shoppers are looking for one thing: big deals. The NRF estimates that 84% of retailers will have Cyber Monday deals, up from 72% last year. So, as a retailer (or even a blogger, consumer advocate, publisher, etc.) you need to make sure you're prepared for Monday and beyond.
Security: Top-of-mind with shoppers this Monday will be their personal security. My search this morning on Google for "Cyber Monday Tips" returned a top result of an article offering 10 tips to avoid being hacked. In fact, consumers are being specifically warned about the dangers of Cyber Monday. It's important to ensure your customers that your site is secure and transactions are safe. Display your security policy (or a descriptive link) prominently on your site. And that includes checkout pages. Consumers want to feel safe every step of the way.
Obtainable: There's no question that Cyber Monday is the busiest traffic days of the year for online retailers, even if it's not the highest transaction day. Consumers are browsing, if not buying, filling out their lists and checking for the best prices. Given the state of the economy and that every economist in the country expects people to spend less this year, comparison shopping will be huge, and that means more time surfing the Web for discounts. Make sure your website is ready to handle the traffic. You might also consider offering a live chat for your customers to ask questions, click-to-call, or even just making sure your telephone number is displayed on every page.
Shipping: Nothing entices a prospective customer like free or discounted shipping. Avoiding the malls is a benefit of online shopping. But paying for that convenience through shipping might not be worth it for many consumers this year. In addition, many consumers expect shipping deals. Read more about consumer's shipping attitudes. Another popular convenience that's easy to offer is gift wrapping.
