In collaboration with the e-tailing group, Performics, the performance-based marketing division of DoubleClick, today released ten tips for Web publishers seeking to maximize commerce during the holiday season.

“Affiliate publishers are often on the cutting edge of online marketing techniques, but we can all learn lessons from advertiser best practices in maximizing holiday traffic,” said Chris Henger, vice president, affiliate marketing for Performics. “Building off the study Performics and the e-tailing group released this past August, we continue our commitment to the publisher side of our business. The more effective our publishers perform, the more our advertisers benefit.”

Web Publisher Checklist: Ten Ideas to Better Reach and Convert Holiday
Shoppers:
1. Centralize and prominently position free shipping offers: shoppers
flock to these
2. Create a sense of urgency: remind shoppers of the number of days until
Christmas
3. Create a suggestions page: provide gift recommendations segmented by
price/recipient
4. Inspire impulse holiday purchasing: showcase top sellers, editor’s
favorites, etc.
5. Make finding merchants and merchant offers simple: visibility leads to
conversion
6. Aggressively promote sale offers: segment deals by percentage/dollar
off, just added sales, soon to expire sales, etc.
7. Remember last minute shoppers: highlight gift certificates during
final shopping days
8. Ensure timely delivery: note stock status/shipping availability at
merchant/product level
9. Support the brand: provide shoppers with comprehensive contact
information, including FAQ locations and store-based information
10. Think long term: collect email opt-ins for future alerts, newsletters,
etc.

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