Did your 2017 end with a bang? With 2017’s culmination, this is the perfect time for you to look at how far you’ve accomplished for last year and what’s ahead of you this new year.

Whether you have a successful year or not, the market for online stores is getting larger each year by more than 20%. The question now is how will capture the ever-growing Ecommerce market this 2018?

To make a more bankable new year, we’ve put together these essential dates that you need not miss out. Our 2018 Ecommerce Promotional Calendar will help you solve the problem of keeping in mind the notables holidays, traditions and practices to participate in and plan ahead.

Here’s a list of key dates to build around your promotional plans this coming year:

Starting the year right

Now that you’ve close out 2017, you’ll probably thinking you’ve survived a year and it’s time to chill. That’s wrong! There’s so much to do when the beginning of January sales kicks in. People are prepping to go back to work or their daily routines.

Make it more exciting for them by offering back-to-work promotions or start-the-year-right sales. This is also a good opportunity to look at your inventory for last year and see which items need a little promotional push. Maybe consider a clearance sale to get rid of excess inventories? Also, consider bundling your unpopular items with your hot items.

Your first major eCommerce Promotional Calendar date will be on Valentine’s day. With last year’s Valentine’s Day amassing more than 19.5 billion US dollars, you should also start the year right by crafting your promotions in time for the month of love. Create promotions catered to couples like “Gifts for your boyfriend” or “Gifts for your sweetheart”. Steal Deals with Coupons’ “Gifts for your Valentine” headline.

End of third quarter, Back to school

Before the end of the third quarter, you can already see a good boost in your online sales. For instance, Back to School is a great ecommerce promotion as many parents rush to get the perfect school supplies for their children.

Aside from school supplies, clothing items and shoes are also in-season because students want new wardrobes when they go back to school. Decorations, furniture, and appliances are also in demand for those who are furnishing their dorm rooms.

You might also want to plan ahead your Back to School sales ahead of September. This is because over 50% of Back to School revenue happen in before August.

Holiday shopping season

Halloween is more than just about candies, chocolates, and pumpkins. It also signals the busiest, yet, most profitable shopping period for eCommerce stores. This is when most eCommerce stores start planning their holiday promotions.

By Thanksgiving Day, eCommerce store owners are in full-blown. A lot of holiday shoppers are already spending a sizable amount for their loved ones. Last year, it already garnered $2.87 billion online revenue. Run promotional campaigns that capture the spirit of kindness and gratefulness by offering gifting ideas and allowing your shoppers to post their holiday wish lists on social media.

But, most of the focus of the holiday season is set on BFCM. – Black Friday for 2017 is the second biggest holiday shopping day with $5.03 billion online sales. While, Cyber Monday has the biggest online shopping revenue this year with $6.59 billion online revenue.

As shoppers are ready to splurge for BFCM, make sure that you are prepared to embrace the influx of traffic by optimizing your website, and preparing your online store using this ultimate guide to Black Friday & Cyber Monday.

Also, make sure to offer deals and discounts that are relevant to your customers such as employing a free Personalized Recommendation tool to suggest items that they might need and want. See how it works with Radhyansh’s online store.

After BFCM, who will miss the most festive day of the year? Christmas is one of the strongest sales for eCommerce stores with shoppers reported to spend an average of $906 worth of Christmas gifts. Customers are ready to shop, so be sure that you have decorated your store to embrace the holiday spirit and display strong call-to-actions. Aside from festive-themed offers, be sure to increase the urgency by adding countdown timers to your promos using Countdown Cart. This will help you convert the shoppers as soon as possible just like how Luxury Empires did.

New Year, New Promotions!

For eCommerce stores, the new year signals a new opportunity to overcome the hurdles they’ve encountered last year or to break the records they’ve set. The promise of a prosperous new year is within your reach by knowing the notable holidays and observances that you have to participate in 2018.

Our 2018 eCommerce promotional calendar will help you plan ahead and not miss out the important dates to run your marketing promotions and to ensure that you’ll win the new year!

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