For any ecommerce merchant, the Monday after Black Friday, also known as Cyber Monday, is the most significant sales day of the year. In 2012, it generated $1.46 billion and set a record as the heaviest online spending day ever, according to comScore. This was a 17 percent increase from Cyber Monday sales in 2011, and as smartphone and tablet adoption rises, trends suggest that 2013 will also experience considerable Internet-based sales growth. 

An early jump on Cyber Monday
Merchants should ensure that their ecommerce software is up to the task of handling the substantial volume of visitors expected on Cyber Monday, but they should also realize that other retailers are trying to boost their online revenue before the sales date. After all, Cyber Monday won't occur until December 2 this year. The holiday shopping season has been cut short and Target already ran a Cyber Monday sale in September, Daily Finance reported. The source highlighted that many of its deals fell well short of the savings that should be expected on the real date, but this suggests that some businesses are trying to stretch out the otherwise brief purchasing period. 

Along with Target, Daily Finance noted that Sephora, Toys R Us and Pottery Barn were also offering holiday promotions in September. However, Jon Lal, founder of BeFrugal.com, felt that early promotions make sense for retailers, but not consumers. 

"But from a consumer's point of view, it's important that you have a plan for what you're going to do around holiday shopping," Lal told the source, "and when you start shopping early, it's a little harder to stick to a plan and keep track of what you've spent."

Potential November-wide sales increase
Another factor to consider is that Hannukah occurs before Thanksgiving this year, which could lead to a sales bump before Black Friday. This could add to the sales intensity that happens all month long. ComScore found that online sales throughout November rose 15 percent between 2011 and 2012, with a 28 percent increase on Black Friday and 32 percent jump on Thanksgiving. The shortened holiday sales season may result in a more compressed shopping season, or purchases may be more spread throughout the time leading up to it. Merchants should prepare their staff and point of sale software in either case, to ensure a good customer experience and steady flow of products to shelves. 

Due to the influence of e-commerce retailers such as Amazon and Zappos, many customers expect their online purchases to involve free shipping after a certain price threshold. The option of overnight or same-day-delivery is another critical tool in some merchants' belts and is a possible way to persuade consumers away from competitors. 

However, retail industry professionals may wonder which of the two is the more important to emphasize with their shoppers, or which is more key to integrate into ongoing operations. Internet Retailer recently reported on findings from Forrester Research that indicated consumers are more interested in free delivery than fast shipping. 

This makes sense. After all, lower prices are frequently one of the advantages to shopping online. If customers wanted to pay more to have something right away, they could buy the product or service at the nearest brick-and-mortar store. 

Of course, being able to offer both free delivery and quick shipping times can provide a powerful incentive for shoppers to change retailers. The Forrester report noted that 92 percent of the top 50 e-retailers provide free delivery to their customers. Coupling that with fast shipping can aid merchants at winning over consumers.

Improve delivery costs and speed
However, providing also entails considerable investment and efficiency in delivery methods. To provide inexpensive shipping, some retailers are turning their brick-and-mortar locations into shipping centers, according to the Detroit Free Press. This allows them to stay competitive against e-commerce giants like Amazon. Rather than shipping from central warehouses, distributed store networks are also often closer to their customers. 

"Amazon has already beaten most retailers on price and selection. The third battleground is location and the smart retailers are not conceding that," said Tom Allason, founder of start-up Shutl, which helps retailers deliver online orders from stores.

For merchants to turn their physical locations into mini delivery hubs, they will have to implement retail software that overcomes departmental silos and can manage the point of sale from the digital shopping cart to the brick-and-mortar store that will deliver goods. The Detroit Free Press noted that Wal-Mart started applying this strategy two years ago and that it has had great success with it so far. Other retailers that begin using this shipping method could experience a notable reduction in related costs, all while providing better service to their customers. 

Even as retailers work to improve their mobile optimization for an increasing number of smartphone- and tablet-based sales, they should realize that many of their customers are still using more traditional means when shopping online.

According to a Drapers study in association with Kantar Media, four out of five apparel shoppers primarily use their laptop or PC while browsing and ordering items online. By contrast, tablets were the main device for 10.7 percent of customers and only 8.5 percent on smartphones. This ratio was roughly the same regardless of the age group, with 18-24 year olds still preferring home computers more than 75 percent of the time. Desktops can provide more convenience at the point of sale, which could be influencing the habit.

