Many of the merchants and publishers that I’ve been talking with this week are focused on the holidays. And while, the holidays for me, right now, mean the Fourth of July and my sweetie’s upcoming 40th birthday – these folks were referring to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Wow. It’s only July and smart online marketers are already preparing for the fourth quarter. Maybe, it’s the current downturn in the economy that has folks hoping to jumpstart what is typically their biggest earning season. So, savvy and successful publishers suggest building out sites and pages and negotiating placement, promotions, and increased commissions, as well as working on plans to grow traffic.

Back in the Sept/Oct. 2006 issue of Revenue, we had a story about getting ready of the huge holiday shopping season as early as possible. Check out that story – called Santa in September - for some valuable tips and tricks.

Have a safe and happy holiday - whether you’re celebrating Independence Day or thinking about Christmas this weekend.