Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Get your shop (and products) SEO'd now. It can take a month or more for major Search Engines to index your shop. Top keywords for the holidays are: gift, gift idea, unique gift, Christmas gift - for more top terms, click here.

If you're an SEO newbie, don't forget to check out the SEO Tutorial.

While you're merchandising your shop around popular holiday items, we'll be doing the same in our Marketplace. There are a few natural merchandise groupings to add:

• New merchandise, most popular merchandise & big-ticket items
  • We've added a lot of new merchandise to the mix lately. Have you?
  • Pair your most popular design series with your most popular products.
  • Add big-ticket items like sweatshirts (it's winter, after all) and framed prints.

• Ornaments, Greeting Cards, Custom Postage & Calendars
  • We'll be running special promos and features around these items in the Marketplace.

• Stocking stuffers
  • Buttons, stickers & magnets are all great stocking stuffers. Our new mini buttons are very popular with the kids these days.

TIP: You can submit your Holiday designs on the Trend n' Buzz forum for placement consideration.

Please understand that although we would love to feature everyone's designs... with millions of designs, it's not possible. That's why Tagging for Search is so important.

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You've just added all your holiday merchandise; now it's time to pull it out and feature it as such. Some ideas:

• New merchandise, most popular merchandise & big-ticket items
  • Your shoppers are excited by words like "New" and "Best Seller."
  • People feel generous 'round the holidays. Higher-priced items can be featured as "something swank," or as exclusives.

• Targeted sections: consider segmenting (and SEO'ing) around specific groups of potential giftees: kids, pets, guys, gals, etc.

• Holiday Gift Centers

• Group merchandise together to upsell your shoppers. One idea: Custom Postage and Holiday Cards go together like peas & carrots.

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If you're feeling your own reason for the season, why not add some holiday-specific design lines to your shop? Even Scrooge might have addressed a specific shopping audience with a series of "Bah, Humbug!" gear.

TIP: Festive designs are great, but think outside of the tree. Think religious, atheist, and yes, Bah, Humbug designs. Be original and don't forget to Tag.

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Start thinking about the recipient for that inevitably recycled fruitcake. Did you give one to the neighbors last year? If so, there's always the unopened candle in the hall closet.

TIP: Check the CafePress Message Board often. Shopkeepers are always sharing great ideas and helping out other Shopkeepers. We even have a special Holiday Prep Forum for the jolly holiday prep chats.

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Being online doesn't mean you can't make as much (if less literal) noise as the mechanical singing Santas lined up in earsplitting cheerfulness at the local department shop. Your shoppers want to hear from you - and there's no singing required. Send newsletters, emails, and direct mail, highlighting new products, sales, limited edition designs... and don't forget to use your main website (or your auto-signature). Your personal promotional vehicles are your loudest voice. (Remember, NO SPAMMING.)

Holiday communication plan - *suggestion*

• Put banners on your main website to advertise your shop.
• Holiday Cards to send out to friends and family (early October)
• Ornaments for the tree (mid-October)
• Gift Centers, Gifts for His/Her/Baby and Shop by Price (early November)
• Spotlight Calendars and other products (mid-November)
• Products and Shipping promotions (November-December)

• Check out our email scripts.
• Use our Newsletter System to send your communications.

Holidays are the time to advertise your shop. Banner ads, Google Adwords, and print ads are great ways to get the word out about your shop. Some other creative ideas:

• Talk to magazines about unsold ad space. You can find deals this way.
• Write a press release. [PR 101]
• Hook up with a community-based site (nonprofit, a club) and donate a design to them in return for a link back to your shop
• Skywriting & mime troupes

TIP: Put your bumper's "billboard space" to work. Cruisin' or parked, you'll be getting the word out about your shop with your own promotional license plate frames and bumper stickers.

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Expand your reach by using eBay to sell your products. It's simple, easy, and effective. Ebay allows Drop Ship, so you can send the winner your merchandise straight from your CafePress account simply by logging in, buying your own merchandise, and shipping it to the winner. Here are some Ebay tips:

• Search eBay's completed listings on like items and themes to determine your auction start price.
• Use your auction start price to cover your cost and encourage more bids (instead of reserve prices).
• Try "Buy it Now" pricing formats to increase the velocity of your sales. (You must have a feedback rating of 10 or more or be ID verified to list your item as "Buy it Now".)
• For the super-motivated: Open an eBay store
  • Acquire more customers from the eBay audience.
  • Enjoy cheaper listing fees with longer listing duration.
  • Maximize exposure by blending auction format (which appears first in search in the eBay marketplace) and drive traffic to your CafePress shop fixed price listings.

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Take advantage of our bulk-pricing program and sell your merchandise offline. Craft fairs, conventions, trade shows and flea markets are all great venues for your one-of-a-kind merchandise.

TIP: Distribute fliers displaying your products with your shop URL so customers can visit your shop online to purchase.

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The CafePress Affiliate Program^TM allows you to drastically expand out your own shop offering - by adding other people's products. If you don't have time to add holiday products, never fear - there are gazillions of cohorts out there, giving Santa's elves a run for their money.

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You've earned it. Dance about with wild abandon and while you're at it, spread the word with Buzz Marketing.

TIP: Spread the word about your designs on message boards and online groups, include your shop URL on your signature on emails and message board posts (this also gets your shop SEO'd). Also be sure to sport your own stuff - all just a few easy ways to spread the word. (Remember, NO SPAMMING.)

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