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This Holiday: Make A List, Check It Twice

With the holidays fast approaching, children everywhere are being nicer to their siblings, cleaning their rooms and helping with household chores -- any last-ditch effort to make the leap from "Naughty" to "Nice" before Santa takes off in his sleigh.

Retailers, too, are tirelessly putting in an effort to make it on the "Nice" list for consumers this holiday season. At Demandware, we've been talking to some of our customers who have offered their advice for how to keep a well-meaning holiday campaign from annoying customers and turning them into the Grinch. Here are six small chores that retailers can take on to stay on the "Nice" list this season.

Naughty: The only thing worse to receive around the holidays than coal is spam. Purchasing lists around the holidays just to increase your reach can potentially snowball into a big email problem. Stick with your existing loyal customer list and look only to expand with growth opportunities in marketing programs such as co-registration or making your sign-up option more visible on your website. Santa doesn't just add new folks to the list who are unqualified, and you shouldn't either.

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Nice: Give 'em something to talk about. No one minds an increase in promotions as the holidays grow near, especially if you're getting something for free. Promotions are major eye-catchers -- who doesn't love "free shipping?" Email offers and other "privileged" promotions are popular and are often passed around to family and friends more than Aunt Helen's fruitcake when it means saving a few dollars. Also, consider a service that retargets abandoned carts with a promotion or discount code to help customers check another gift off their lists.

Naughty: Would you ever buy a puppy on a whim for someone as a gift? Sure, people in the movies do it all the time, but it's a terrible idea. It's a ton of work, requires resources and a lot of education (particularly if someone has not had one before). Think of social media like a puppy. Don't go buying one for the holidays unless you have the appropriate resources to manage this new (and very important!) platform. Launching a Facebook page (for example) and letting it run wild could hurt your brand more than it helps. Be prepared to have your shoes chewed, your couch cushions ripped open and some curious marks on the rug you may never be able to remove.

Nice: The family photo. Dressing for that annual holiday picture, you know the drill. You and your siblings will be wearing the same color, same sweater from Nana, or "mini-me" versions of whatever your parents are wearing and everyone on your list will receive that exact same card. It's coordination at its finest. And just like those reindeer sweaters, your social media efforts should be coordinated across your entire marketing portfolio. Conflicting messaging in your email, Twitter handle, and Facebook page (for example) can create confusion and frustration for your customer base and/or brand following.

Naughty: Just like those tangled lights, when one goes out, they all go out! And it spoils the experience for everyone. So don't ever, ever let your ecommerce site lights go out. After all, what's the point of sending out all those holiday promotions if consumers are welcomed with a 404 error page once they get there? Make sure your site infrastructure can handle seasonal traffic peaks. Otherwise, you risk damaging your brand's reputation and compromising customer loyalty.

Nice: Spread some good cheer. Customer service is only as good as your last experience. Be sure to link to your return policy in your checkout to help assuage purchase concerns. Make sure your customer service staff is up to date on all promotional activity, including new promotional codes. Be cognizant of time zones when setting your promotion start and end time. I mean, if Santa can remember what time it is as he crosses the globe, you should know the same for your customers.

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