Notably, apparel sales increased at the end of September, with Investor's Business Daily attributing the uptick partially to cooler weather driving the purchase of seasonal clothing. The total same-store sales were 2.1 percent higher from one year prior, and this trend might continue should the temperature hold steady – the news provider highlighted that the fourth week of September was the coldest it has been since 2006. As the fall season progresses, retail industry professionals who factor in the weather along with customers' preferred shopping methods may be able to improve their total sales before the holidays.

When customers buy items online, the typical expectation is that they will have products shipped to their home, and their options in the process are when everything will be delivered and how much they are willing to pay for faster service. This has changed in recent years, though. In some instances, e-commerce may entail listing in-store items online, so that shoppers don't waste a trip to the nearest brick-and-mortar location looking for something that isn't there. For a few retailers, the purchasing option may involve in-store delivery, rather than at-home. 

As might be expected, the more options there are, the better, as far as many shoppers are concerned. 

According to a recent study from comScore and UPS, 44 percent of online shoppers want to buy items online and then pick them up in the store. This preference stems partially from retailers offering free shipping to brick-and-mortar stores, while others choose the option because visiting the store is convenient for them. 

While many shoppers will still want their products delivered to their door, those retailers that provide their customers additional options at the point of sale will be able to attract a wider range of customers than those merchants that limit themselves to home delivery. 

One of the advantages that many online-only retailers have over brick-and-mortar stores is that they can avoid taxes in many circumstances. This translates into savings for the customer and additional sales for e-commerce merchants. 

However, the Marketplace Fairness Act may change this by taxing sales even when a retailer lacks a physical presence. If implemented, this could have a considerable impact on direct-to-customer sales. 

According to a recent study from the True Simplification of Taxation (TRuST) coalition, integrating the new fees into pre-existing operations could cost some businesses $80,000 to $290,000 for the initial change. This would only be for companies earning between $5 million to $50 million in annual sales, with larger enterprises potentially paying more. 

However, Multichannel Merchant published a rebuttal to TRuST's study. Ernie Schell, director of Marketing Systems Analysis, told the news provider that TRuST's figures were exaggerated. There still would be costs involved with the regulation, but Schell believes they would be half of what TRuST predicted. A $30,000 upgrade is still expensive, but retail industry professionals may have no choice but to accept the change. The act has already passed through the Senate and is currently before the House of Representatives. Because of this potential shift, merchants should ensure that their current retail software will be able to seamlessly manage the new guidelines with minimal cost to their business. 

After merchants sell their goods in a brick-and-mortar store, transactions are typically finished after customers receive their receipt. An attendant might help them load their groceries into their vehicle, but the exchange is otherwise finished. In the world of e-commerce, though, the point of sale is just part of a series of steps to completing a transaction, and those additional parts can be key to providing a great shopping experience. From mailing options to pickup dates, industry professionals have a number of obligations to their customers.

Beyond the point of sale
Notably, a comScore and UPS study found that the POS is one of the most important aspects to online shopping, so retailers should not shirk this part of the journey. Eighty-three percent of respondents said that they were satisfied with their Web experience, with ease of check-out ranking as the primary reason why they were pleased.

However, the report indicated that many e-commerce sites fail to provide flexible delivery dates or the ability to re-route packages. These were some of the least appreciated aspects of respondents' Internet shopping, with satisfaction ranking below 50 percent. The lack of green packaging or a specific delivery time were viewed in a similar manner.

While the U.S. Department of Commerce noted that e-commerce only accounted for 5.8 percent of total retail sales in Q2 of 2013, it is also the fastest growing branch of retail – it has expanded by 18.4 percent between Q2 2012 and Q2 2013. Meanwhile, online purchases are expected to exceed $200 billion by 2013 or 2014. As such, merchants have a great opportunity here to reap the benefits of an expanding market by increasing customer satisfaction in areas that other retailers have yet to fully tap. Adding more delivery options and choices for green packaging may help them stand out to savvy consumers and potentially win their loyalty. 

