It’s never too late to optimize your data feed. There are only 11 shopping days left for Christmas, but don’t forget that the days after Christmas are important because of all the special promotions.
Since I’ve been a little slow in writing comparison engine optimization tips, I thought I’d enlist some help from industry experts. Following are recommendations from Link Walls, Product Manager at ChannelAdvisor. These strategies/tips apply to almost every comparison shopping engine.
-Leverage your Promotions. This time of year most merchants are running some type of promotion – free shipping, % off, etc. Make sure you let prospective customers know this before they even get to your site. Many of the Comparison Shopping Engines (CSEs) allow you to include a promotional message in your datafeed. Add the promotion to your feed – keep in mind that only limited amount of characters will display – so keep it brief and go with a strong call to action. Promotions are a great way to stand out from competitors who offer the same product at the same price as your site.
-Bid up. We know that most sites raised their rates 25-30% for holidays so you are probably thinking this is a crazy idea. But keep in mind that conversion may be 2-3 times higher during the holiday season and probably higher for select products. Analyze your product set, figure out the products that perform great and try bidding those products up to get more clicks. For each site or sites that perform well for you, raise you category minimums to increase the chances of some of your lower performing items. Remember this is all pretty simple stuff – if it converts you want more clicks, if it doesn’t you want less.
-Keywords. Several of the CSEs have a field for Keywords associated with your product. First off, make sure you are using these and have a way to update them on a regular basis. Sprinkle in some holiday related terms where appropriate. I know what you are thinking; I will just jam in “Christmas” and “Gift” into every product’s keyword field. Problem is, you are likely not the only one who will do that so the impact will be limited. Pick a few categories of products and add keywords that are relevant. For instance, if you have products that make great stocking stuffers use “Great Stocking Stuffers” as a keyword. You can also append these keywords to your descriptions and titles where applicable. This could improve your search results for those sites that do not support keywords.
-Get a calendar. Let’s face it – it is almost mid December now. Get a calendar and circle September 1, 2006. Why? Because that is when you should start your holiday planning for next year. Take the time to review what sold well last season, what is currently doing well and what you think will be hot for the holiday. Starting early gives you the time to make significant changes to your data feed structure if needed.
-Drop non-holiday products. Chances are products that are not likely to sell over the holidays won’t generate much traffic. However, if you are on a limited budget you may consider dropping some of these products to reserve your budget for your best holiday sellers.
-Make sure to include shipping costs, and shipping options. If you have the ability to send overnight, include these values for the sites that will accept 2 or more shipping options. Maybe even include Next Day Air, Overnight Shipping in your descriptions or keywords if you offer these. Again, try to stand out from the crowd.
ChannelAdvisor is one of a number of companies which can help you succeed on the Comparison Shopping Engines. Looking to boost your sales in 2006? Check out ChannelAdvisor’s services today.*
Merchants, see more optimization tips.
Learn more about ChannelAdvisor:
Scot Wingo’s eBay Strategies Blog
Interview with Scot Wingo, President & CEO ChannelAdvisor – September 17, 2005
*ComparisonEngines.com does not receive a referral fee from ChannelAdvisor.
