Ecommerce firms using email marketing should consider making a number of changes to their strategies in order to capitalise on the Christmas season.

This is according to Promotion World. which has compiled a series of alterations that may help improve sales during the festive period. It advised firms to introduce promotion codes to its campaign, as these can make shoppers "feel as though they are going to receive an exclusively low price that few others will receive." These can be tied in with other functions - such as featured products or multiple-purchase discounts - in order to drive sales, the portal noted.

Alternatively, businesses should consider promoting egift cards, as these are a popular choice for people that need a last-minute present. The news source - citing research that found egift cards were promoted through email marketing in more than 20 per cent of all retail emails sent in the three days leading up to Christmas - commented that these are an ideal way of securing more email information, which can be used for future database lists.

A recent study by Burst Media revealed that the majority (85.3 per cent) of shoppers are planning on using the internet to purchase Christmas presents, while 56.8 per cent intend to compare prices online.