As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, consumers eagerly await the opportunity to snag incredible deals on their favourite products. But for retailers, this means Black Friday is just around the corner!
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We've got you covered from optimising your marketing campaigns, segmenting your emails, and enhancing your online presence. Whether you're a seasoned retail veteran or a first-time Black Friday participant, our checklist will help you navigate the craziness of this global shopping day to achieve success.
Prepare a plan early
One minute, you're recuperating from a busy summer season, and the next, Black Friday is already here. Digital marketing, sadly, isn’t a quick-fix solution to get your message out there; it requires ample time to execute properly. To ensure a seamless experience for your customers during the holiday season, it's essential to start planning ahead of time.
Be sure to prepare your social media presence so your current audience knows what deals to expect. Engaging with your customers through well-crafted social media campaigns builds excitement and anticipation, increasing the likelihood of their participation in your Black Friday sales.
Additionally, a solid social media presence helps you maintain brand visibility, foster customer loyalty, and create a sense of urgency that can drive higher conversion rates on the big day.
Holiday shoppers typically begin planning their purchases in advance. As a seller, you must be well-prepared to assist them in fulfilling their needs. Get your website in order before the holiday rush begins. Plan your advertising, determine the deals you'll offer, and ensure that your site is working flawlessly.
Prepare your site for traffic surges
It's unfortunate how many stories there are about eCommerce sites that couldn't handle a surge in traffic during peak sales or holiday seasons. To prevent this from happening to your business, ask your technical team to conduct load testing on your site. It's best to do it sooner rather than later, giving you ample time to update software or systems as needed.
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Create valuable content
Creating high-quality content is essential to expanding your reach and attracting customers. With the right approach, people will find your content on social media and search engines, and if it resonates enough, it’ll encourage them to find out more.
Once you've captured their attention, provide them with valuable information that establishes your authority and helps them make informed purchasing decisions. This will build a lasting relationship and give customers the confidence to complete their transactions.
Remember, quality is key. Don't create content just for the sake of it. Instead, focus on producing content that offers real value. Although it will require more time and effort, the impact will be worth the extra effort.
For instance, say you're writing about the “Best Portable Speakers” for summer. In this case, avoid just creating a short blog about the speakers you want to sell. Instead, provide an in-depth comparison guide that helps customers make informed decisions. You can still highlight the speakers you're promoting and make it stand out amongst other options.
Consider retargeting
Want to get the most out of your advertising budget? Try setting up retargeting campaigns on Google AdWords and Facebook. These campaigns display ads to people who have previously visited your website or made purchases.
You can also target your ads to people on your email marketing list. Consumers may have held off buying a product due to the cost but may now be intrigued by your sales. Don't underestimate the value of returning customers; investing in retargeting campaigns can be a game-changer.
Will you reward returning customers?
Retailers should consider rewarding returning customers this Black Friday as it creates a stronger sense of loyalty and reinforces the bond between the brand and its existing customer base. Not only does this often result in increased sales, but it also generates positive word-of-mouth.
Furthermore, offering rewards can differentiate a retailer in the competitive Black Friday landscape and demonstrate a deep commitment to customer satisfaction, leading to more long-term customers.
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Create an email strategy
It’s vital for you to have an email strategy this Black Friday because email marketing remains one of the most effective tools for reaching a broad customer base with personalised offers and promotions, driving engagement and conversions. With a well-executed email campaign, retailers can create anticipation and excitement leading up to Black Friday, ensuring that their customers are aware of and excited about the upcoming deals that your business is going to host.
Moreover, email marketing allows for direct communication with existing customers, fostering brand loyalty and potentially resulting in increased sales and repeat business during this critical shopping event.
If you’d like to learn how to stand out amongst the competition and prevent your emails from being lost in the sea of offers, check out our guide.
Have a plan for abandoned carts
Customers leave items in their cart for a variety of reasons, whether it be as a wishlist, frustration with the checkout process, lack of persuasion in the offer, or simply forgetting to complete the purchase. Fortunately, if you have their email address and a well-executed recovery strategy, you can send timely follow-up emails or incentives. This will help retailers recapture these sales and maximise their Black Friday profits.
A recovery strategy is your chance to address their concerns and bring them back to the site. Consider offering an extra discount, providing assistance, or sending a gentle reminder to help them complete their purchase.
Get involved in trends
Shoppers are often drawn to products and promotions that align with the latest trends, whether it's in fashion, technology, or lifestyle choices. By incorporating trending themes, products, or marketing strategies into your Black Friday campaigns, you can connect with your target audience on a deeper level and increase your chances of attracting more customers.
Additionally, embracing trends can help you differentiate your business in a crowded marketplace. It allows you to stand out and show that you’re accustomed to the ever-changing preferences and interests of your customer base.
Need help with trend ideas? Head over to Google Trends to find out what consumers are searching for online.
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Prepare your customer service
As your online traffic and sales surge, so will customer support tickets. It's a common misconception that online shoppers don't have questions, so be prepared to handle the influx efficiently. Be sure you have enough people on your team ready to tackle the volume of requests, and even look at using tools such as live chats.
Answering simple inquiries can be the deciding factor between an abandoned cart and a completed purchase, so investing in this area is crucial. You may also want to consider adding a chatbot to your website to automate some of these processes but remember that the human touch can make all the difference.
Make sure your checkout process is seamless
With the rush to grab the deals before they run out on Black Friday, customers expect a seamless and quick purchasing experience. A streamlined checkout process reduces friction, making it easier for shoppers to complete their transactions swiftly, increasing the likelihood that they will finalise their purchases and not abandon their carts due to frustration.
When you’ve already put in all the hard work to get your customers onto your site, to begin with, you don’t want to lose it all due to a poor checkout experience. Go through the checkout yourself and determine if any parts can be made simpler and easier for the user. Even look on other retailers’ sites and see if they’re doing anything that could improve your checkout process.
Getting your preparation, planning and strategies underway earlier is the key to getting through the madness that is the Black Friday weekend. By getting items from this list checked off, you should be set and prepared for success.
Preparing for Black Friday? Check out our other blogs on how to make this Black Friday your most successful yet:
