Whether we like it or not, the American trend for Black Friday has made its way firmly to British shores. And if you’re running an ecommerce store, it can be a great opportunity to make some serious sales. But how can you plan for this manic period — and make sure it works for you?
As shoppers all over the country take to the internet on the Friday after Thanksgiving (that will be the 25th of November 2022) you can be sure of one thing — your ecommerce store will experience a huge increase in traffic. The key, of course, is to be ready for these extra hits and make the most of the situation.
The first step is to make sure that your ecommerce store is in ship-shape condition before the Black Friday rush hits. Does it function well on mobile, for example, and is the interface intuitive and easy to use? Use a free online tool to check the speed of your site and make sure that things are running as smoothly as possible — you might want to think about compressing any larger images or video files if anything is taking too long to load. After that, go through your checkout process step-by-step to see if there’s any room for improvement. Something as simple as additional payment options or cart abandonment notifications could make all the difference once the big day arrives.
Next, you’ll want to think about customer service: do you need to bring extra staff in to deal with increased demand? Or simply rejig your schedule to ensure that you’re available to answer any comments or queries that shoppers might have? The more that you can answer in real time, the higher the chances of customer satisfaction — and increased sales.
Finally, while Black Friday is a busy time for ecommerce, you can’t always expect the shoppers to come to you — you’ll need a solid marketing plan in place to attract all that Black Friday cash. So spend some time mapping out your social media approach, and consider strategies such as retargeting and upselling to maximise sales. You’ll also want to give serious thought to what deals you’re offering holiday shoppers… big discounts and BOGOF promotions are always popular, but make sure that your business can afford the losses before you make any announcements.
While we’re living through uncertain times, Black Friday is one holiday when we know people will be online looking to splash some cash. So make sure you’re in a position to tap into this opportunity and give your business a welcome boost.
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