Ken Burke of MarketLive had an interesting article in the July 2008 issue of Catalog Success magazine about encouraging gift purchases. He recommends three approaches to significantly boost your gift business:

1) Gift Cards. Gift cards are growing in popularity. Last year, sales of gift cards grew by 25%. If you don’t already offer gift cards, consider doing so this holiday season.

2) Gift Guides. According to a MarketLive survey, companies who included a gift guide on their site averaged 68% more conversions and 70% more revenue per visit than those without a gift guide. See our recent renewsletter for some tips on developing effective gift guides.

3) Gift Sets. Preselected and prewrapped combinations of products are another way to boost sales. Gloves, hand tools, seeds, books and more can be packaged inside pots, trugs or watering cans for an attractive presentation.

With a little creativity and some preplanning, you may be pleasantly surprised at the gift sales you can generate.

What have you found most effective for soliciting gift business?