It’s that time of year again – Black Friday is just around the corner! It’s the day when shoppers hunt for the best deals, and retailers are vying for their attention.
If you’re an eCommerce business owner, participating in Black Friday is a great opportunity to boost your sales. But it’s also a lot of work to get everything set up and running smoothly on the year’s biggest shopping day. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of tips to get your eCommerce store ready for Black Friday.
Plan Ahead
When it comes to Black Friday, there is no such thing as being too prepared. It’s one of the busiest shopping days of the year, so it’s essential to start preparing well in advance. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning:
1. Start early
The earlier you start planning, the better. This will give you plenty of time to work out any kinks in your plan and make sure that everything is running smoothly.
2. Make sure your website can handle the traffic
On Black Friday, you can expect a surge in traffic to your eCommerce website. Make sure your hosting plan can accommodate the extra traffic and that your website is fast and responsive.
3. Keep it simple
Don’t try to do too much – keep your promotions focused and easy to understand. Otherwise, you risk confusing your customers and driving them away.
4. Be realistic
Don’t over-promise and under-deliver. Set realistic expectations for what you can achieve with your promotions. This is the time to offer deep discounts on your products. If you can’t offer competitive discounts, be honest and never dupe customers into false deals.
Shady practices like inflating list prices to advertise discounts may help boost sales but the moment a customer finds out (and they will eventually; it’s too easy to look up price comparisons online), they’ll feel taken advantage of and will likely never buy from you again.
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
79% of all Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases, according to Shopify’s 2021 report, were made on mobile devices. Before you lose out on mobile customers, test your website and make any necessary improvements.
Here are a few tips to make sure your site is ready for mobile shoppers:
- Make sure your site loads quickly on mobile devices. No one wants to wait around for a slow page to load, so test your site speed on multiple devices.
- Use large, easy-to-tap buttons for key links and call-to-actions. Mobile shoppers should be able to easily navigate your site without having to zoom in or out.
- Keep your content concise and to the point. Mobile users have shorter attention spans than desktop users, so make sure your content is easy to scan and digest.
Offer Customers Several Payment Options
The more payment options you offer, the better. Customers are more likely to purchase items from stores with multiple payment methods on the checkout page.
A recent study found that 69.82% of online shoppers abandoned their online shopping carts due to a lack of desirable payment options. Cart abandonment rates surge in December when Black Friday and holiday sales attract impulsive shoppers.
You should consider offering these most common types of payment methods to your customers:
- Credit cards and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discovery, etc.)
- PayPal
- Stripe
- Cash/ Cash on Delivery
- Mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay)
- Buy Now, Pay Later
- Checks
- Bank transfer
- Autopay
- Cryptocurrency payments
Offer Customers Shipping Alternatives
Customers have come to expect a certain level of convenience and accessibility when it comes to shipping.
However, with rising shipping costs and delivery times, many businesses struggle to keep up with customer demands. Offering shipping alternatives can help you save money and keep your customers happy.
First, consider offering free shipping for orders over a certain amount. This will encourage customers to spend more on your site while also offsetting some of the shipping costs.
You can also offer expedited shipping for an additional fee. This will give customers the option to receive their items faster without having to pay exorbitant prices.
Another alternative is to provide home deliveries to customers. More and more people choose to have their packages delivered directly to their doors rather than picking them up at a parcel agent. If you have both a physical and online store, your customers can place their orders online and have them pick up the items at your brick-and-mortar store the next day.
Finally, consider using alternative shipping methods such as USPS or FedEx. These carriers often offer lower rates than traditional shippers like UPS or DHL.
Have Customer Support at the Ready
As the holiday season approaches, your eCommerce business should see an influx of customers and increased sales. Black Friday and Cyber Monday attract the most number of new customers, with 59% of all sales made by first-time buyers.
However, with more customers comes the need for additional customer support.
Ensure your eCommerce business is prepared for the holiday rush by having customer support ready. This means having enough staff to handle customer inquiries and issues and having a robust knowledge base or FAQ section that can address common questions.
You might also want to invest in a retail or eCommerce chatbot like Heyday to provide instant customer service.
Collaborate with Influencers
Black Friday is an extremely competitive day for eCommerce businesses. How do you stand out in a crowded marketplace? One way to do this is by working with influencers.
Influencers can help promote your products or services to their followers, who are likely to be interested in what you offer. This can result in a significant increase in sales and brand awareness.
To find influencers who are a good fit for your business, consider their audience, reach, and engagement. Once you’ve found some potential partners, reach out and see if they’re interested in working with you.
If done correctly, partnering with influencers on your Black Friday strategy can be a great way to reach new customers and boost your sales.
Final Thoughts
As Black Friday looms closer, eCommerce businesses are feeling the pressure to prepare. Getting your online store ready for Black Friday doesn’t have to be difficult. By following these six tips, you can ensure that your store is prepared for the biggest shopping day of the year.
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