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Ecommerce’s role in holiday shopping is getting bigger from year to year.

Internet shopping was the #1 holiday gift shopping channel in 2016, surpassing department stores, outlet stores, and toy stores. US ecommerce sales increased 17.8% during the 2016 holiday season. And Cyber Monday online sales set a record $3.45 billion in sales, which was a 12% increase from 2015 to 2016.

We dive into hardware ecommerce buying trends and provide an ecommerce holiday checklist with tips to get your ecommerce ready for holiday shoppers.

Ecommerce Buying Trends

What were the best-selling tool/home improvement products during last year’s holiday season and what does online hardware shopping look like overall?

Here are the top home improvement Amazon’s 2016 holiday best-sellers:

• WBM Himalayan Salt Lamp

• 3M Indoor Window Insulator Kit

• Woods Outdoor 24-Hour Photoelectric Timer

Here are the top tool category Amazon’s 2016 holiday best-sellers:

• TEKTON 5941 Digital Tire Gauge

• MagnoGrip 311-090 Magnetic Wristband

• DEWALT DW2166 45-Piece Screwdriving Set with Tough Case

Online sales in home improvement products grew 41 percent from March 2016 to March 2017. The top home improvement e-commerce sales by segment are:

• décor $2.7 billion

• lighting/ceiling fans $2.5 billion

• bath & faucets $1.5 billion

• plumbing $0.9 billion

• hardware $0.6 billion

Ecommerce Holiday Checklist

Here are our top 6 tips to ensure you are ready for the online holiday shopping season.

Pest Control

Check and double-check for bugs. Eradicate anything that slows down the shopping process. 22% of online shoppers said website errors/website crashes caused them to abandon their online shopping cart.

Responsive Ready

How easily can customers shop using either mobile or desktop from browsing to purchasing? During 2016 holiday ecommerce, mobile generated $1.07 billion in revenue, which was a34% increase from 2015.

User Friendly

A frictionless online checkout process was the #1 priority for online holiday shoppers in 2016.

Inventory Updates

Make it easy to find top-selling items. If there is a limited supply of a certain item, update regularly so customers know if the item is still available.

Customer Support

66% of customers switch brands because of bad customer service. Allocate staff to handle both front and back end user issues. Be clear about where e-shoppers can get help (technical issues and product information).

Spread the Cheer

Make it festive and fun to shop! Integrate holiday art and sound into the online shopping process.