The festive season is almost upon us, which means key shopping dates in the calendar are approaching. The biggest is undoubtedly Black Friday, a day when merchants can reach more customers and sell more if they correctly put together a comprehensive sales and marketing plan. So, with that in mind, we’ve put together these tips to help you make the most of Black Friday and ensure your online store is thriving.
Go all out with your marketing
Black Friday and the accompanying cyber Monday, have become staple shopping events in the UK in the last few years. Last year, the UK accounted for over 10% of all global Black Friday searches online, with billions of pounds spent on a wide variety of products. This shows how important it is for your store to capitalise on the hype, and the first place to start is with your marketing approach.
You should let your customers know about promotions and deals on your online store through google ads, social media, website pop-ups and email. You could also create blog articles, guides and special coupon codes that require shoppers to share their email addresses for access. You can then use these collected details to continue marketing to them long after Black Friday is over.
In addition to this, consider your website design and if it’s possible create a dedicated Black Friday page where you can countdown to the big day and generate buzz. This is where you can house your Black Friday content and get people excited about the upcoming sale.
Offer finance and shout it from the rooftops
For many people, the idea of paying the cost of a product all in one go can be off-putting, even when it's on sale. To combat this, offer retail finance at your store so shoppers can spread the cost of purchases. Not only will you give consumers more flexibility to pay for items, but you'll also empower them to buy the products they want by alleviating some of the financial burden of paying for purchases in one go. It's easy to get started as well, with providers like Deko able to integrate their finance products into your online store in just 24 hours.
However, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is failing to promote this payment method throughout the customer journey. Place banners on your website highlighting that you offer finance options at checkout, use pop-ups on the home page as well as product pages and add context to Buy Now Pay Later buttons at checkout for those customers unfamiliar with the payment option.
Think about your offers
Every eCommerce and brick-and-mortar store will be thinking about how they can make the most of Black Friday. When it comes to offers, what can you do that separates your store from the competition? Consumers will expect discounts and great deals, but what does that look like in real life?
Think about packages you can offer that will entice shoppers. Look at how they can get real value for money from your Black Friday sale deals. What's possible with your margins – can you give 20, 30, 40% and even higher discounts on certain products? Obviously, it needs to be economical for your business, but creating enticing offers can bring in customers and build long-term customer relationships.
Get your website and customer service ready
You can expect more traffic to your online store during Black Friday, which is good news. However, it could soon become bad news if you're not ready for the influx of shoppers. Taking care of customer needs is even more important during big sale events where website traffic is higher.
Review the user journey and make tweaks if needed so the experience is seamless and allows customers to transact without any issues. Beyond that, look at your customer service setup. There are likely to be more enquiries about things like promotions and postage. Therefore, it's good to implement increased customer support through chatbots, social media, email and live chat to help maintain an excellent customer experience.
Offer exclusive access
Who's to say you need to start Black Friday on November 25th? Why not kick the event off a few days or weeks early and offer exclusive access to customers with a purchase history? Giving people exclusive access to your Black Friday sale before anyone else helps reinforce customer loyalty because it makes them feel special. Plus it helps to create a sense of urgency because they won’t want to miss out on the great deals you’re offering.
Encourage customer engagement
Encourage customers to share purchases across social media, letting their followers know which deals they took advantage of to generate more interest in your store. As a result, you get free marketing from happy customers and can share their posts across your own social media networks.
Invite them to include a bespoke hashtag for your business or store and your geotag to help spread the word about your Black Friday sales. With this approach, you can benefit from user-generated content and the consequent buzz from it.
That Friday feeling
Black Friday affords your store the opportunity to boost sales and revenue. It's a chance to shift products that previously weren't in demand and attract new customers who will stay long after the sale is over. By implementing these tips, you can position yourself for success this Black Friday.
