It seems as time goes by and concerns over the economy get worse, tracking the economy becomes more frequent and dare I say micro.
Thankfully, I have good news to report. E-commerce spending last week was up 7% year-over-year, according to comScore.
Even better news is that the gains from Black Friday, Cyber Monday and last week have made up for the 4% drop in sales for most of November which marked the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
There is a caveat for some of you search marketers, however. Many advertising budgets are shifting dollars towards paid search - possibly making e-commerce more competitive and ad bid prices higher.
Another thing e-tailers are using are incentives, such as free shipping, and coupons. They're using them because they work. All of this can cut into your margins, but perhaps not as bad as missing out on sales altogether.
This holiday may have to be the most fluid and flexible one in recent memory for search marketers. Keep an eye on your analytics and on your paid search accounts. Don't assume the ad that was there yesterday is working fine and dandy today. Vigilance is the name of the game in this volatile economy.
Tell us what you're seeing in your industry and niche by leaving a comment!
Introducing SES Online
Want to view one of the sessions you missed or listen to an especially informative presenter a second time? SES New York sessions are available for purchase on ClickZ Academy's new e-Learning site. SES is now Online!