More than just e-commerce
Merchants should also ensure that their e-commerce sites are mobile optimized, as the comScore study noted that 7 out of 10 online shoppers use mobile devices while engaging with Internet retailers. With smartphone and tablet ownership surging every year, multi-channel retail POS software that functions across a variety of operating systems and screen sizes will be critical to future success. E-commerce has come to cover a number of different shopping methods, and industry professionals should not assume they simply need one e-commerce solution but instead several solutions that fit their patrons' needs. 

After merchants sell their goods in a brick-and-mortar store, transactions are typically finished after customers receive their receipt. An attendant might help them load their groceries into their vehicle, but the exchange is otherwise finished. In the world of e-commerce, though, the point of sale is just part of a series of steps to completing a transaction, and those additional parts can be key to providing a great shopping experience. From mailing options to pickup dates, industry professionals have a number of obligations to their customers.

Beyond the point of sale
Notably, a comScore and UPS study found that the POS is one of the most important aspects to online shopping, so retailers should not shirk this part of the journey. Eighty-three percent of respondents said that they were satisfied with their Web experience, with ease of check-out ranking as the primary reason why they were pleased.

However, the report indicated that many e-commerce sites fail to provide flexible delivery dates or the ability to re-route packages. These were some of the least appreciated aspects of respondents' Internet shopping, with satisfaction ranking below 50 percent. The lack of green packaging or a specific delivery time were viewed in a similar manner.

While the U.S. Department of Commerce noted that e-commerce only accounted for 5.8 percent of total retail sales in Q2 of 2013, it is also the fastest growing branch of retail – it has expanded by 18.4 percent between Q2 2012 and Q2 2013. Meanwhile, online purchases are expected to exceed $200 billion by 2013 or 2014. As such, merchants have a great opportunity here to reap the benefits of an expanding market by increasing customer satisfaction in areas that other retailers have yet to fully tap. Adding more delivery options and choices for green packaging may help them stand out to savvy consumers and potentially win their loyalty. 

More than just e-commerce
Merchants should also ensure that their e-commerce sites are mobile optimized, as the comScore study noted that 7 out of 10 online shoppers use mobile devices while engaging with Internet retailers. With smartphone and tablet ownership surging every year, multi-channel retail POS software that functions across a variety of operating systems and screen sizes will be critical to future success. E-commerce has come to cover a number of different shopping methods, and industry professionals should not assume they simply need one e-commerce solution but instead several solutions that fit their patrons' needs. 

While price remains an important reason why customers will choose one brand over another, it is not the sole sales point, as powerful luxury brands help show. So it may come as little surprise to retail industry professionals that convenience is another considerable factor when shoppers are choosing which merchant to frequent. 

Increasingly, that choice is based not on how fast the check-out line is, but instead where the retailer operates. For many United Kingdom shoppers, that means mobile commerce. While the channel is important in many regions, Capgemini and IMRG discovered that m-commerce represents all online sales growth in the U.K. Their study revealed that online sales via desktops have flat-lined, while purchases have surged by 210 percent on smartphones and 130 percent on tablets between Q2 2012 and Q3 2013. 

While convenience factors into the trend, Mobile Commerce Press reported that improved mobile security may also be driving sales. Just as with brick-and-mortar stores, making customers feel comfortable can encourage their loyalty as well as their willingness to complete a transaction. The news source emphasized that mobile-optimized e-commerce sites and an overall good experience encourages repeat purchases. 

As critical as ecommerce is to the retail industry, it holds a similarly important role among shoppers, who are continually engaging with their favorite brands through digital channels. Just as some people enjoy window shopping or bargain hunting at brick-and-mortar locations, they also spend a considerable amount of time browsing online stores. 

Nielsen reported that mass merchandisers were among the top ten brands accessed by Internet users in July. While companies like Google and Facebook attracted larger audiences for longer periods of time, sites such as Amazon also brought in a considerable amount of interest from consumers. Retail web pages drew in nearly 110 million Americans in the lead up to back-to-school shopping, and on average, users spent nearly an hour browsing online merchants' pages. Brands like Walmart and Target received more than 20 million unique visits in July, and each consumer spent about 10 minutes or more on the respective sites. 

With online retail attracting such a large audience, merchants should provide their customers with a streamlined commercial environment. Retail management software that leads seamlessly from browsing items to the point of sale can ensure that shoppers return to a site month after month, helping to build consumer loyalty through a satisfying user experience.