However, it would be best if you took on Black Friday (and the days/weeks around Black Friday) with a meticulously planned strategy. It’s not enough to think that sales will go up the charts simply because the day is Black Friday.
If you don’t prepare, you are likely to fail, as the phrase is. This article will assist you in planning. Follow us as we help create a successful Black Friday eCommerce marketing strategy that will provide an increase in sales for your business.
What is it that makes Black Friday Such a Big Deal for eCommerce?
Through the years, Black Friday has morphed into the biggest shopping day that is the most popular day on the calendar. It’s not just”the “Friday after Thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving has also become the “Thursday before Black Friday.”
The majority of consumers are used to getting great Black Friday deals, along with discounts on days leading up to and following. For a growing number of customers, shopping online (eCommerce websites as well as shopping applications) will be the primary site they visit when they’re looking to purchase something.
They are characterized by an attitude of herd that can lead to massive amounts of cash that is spent online. By 2022, Black Friday accounted for $9.12 billion in sales on eCommerce.
Furthermore conv, conversion rates are substantially higher and higher, as Adobe Analytics shows average conversion rates of 5.6 percent on desktops and 3.3 percent on mobile devices in the run-up to Black Friday 2022.
As per Shopify, the conversion rate of Shopify Plus merchants was even more impressive, with 7.38 percent on average, which is higher than Black Friday.
To put these figures into context, the average eCommerce conversion rate for the entire year is 1.89 percent.
A higher percentage of online shoppers are active, which is a great potential for your store. However, it also means more competition. That’s the reason why having a strategic Black Friday marketing strategy is crucial.
“Black Friday” is No Longer Just Friday
Naturally, when we talk about “Black Friday,” we’re not just talking about just one day. In the past, it was a one-day event for shopping. However, since Prime Day is now a two-day affair, Black Friday has morphed into a whole week-long gold rush.
Cyber Monday is actually an even bigger day for retailers selling on eCommerce over Black Friday. Cyber Monday sales reached $11.3 billion in 2022, which is $2 billion more than Black Friday and the highest single day of the shopping season.
The rate of conversion increase is also higher as it is 6.9 percent on desktops and 3.6 percent on mobile devices.
All in all, “Cyber Week” generated $35.27 billion in sales between now and 2022. Every year, more businesses start earlier and extend the BFCM (Black Friday- Cyber Monday) excitement further in order to maximize the advantages they gain from the most popular shopping weekend.
There are even some who use the term “Black November” instead of Black Friday, as a majority of retailers offer promotions throughout the month rather than waiting until Cyber Week to begin.
Thinking Long-Term About BFCM
Like how Black Friday is not just an event that happens on a single day, smart companies don’t treat BFCM as a one-off occasion, looking for some short-term gain. It’s a chance to build lasting momentum and attract new, loyal customers to your business.
Businesses that are short-sighted see BFCM as a means to increase their profits. Effective companies utilize the BFCM platform to establish relationships and turn this excitement of Black Friday into long-term benefits.
The Christmas season is coming just following Cyber Week, so you really must think in the long run. An increase of five days in sales and an increase in cash flow is fantastic; however, bringing new customers to your business who remain loyal to you throughout December is more beneficial.
Your Black Friday eCommerce Strategy
Let’s get to a comprehensive checklist of tested techniques to help you get the most value from Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the following days for your online business.
Make Sure Your Site is Fast and Responsive
Before you begin contemplating ways to be the winner on Black Friday, make sure that you don’t risk losing it.
You’ll be unable to compete on Black Friday if your site isn’t responsive or you have technical problems on your website that turn shoppers away. The speed and responsiveness of your site are essential, and with more customers shopping on Black Friday this year, their significance is amplified.
A longer time frame for a website to open has been found that it can increase bounce rates, possibly by up to 123 percent. It is possible to expect a shorter leash on Black Friday with the competition for the attention of consumers.
As for responsiveness, every website that’s not mobile-friendly currently is missing the majority of the audience. The percentage of desktop traffic versus mobile shifted even more towards mobile during Cyber Monday and Black Friday. Information taken from Shopify stores during the BFCM period revealed that 71 percent of purchases were done via mobile devices because more customers are utilizing the ease-of-access shops using their mobile.
Be Prepared for Increased Activity
It’s not worth imagining an idea of the most creative Black Friday marketing ideas if you’re unable to manage the increased volume of activity. Spend the period leading up to Cyber Week making sure you’re well-prepared for a busy sales week.
There are several factors to this. Inventory is just one. It is essential to have enough stock in order to support the increase in sales. A lot of retailers who aren’t prepared limit the Black Friday gains by running out of inventory because they didn’t prepare ahead.
Your site should also be prepared for the increased traffic. Check that your hosting provider and the technical structure of your website aren’t going to be able to handle the load the impression that you are getting 4 to 5 times your normal traffic.
Make sure you have the right staff in place to ensure that business operations run smoothly. All hands are in the support team, and ensure that you ensure that your team members are ready to respond to customers’ inquiries right away. Customers shouldn’t be waiting for 24 hours to receive an answer because, by the time they do, they’ll already have taken the same deal from a rival.
Audit Your UX and Checkout Flow
With a higher number of visitors to your site, the buying experience becomes more essential. The smallest issues can be amplified. Things that resulted in a few hundred in lost sales on the course of a normal weekend can result in tens of thousands during Cyber Monday/Black Friday.
Prior to Black Friday, do a self-audit of your customer’s experience and find areas where you could make improvements. It is essential to ensure that the user experience is smooth and intuitive, as well as easy to find. Your CTAs are large, clear, bold, and noticeable. Examine every aspect of your website from a CRO point of view. Simple changes will have a huge impact by the end of November.
Check out your checkout process and determine if there are any ways to make the process more smooth and efficient. When it comes to BFCM, shoppers are rushing to finish their purchases and begin searching for deals. Whatever you do in order to eliminate any hassle from buying and help customers make impulse purchases more convenient can result in lots of additional sales.
