Should Your Site Celebrate?
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Businesses, calendars and schools all make it a point to celebrate certain seasons and special days on an annual basis. At certain times of the year, many places will close, hold parties or offer special events so that everyone can enjoy the holiday and festivity of a certain calendar event. These events are often a big part of many people’s lives, both personally and professionally. But should this celebratory feeling extend to all things…even into the online world? In other words, should your site celebrate the holidays, too?
While holidays are observed in many ways by many people, you may hesitate in bringing this sort of seasonal flavor to your Web space. You’ve got some good reasons to feel concerned, as some may not celebrate the same holidays - or even think these certain days ought to be mentioned in a public space. While some may delight in your holiday flair, there’s always a fear that it could make others recoil. Should your site do something special for holidays, or will this only serve to alienate some of those very valuable page visitors?
‘Tis the Season
It’s common practice, and good business sense, for certain businesses to take advantage of the holidays. It’s highly popular for stores to hold sales right after Thanksgiving, before Valentine’s and even on President’s Day.
It’s fairly normal for banks to close their doors on Christmas Day and New Year’s; they’re smart enough to realize they won’t do enough business to pay all those employees. Restaurants and movies often open with new treats during these same two days, as so many are enjoying a day free from work.
In the business world, there are certain niches for every kind of company when it comes to every single holiday season. Those who know how to take advantage know how to create more revenue and business opportunities during these times.
As a Webmaster, you have something in common with these savvy business owners. Like them, you cater to a potentially wide audience. You provide a service to your clients. You have a place in the scheme of things, and you have your own financial and customer service concerns that help fuel your company (your site). You use your site to earn income, which you use to expand your online efforts. In many ways, you’re a business person. But does this mean you should handle the holidays in the same way as other professionally-minded people?
Should you do something special with your site to mark these fleeting holiday and seasonal events, or will this only serve to turn some “customers” (visitors) away from your pages? When you thrive on traffic, a single mistake can make a big difference in your revenue. Alienating an audience (in whole or in part) can be tantamount to destroying your site - not to mention, your income.
Some people love all the various annual holidays, and throw themselves into the celebration with plenty of zeal. But not all people celebrate every holiday out there. In fact, some people may feel excluded when a certain event to which they don’t subscribe or celebrate is suddenly being touted. It might create enough bad feelings to turn these visitors away.
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