You may not think it’s necessary to start preparing for Black Friday at this point in the year. However, if you run an eCommerce store, the truth is you should’ve started preparing for Black Friday months ago. Not to worry, we have you covered with our top advice for online stores for preparing for the big shopping holiday.
Let’s take a look at some quick Black Friday online shopping statistics:
- When it comes to online searches for Black Friday sales, the UK was responsible for over 10% of these searches in 2021.
- Over £5.74 billion was spent by UK consumers online over the Black Friday weekend last year.
- 45% of consumers start their holiday shopping long before November. And 25% start before October.
It’s fair to say that not only are your customers ready to shop your Black Friday sale, but they’re also prepared to part with some serious cash when they do so.
This is why you need to start preparing your eCommerce business for Black Friday now. Here’s how to get it right.
Step 1: Determine your offer
The first thing you need to do to prepare your online business for Black Friday is to decide what you plan on offering on the day.
You would need to consider the following:
- If you have enough of a product in stock to offer it on a sale.
- If you have an excess of products that you may want to do away with.
- Your profit margins are based on your discount(s).
- How much of a discount can you afford to offer, and what would be an attractive discount?
- If you can provide free shipping.
Step 2: Ensure you offer several payment methods
The more payment options you offer your customers, the more likely you are to make sales.
Around 12% of online shoppers cancelled their last purchase simply because they couldn’t pay the way they wanted to.
Ensure you have at least three payment options on your website ahead of Black Friday.
Step 3: Logistics and shipping
It’s fair to say that you will most likely see a significant spike in sales over the Black Friday weekend. Is your logistics system prepared for this? Will you be able to deliver the ordered product within a reasonable time?
If there is going to be a delay in shipping, be sure to make this clear before people place their orders on your site. The last thing you want is shoppers complaining online about you not being able to deliver their purchase.
Step 4: Make sure you’re optimised for mobile
Over 73% of global eCommerce sales are made via a mobile device. For this reason, it’s essential that your online store is properly optimised for mobile. This means that the shopping experience you provide needs to be as seamless on a smartphone as it would be on a desktop computer.
Additionally, if you have the budget, you may want to consider developing a shopping app that connects to your website, although this will take a couple of months.
Step 5: Start marketing
As we mentioned before, people start shopping for the holidays way ahead of Black Friday. Your marketing activities that relate to this shopping holiday need to start early.
It’s no use sending out one email on Black Friday telling people about your sale. You need to create a build-up and a buzz surrounding your sale.
Online shoppers like to plan ahead. So, while you may not want to give away all the details before the day, be sure to provide consumers with enough information so that they can choose to shop with you come November 25th.
A virtual marketing assistant can help you prepare your online marketing campaigns for your Black Friday sale. From email marketing to social media and everything in between, a virtual marketing assistant can help you get the sales and exposure you deserve. Visit our website to start your free trial with one of our virtual marketing assistants.
