The holiday season is almost upon us and your business needs to be prepared for the influx of customers, both online and in-store. There are a few things you should do to prepare for the holiday season.
Below are five tips, from advertising to secure payment acceptance, that will benefit your business in preparation for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
Related: Attract More Holiday Shoppers this Season
- Proper online presence: Make sure your web server can handle additional traffic and business. Ensure that your website’s security is also in top form, especially for the checkout process. If you aren’t using proper verification techniques on your website, it would behoove you to look into them and adopt the practice. This can protect you from fraudulent charges, which tend to be higher during holiday seasons. Also, stay active on social media. You can see what your customers like based on what they are posting and use that to your advantage.
- Email promotion: Now is the time to email your database, as long as you are following CANSPAM rules. If you’re not sure what CANSPAM is, check out more information here. Create engaging email content with explicit calls to action to promote store visits or buying items online. This is an easy and effective way to send out coupons or deals you have available in-store and online.
- Be mobile-ready: Most people do their web browsing, email checking and online shopping on their mobile devices. Make sure your website and emails are mobile friendly. Use big buttons, have contact information clearly visible, and keep customer information as limited as possible. Remember not to compromise security if you have applications for phones. Ensure you are following proper checkout security protocols to decrease your risk of fraud.
- Have the best credit card processing rate: If your business accepts credit cards, make sure you have the best rate possible so you are not paying too much for the amount of charges being made. Talk to your credit card processor or shop around. It never hurts to get a second opinion to make sure you are receiving the lowest rates. Local payment acceptance solutions provider International Bancard would be happy to discuss your payment acceptance needs.
- Prepare for fraud and chargebacks: Employ effective risk mitigation strategy to limit the number of chargebacks and fraudulent purchases. For in-store transactions, having EMV-compliant equipment will help. If you have EMV-certified terminals and customers use the chip card in the machine, your business will not be liable for fraudulent charges. It is a good investment, especially for the holiday season, to protect your business. For online transactions, ensure you are using proper verification techniques to prevent fraudulent and chargeback purchases.
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Content provided by International Bancard
