The December 7 IndieCommunication e-newsletter will feature details about recent sales on IndieCommerce sites, e-commerce education opportunities at Winter Institute, holiday marketing tips, and a tip of the week.

Average Sales on IndieCommerce Sites Up 31 Percent in November

The IndieCommerce team has released details about positive sales trends for the month of November 2017, compared to November 2016, including an increase in sales of 31 percent.

Read full details in Bookselling This Week [4].

E-commerce Education at Winter Institute

For booksellers attending Winter Institute 2018 [5], there are quite a few opportunities to learn more about online marketing and website optimization. Here are two to consider; additional opportunities will be featured in upcoming IndieCommunications:

• Take Your Social Media to the Next Level: Strategic Best Practices for Retail and E-commerce Businesses [6] Successful social media marketing requires more than just posting and sharing content. Retailers that understand the power of engagement and customer relationships can generate name recognition, sales, on-site visitors, and more. Learn how to develop a more informed, organized, goal-oriented approach to your social media that will help you achieve your digital marketing goals. Identify how social media marketing can target the right audiences and grow your bottom line. This class will benefit any bookseller that has clearly defined digital marketing goals, currently manages one or more social media accounts, and is actively marketing on social media on a daily or weekly basis.
• IndieCommerce One-on-One Sessions [7] IndieCommerce and IndieLite are the American Booksellers Association’s e-commerce platforms for bookstores seeking to market events and author appearances as well as sell books and other merchandise. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Hours are offered Tuesday, January 23, through Thursday, January 25.

Booksellers Share Innovative Holiday Marketing Tips

’Tis the season when indie booksellers are donning festive sweaters, whipping up batches of hot cocoa, and unwrapping their seasonal marketing strategies to attract customers during the final weeks of the holiday shopping season.

In addition to decking their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages with tidings of holiday promotions, booksellers shared ideas with each other during the American Booksellers Association’s most recent online marketing roundtable discussion on November 30.

Check out the full article in Bookselling This Week [8] for holiday marketing tips shared by booksellers during the recent roundtable and on social media.

Tip of the Week

The online fraud season is upon us. Last December, the IndieCommerce team saw a major surge in attempted fraudulent orders during the first two weeks of December. The team was able to stop many of these before they turned into chargebacks because stores were quick in reporting suspicious orders, allowing IndieCommerce staff to check the entire system for similar orders. Booksellers can take a look at this information on Fraudulent Order Red Flags [9]. 

Booksellers are urged to report suspicious orders to IndieCommerce so that these orders can be investigated and stopped before they get processed. As a network of online stores, IndieCommerce participating booksellers have the unique ability to share fraud information and stop it. Booksellers who suspect online fraud should e-mail [email protected] [10] with details.

Booksellers are encouraged to send their thoughts, questions, or suggestions via e-mail to IndieCommerce staff [11] at any time.

Past editions of IndieCommunication are available on the IndieCommerce Updates page on BookWeb.org. [12]