By Volusion
Download our latest holiday outlook report to learn how small business owners are working to tackle what’s predicted to be the biggest holiday season in ecommerce history!
Excited about the upcoming holiday season? You’re not alone. Based on findings from our latest study, “Report from the Front Lines: Small Business Outlook and Ecommerce Strategies for the 2014 Holiday Season,” 76% of small- and medium-sized business owners feel optimistic that their business will generate more sales this holiday season than they did in 2013.
This report, created from a survey of Volusion merchants, is designed to share how smaller online retailers feel about the 2014 holiday season, and more importantly, how they’re working to make it the most successful yet.
Here are some of highlights:
- 76% of smaller online merchants are “Somewhat Optimistic” to “Very Optimistic” that their business will generate more sales this season than in 2013.
- SMBs tell us that their top three challenges for the holidays are: 1) Defining the best marketing mix to reach new and existing customers; 2) Competing against large retailers like Amazon; and 3) Determining a pricing strategy that remains competitive but protects profit margins.
- 92% of those surveyed say that they’re looking to acquire new customers. However, their marketing mix doesn’t completely match this objective, as their primary marketing channels are focused on customer retention, like social media and email.
- Mobile matters, with 89% of SMBs stating that mobile will be “Somewhat Important” to “Very Important” to their holiday success. In terms of how mobile devices will be used, 49% of small business owners believe that browsing will be the primary mobile activity for their customers.
- Only 37% of smaller merchants indicate that Black Friday will be “Important” or “Very Important” in terms of impacting their holiday season.
- 26% of respondents said they would focus the most on streamlining the checkout process to help customers complete their holiday purchases, with 23% placing top emphasis on offering shipping discounts.
Not only does this exclusive report provide you with more statistics like these, it’s also stocked with advice to help your online business better compete this year.
What are you waiting for? Download the PDF by clicking the link below.
Download Free Report
Special thanks to all the Volusion merchants who offered their insights to make this report possible. We’ll be contacting the winners of the $100 Visa gift cards very soon!
Visit Volusion’s Ecommerce Authority blog for everything you need to cultivate a successful online business. Visit www.Volusion.com to experience the world’s best ecommerce software solution for online businesses.
Via:: Volusion Online Business
