Last year, the experimentation began on a widespread level; virtual gift cards were becoming part of transactions everywhere, and they also made some surprising numbers during the holiday season’s final results for 2009. Now, with the 2010 holiday rush hurtling towards retailers, it’s becoming increasingly important for sellers – whether they are online, or in physical locations – to start gearing up with marketing strategies and advertising campaigns that conform to the growing trend of virtual gift cards and even gaming credits that can be applied towards real-life purchases. The challenge today is to determine which ones of these sales incentives will be of real value, and which ones will fade away fast.

Digital gift cards, or e-cards, have become popular. They are purchased on the Internet, and then sent to recipients via email. It’s become quite convenient for busy shoppers who have no time or patience to figure out what to get someone on their list, and with extreme ease, the purchase can be made in seconds.

According to the experts in the industry, the best of these cards are the ones that work online, in brick and mortar stores, and on smartphones. Interestingly, the retailers scoring the highest on related surveys of the gift card market were those that also allowed consumers to customize offerings beyond simply specifying the amount.

Another surprise came in the form of recent findings, as it was learned that out of the Top 100 Retailers (on Internet Retailer’s list) only about half were even offering cards.

These findings indicate that there may be quite a few unexplored and untapped opportunities to capture additional sales, throughout each individual encounter.

Companies that ranked highest were awarded top points based upon their offerings of “selection experience,” which included the option of personalizing gift e-cards by uploading images or photos directly, at the moment of purchase. Another feature that was well-received was when retailers notified their customers when the e-cards were viewed by the recipients.

Another incentive is being developed through incentives that require partnerships or affiliations with other businesses that don’t necessarily qualify as competition, but enhance the sale. For example, retailers that sell apparel could offer their customers e-cards for restaurants, and those gift cards can be used as a way to further entice or add on to an existing sale.

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar became the latest major retailer to launch digital gift cards, and they can be bought on its website, or even Facebook, and then e-mailed to recipients with notifications sent via SMS to a mobile device. The notifications can also be posted on Facebook.

As further evidence showing the advance of online incentives getting their share of market in the real world, the advent of  Facebook Credits has upped the ante. These credits, which are already available for purchase in some physical locations and stores, can now be used to purchase virtual “goods” in Facebook games, as well as apps.

Although many shoppers won’t feel compelled to play the games or spend actial money to increase their status on the Facebook community, there will be a very strong demand from younger participants, especially the ones who are hard to shop for. Furthermore, this kind of incentive-based program can be combined with other forms of promotions to drive higher sales, increase customer engagement, and deepen loyalty across the board.