Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) remains the biggest shopping event of the year, and it’s only fair to understand what we learned from last year and put it into practice this year to do better and make more money.
The world of e-commerce is constantly evolving, and the pandemic that hit us in 2020 accelerated online shopping at an unprecedented pace that no one was prepared for. Traditional businesses rushed to go online to stay afloat, while those that already had e-commerce had to find creative ways to meet customers’ needs when product shortages and shipping proved to be a nightmare. For some, this paved the way for growing their business in ways they had never imagined before or starting a new venture and succeeding online.
Black Friday 2022, how to get ready for this November 25th?
It’s never too early to start planning your Black Friday, find out if your ecommerce is ready, with these questions:
- Have you already thought about the promotions you will run before and during this discount period?
- How will you encourage your customers to shop early?
- Have you thought about the shipments and products you want to push more?
- Do you already know how to make the most of your customers’ high spending potential as they approach Christmas shopping?
- Is your ecommerce store reliable and does it offer a smooth shopping experience?
- Have you thought about Cyber Monday deals?
- Is your social media strategy reinforced with a view to promotions?
If you answered “NO” to at least half of these questions, read our 4 tips to make the most of Black Friday 2022 and increase your sales!
4 tips for Black Friday:
1. Customer service
Providing good customer service is critical to your business year-round, but strengthening this side of your business at this particular time is critical.
The better the pre- and post-purchase support, the more purchases, the better the reviews, and the lower the rate of returns on your ecommerce.
You might consider investing in a retail chatbot to keep up with the volume of purchases during Black Friday. Many such services provide instant customer service that can answer up to 80 % of customer inquiries. This allows your customer service team to respond to the remaining 20 % in a timely manner.
2. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool. A recent survey found that 8% of customers have purchased something in the past 6 months because an influencer promoted it. This figure increases to nearly 15% for consumers between the ages of 18 and 24. Incorporating influencer partnerships into your Black Friday strategy can help you reach new customers and increase your sales.
Remember that it is important to strike the right balance with influencers. Don’t look for the largest following; having the same values and mood is more important.
3. Previews, discount codes and timed deals
Offering promotional codes and coupons for Black Friday and Cyber Monday creates urgency and encourages your customers to take advantage of your big discounts.
However, make sure your customers can easily find and apply promo codes, otherwise, they may abandon their carts out of frustration:
- Use a pop-up on your ecommerce site. This will communicate the discount code and allow your customer to apply it at checkout with a single click.
- Ask customers to enter their email address to receive the promo code. This will also help your customer database.
- Add a banner at the top of the page with the discount code.
- Apply the code automatically at checkout. This is the easiest solution for your customers.
Remember to retain your customers and promote Cyber Monday and Black Friday sales through e-mail. This is an effective way to reach your customers who already know you. It is also the perfect way to create hype before Black Friday.
Offering early access to your Black Friday sale is an effective way to grow your newsletter subscriber base.
It also gives you the opportunity to segment your offers, increasing their effectiveness.
Show regular customers discounts on products they might be interested in, based on their purchase history.
4. Do upselling and cross-selling
Don’t be afraid to upsell and cross-sell your products.
Upselling is the strategy whereby you suggest to your buyer the purchase of a better product than the one they are about to buy, which will inevitably lead you to increase the average shopping cart spend.
Cross-selling is the process that encourages the user to add more products to their cart.
For example, if you have a technology ecommerce, a functional upsell might be to offer a buyer who adds a smartphone to their cart a better version of it, for a small amount of extra money.
The cross-sell: the buyer adds a smartphone to the cart and you, as the merchant, offer to add a set of covers or insurance to increase the shopping cart spend.
The key to mastering these two techniques is to stay relevant and offer upgrades or new products that add something extra. Think about how you could solve a potential buyer’s problems or provide extra benefits instead of simply suggesting random items that don’t fit the initial purchase.
Feeling ready for this Black Friday? Start improving your ecommerce today to take advantage of this great revenue opportunity. Beat the competition and focus on your customers, make them feel special and they will surely come back to support your brand in the future.
Also, think about the long term. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a time to connect with many new customers. Ideally, you want to turn them into long-term customers, so think about how you are building relationships or trust in the years to come. You may not make as many sales during Black Friday, but remember that a successful business strategy is a marathon, not a sprint.
