By adding a countdown to Christmas on your website users will be reminded just how little time they have left to finish up their gift shopping. The feeling of time running out will help entice consumers to make that purchase they’ve been mulling over not tomorrow, but today.

Many products are often competitively priced across the Internet and in store. So how do you make your site the site consumers make purchases on? Simple. Offer an incentive for consumers who spend a given amount on a product (or products). For instance, give consumers incentives like 5% off a $25 purchase or $10 off a $100 purchase. This will not only tempt consumers to purchase on your site, but also make them consider purchasing more items at once in order to receive a better discount.

Often times consumers will educate themselves on what prices exist on what sites and then compare shipping costs prior to choosing which site to purchase from. Lower shipping costs around the holidays, offer free shipping after a certain purchase amount, or offer free shipping no matter what to ensure that consumers purchase from your site and not your competitors.

Millions of online shoppers are still wary of having their personal information hacked from online ordering. The last thing a consumer wants to see is that the site that they are purchasing from is not secure. This could easily convince a consumer to change their mind and make their purchase elsewhere. Thus, make sure your site is secure and that the consumer is aware of it before purchasing.

Every web browser is different and it’s imperative that your website functions properly on all of them. Ensure that your website loads properly by contacting your website developer and running tests on each browser (Safari, Firefox, etc.). This will allow consumers to comfortably and easily shop on your website regardless of how they choose to access it.

1. Continuous site improvements. When expecting high traffic volumes, many retailers might freeze their site out of fear that adding new pieces or tweeking the current site increases the risk of something breaking. Maintaining your current website may be a comfortable place, but this practice will not help you achieve high conversion rates. Ensure that your team is checking web analytics frequently to identify places in which updates will provide the most bang for your buck. Look for ways you can provide these updates in a way that will resonate with your customers.

2. A shift in consumer personalization. During the general calendar year, your site is targeted to the individual. You use social profiles, networking, and purchasing histories to market your product or service. During the holiday season, the consumer encounters a shift in purpose, a change in perspective. He/ she is now shopping for a husband, a wife, a son, a mom, a friend- anyone but themselves. Traditional forms of personalization are going to be considerably less effective during the holidays. Instead, focus on personalization approaches that consider the buyer’s intent. Offer suggestions for the “perfect” gift. Get creative!

3. The perfect gift. Everyone wants to give a gift that brings a smile during the holidays. You can make it easier for your customers to find gifts by offering packages that are relevant to interest, want, and need. This crucial balancing act that can be the catalyst behind moving certain products and serving up the products and services your customers both need and want. The savviest retailers will keep this in mind when crafting their sites for the holiday season.

4. Think social. If you’re not yet incorporating social networking to your business plan, now is a great time to start. Why? Here’s a tidbit that might get you motivated: a recent study on customers’ online experiences during the last holiday shopping season found that 16% of respondents purchased an additional product based on their Facebook friends “liking” or purchasing a product. Are you using this budget- friendly advertising medium? This holiday season, ask yourself how you can make it easier for customers to share your products and their purchases online.

5. Develop a mobile strategy. Like social, mobile is one area that should be interesting you—holiday season or not. How accessible is your website? Do you have a mobile website? The same study that cited social networking sites as important found that 13% of the respondents claim they used mobile phones to make holiday purchases. Eighteen percent of respondents used their mobile device for comparison-shopping. Holiday buying is just a few weeks away, so now is the perfect time to develop or enhance your mobile website. Your more technologically savvy clientele will appreciate it.