A recent article was posted on Search Engine Land that highlights some Do’s and Dont’s as online retailers ramp up for the holidays. Especially during this tumultuous economic period, these are things that are truly important as you try to make the most of your marketing dollars. Shopping engines like Shopping.com, NexTag, Pricegrabber, Shopzilla, and others are all increasing their minimum bid rates this holiday season (as they do each year), so make sure you convert the qualified leads they send to your store by following the recommendations laid out in the article. Some highlights:

1. Don’t blindly test. Ads and product listings that converted well during the holiday shopping frenzy may not do as well after the holidays. If you run the same ad strategy in January keep a close eye on it!

2. Don’t make major site changes. Shoppers are likely to visit a site 2 – 5 times before clicking the buy button. Don’t disorient them with site changes during the busy shopping season.

3. Don’t forget to add a recommended gift page. Help shoppers pick out gifts based on who they’re shopping for – Dad, Mom, Ladies, Men, etc, or price point – Under $100, Under $25, etc.

4. Do show delivery dates and shipping options. Going into the holidays, buyers are frantic and need to know that their order will arrive before Christmas. Highlight expedited shipping options, or gift delivery options as well.

5. Do offer Gift wrapping or personalized messaging. Increase your order value and provide a much needed service to your shoppers by offering gift wrapping options.

6. Do give affiliates special banners or offers. Make sure your affiliates are armed with special promotions and banners that speak to holiday shoppers.

See the article for more details and the full list of recommendations!