After reviewing recent ComScore information, 2009 eCommerce sales are exceeding 2008 numbers and are even better than expected.

Nearly $21 billion has been spent online during 2009 holiday season, marking a 4-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year (2008). The most recent week ending December 13 2009 reached $4.74 billion in spending, ranking as the heaviest online spending week on record. The previous high of $4.70 billion occurred during the week ending December 16, 2007.

This is great news for eCommerce business owners but you need to continue your marketing efforts because it could get even better based on what 2009 bonus checks will look like.  Those businesses that reward their employees with a nice holiday bonus could help boost this record setting holiday season even more with consumers last minute shopping purchases.

So don’t slow down and keep your marketing plan going strong with this 2009 Holiday Season.  There is still time to boost your 2009 revenue with holiday sales, as shoppers turn to the internet to finish holiday shopping.

Here are 6 Holiday shopping marketing tips that you should include in your Holiday marketing plan but let us know what other strategies you have found effective:

1.  Strong Call to Action – Building a long lasting relationship with your customer is not easy. In order to make your customer come back to your website you have to have updated information and use strong call to action methods. Many customers may not be ready to buy on their 1st visit so get your prospective customers e-mail address as soon as possible. You should place on every web page a Subscribe to Newsletters.

All direct marketing, Email, and Internet marketing campaigns should include an immediate call to action. For example, give coupon deadlines and incentives for ordering now (i.e., free shipping, discount coupon on next purchase, etc.). Special offers should always be displayed on Homepage. Update this section as often as the offers change. More than 50% of prospective customers give up buying because they are confused by a Website usability and navigation (can’t find what they were looking for). To avoid loosing that potential holiday sale optimize your Website and use strong  and clear call to actions.

2.  Market to Gift Shoppers – Consumers purchase gifts during the holiday season for family and close friends but they also feel the need to purchase many gifts for co-workers, next door neighbor, mailman, babysitter, etc.

When consumers purchase gifts because they feel like that have to, they tend to  look for bargains. Target this large audience by giving them gift ideas. For example, add gift suggestion box just for workplace gifts. Consumers will not only appreciate a bargain, but any advice you can offer them as to what gifts and price ranges are appropriate.

3.  Offer Promotions – Might be running out of time but promotions such as free shipping work really well for holiday shoppers.  You can also offer coupons to your prospective customers.  Over 76% of the population use coupons, according to the Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) Coupon Council. Coupons still work and provide an affordable marketing strategy for small business.

4.  Leverage Social Media – According to comScore, 28% of online shoppers were influenced in their buying decisions by social media. Dell computers has reported $6.5 million in sales through Twitter. If not already in place leveraging social media to impact 2009 holiday season will not prove to be effective but don’t wait and get your social media profiles in place now for 2010.  A good start is with Facebook and Twitter.  If you sell products on your website make sure you check out ShopTab that creates a shop tab on your Facebook page.

5.  Product Videos Online – It is common knowledge that people enjoy watching a screen than reading. Information is delivered at a higher rate via images than through text.  Time spent viewing video on social networking sites increased 98% in the past year, from 503.8 million minutes in October 2008 to 999.4 million in October 2009, according to Nielsen.

In addition, the number of online video streams viewed on social networking and blog sites increased 45%, from 240.8 million streams in October 2008 to 349.5 million in October 2009.  A video ad can contain a demonstration of a product’s use and usability. Add to that a human face and a very pleasant voice (or even a well harmonized combination of a woman’s voice with a man’s), and you can have your prospects wrapper around your finger. By using these techniques, the prospective customer can relate more to your company and to what you’re promoting.

The Internet marketing videos must be short enough no to get Web users bored and drive them away from your site. Video ads on the Web must be significantly shorter than those usually seen on TV. Web users don’t like to waste time, and they are fed up with never-ending ads.

6.  Gift Cards - Gift cards is also a great way to market to those stressed out holiday shoppers who can’t figure out what gift to get someone.  The number of consumers purchasing gift cards has increased significantly over the past six months, according to a survey by the National Research Network (NRN) and The Hartman Group. Over half (57%) of American consumers say they purchased at least one gift card within the past year, an increase of 5% from six months ago. Surveyed during a time when the national unemployment rate is just under 9% and the economic recession continues, gift cards are apparently continuing to sell.  Online gift certificates are an extremely popular item for these down-to-the-wire shoppers, so if you don’t already have e-gift certificates available in your online store, you really should consider adding them.

The 2009 Holiday Season is going very well so far for business owners but stay in the driver’s seat as we still are not out of the woods yet with this economy.  Those business owners that continue an aggressive push listening and connecting with their customers will pass the finish line 1st.

As a business owner, what marketing tactic (either online or offline) are you finding to be successful?  Please share your feedback below.