Christmas - the time for giving, receiving...and acquiring new customers online. This year the worldwide online holiday shopping sales are projected to reach $25.3 billion, a 39% increase over last year, according to US-based researchers Gartner. Royal Mail expects to deliver around 100 million Christmas presents bought online between now and 23 December -- that's 30 million more than in 2005. And incredibly, in the UK more than £4m will be spent online each hour on presents in the run-up to Christmas.
Despite this rise in spending, research has found there is still room for improvement for e-tailers to deliver better customer service. At Christmas time, delivery time is key and although it seems as though more and more people are choosing to shop online at Christmas, customer satisfaction through timely delivery is really the only way to retain customers. A snazzy site can have all the bells and whistles in the world but if santa doesn't deliver in time, the customer certainly won't be visiting again.
Some of the big players this season are Ikea, John Lewisand Topshop. Ikea's site opens with a flashy interactive quiz-like scenario questioning 'how many guests are you expecting this Christmas?'. It's great fun if you're looking to buy furniture or waste some time, and certainly an original concept.
John Lewis has also cottoned onto the festive 'look and feel' for their website, encouraging customers to make a purchase by offering free delivery and customised gift ideas. Topshop has gone a slightly different route by launching a 'Pass the Parcel' viral email campaign which has 100,000 layers of gifts and prizes, including a years supply of shoes. That works for me!
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