What are the most significant days left on the 2016 calendar? There’s Thanksgiving, of course, and also Hanukah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. But don’t forget about the year’s big shopping days as well—Black Friday first, followed by Cyber Monday. The latter is the biggest day of the year for online retail, and if you happen to be an ecommerce merchant, you can’t afford to take it for granted.

But how can you make the most of Cyber Monday? The key is to start planning for it now. Allow me to provide just a few tips for doing so.

Getting Ready for Cyber Monday

Start building buzz today. Your customers are already thinking about the holiday shopping season, which means now is the time to capture their attention. Plan the kinds of deals and promotions you’re going to offer on Cyber Monday, and start creating hype now! It is not too early!

Make it easy for your customers to plan ahead. A lot of shoppers are already browsing ecommerce sites, looking at deals, and planning their holiday shopping budgets. Make sure your site accommodates them. Include information about upcoming promotions, and ensure that the products/services you’ll promote on Cyber Monday are prominently displayed.

Build some assets now. As the time draws closer, you’ll want to spread the word about your Cyber Monday sales on social media and on your company blog—and you’ll want to ensure you have images, blog posts, and banner ads all ready to go. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start creating these assets today!

Reach out to your existing customers. Don’t focus entirely on new customer acquisition. Instead, use your email list to get in touch with your regulars, and let them know about the cool stuff you’ll be promoting on Cyber Monday.

Write some good ad copy. During the holiday shopping season, you’ll be competing for attention with every other commerce brand in the world—so your ad copy really has to shine. Start honing your messaging and writing some killer copy today.

One of the Year’s Biggest Opportunities

Cyber Monday represents a significant opportunity for online profits—so all your marketing and sales know-how is going to be put to the test. If you need to brush up, check out some of the educational resources offered on the ACES page.