The holidays are right around the corner.  Is your online marketing strategy ready?  Now is the time to take stock of your programs in advance of the season.  Consider these external factors that may play an important role in a successful holiday season:

Rising Gas Prices 

Depending on who you listen to, we may see an ease to the current gas prices.  However, they will surely be higher than they were last year.  That will likely mean more online shoppers this year over the record last year.  Your website needs to be in shape and your marketing programs should focus on driving traffic to your site.

If you are considering social media as a tool for generating traffic, it is a good idea to start in the next month or so.  This will give you enough time to build up audience levels for your holiday programs.

Economic Downturn

The economy is teetering on a shaky edge.  Focus on value and utilize promotions where possible to connect with your customers.  They will appreciate focus on more manageable price points as they look to stretch their gift giving budget this year.

 Presidential Election

Schedule your marketing programs wisely.  The 2008 election is sure to be hotly contested and your programs could get lost in all of their political messages that will be flying around and the press coverage that will be following it.

In addition to the above factors, keep up with your SEO efforts.  With the upcoming release of indexable Flash and rich media, make sure you have every advantage if you deploy Flash or not.  There could be a shift in your page rank.

If you are planning on deploying banner advertising, check out Marketing Sherpa’s latest charts on effective web advertisements for some helpful hints.