The clock is ticking, and Black Friday is almost upon us. Is your e-Commerce ready for the flood of traffic? If not, you still have time. Despite the pandemic, experts are predicting a record year for e-commerce sales. Use these strategies to prepare for one of the biggest days of the year for retailers and consumers alike.
Prepare Your Site
Your website will be handling more traffic than at any other time, so you should tighten up the infrastructure to make sure it’s ready. You don’t want your site to come crashing down and give your customers an opportunity to head to one of your competitors in search of a bargain.
Prepare for more traffic – Are your servers up to the task of handling a sudden upswing in visitors. If you think it might struggle with the load, check with your hosting provider to see if an upgrade is warranted. Prepare your email campaign – A well-organized email campaign will prime your customers, so you will want to have this prepared in advance. Segment your email list – You’ll want to do this so you only send offers to a relevant market.
Prepare Your Homepage
Make sure your site is mobile responsive – A mobile responsive site is essential these days, as smartphones and tablets will be your most significant traffic sources. When a visitor lands on your site on Black Friday, you want your offers to be front and center. Your homepage should be very clear about your special deals, with a prominent call to action telling them what to do next. Your category pages should also be celebrating Black Friday with the discounts listed at the top of the page. Entice them to visit other pages by making it clear that offers are available all over your site.
Try a Flat Rate Discount
Some customers are in a hurry and want a quick bargain without all the fuss of visiting different pages. If you know your demographic is made up of these types of customers, then a flat discount that applies sitewide will be an appealing proposition.
Talk Up Your Sale on Social Media
Let your social media followers know in advance what they can expect from your Black Friday deals. A high-value deal is likely to get shared on social media and gain you more exposure ahead of the sale. Click here to read about the link between online engagement and visuals. There’s no denying you can build more buzz with a paid campaign. A paid promotion on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest could be used in advance to generate some interest and create more exposure for your e-commerce store.
Create Scarcity
Retailers often use scarcity as a strategy to motivate buyers into a purchase, and it works even better on Black Friday. The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) phenomenon has reached a frenzied pitch by the time Black Friday rolls around. Let your customers know how low your stock is, and you will build urgency and increase your sales.
Double up on Discounts
A sale on an already discounted item will also help you rack up more transactions on your e-commerce site. It’s FOMO in action again, as customers will want to take advantage of a steeper discount rather than wait for prices to return to normal.