As the holiday season approaches, especially during this uniquely challenging year, business owners have one thing on their mind: Black Friday. Online shopping has transformed Black Friday into Black Week, which extends shopping deals beyond Black Friday to the following week, starting with Cyber Monday and beyond. That means, eCommerce stores have an entire week to sell, sell, sell!
In fact, data shows that Cyber Monday sales reached $10.8 billion in 2020. With that being said, eCommerce store owners need to be prepared for the influx in website traffic coming their way before Christmas.
Plan Ahead
You can never start planning for Black Friday too early. According to data, 43% of US shoppers start their Christmas shopping before October ends. We’ve all seen the holiday decor up in big box stores as soon as the first leaf hits the ground. So, it’s important to be ready to go.
When you begin planning for Black Friday, start by researching market trends. For example, in 2022, the iPhone 14 release means people will be on the hunt for mobile accessories. Start offering deals as early as you can to entice shoppers.
You should also figure out what kind of discounts you’re going to offer. Check out your competitors, and reflect on last year. Set your prices and discounts, and plan out when you’re going to send newsletters with deals to begin the season.
Since we’re talking about eCommerce, it’s important to note that you should ensure your website is ready to handle an influx of traffic. The last thing you want is for your website to crash and you lose out on business.
Check with your web developer to ensure it’s ready to handle high amounts of traffic, and fix any potential bugs before Christmas shopping begins.
Send Out Emails
Another way to start planning ahead for Black Friday is sending emails to your current customer base. Create an engaging newsletter explaining what deals you’ll have to incentivise them to stick with you for all their Christmas needs.
Whether you’re working in print on demand, or selling mobile accessories, it’s important to make it personal. Recommend products they’ve already purchased, or similar items. When writing your newsletter, make it sound as if you’re addressing the individual person. No one wants to read an email that sounds like it’s addressing the masses.
If you have a print on demand shop, this is a great opportunity to offer current customers holiday discounts so they start ordering early, as well.
Go Mobile
There’s nothing consumers love more than being able to shop right from their phones. Who wants to mess with getting on the computer, anyway? According to statistics, 79% of smartphone users have used their phone to make online purchases within the last 6 months. That means, they’re going to be using that new iPhone 14 to shop for mobile accessories!
This holiday season, it’s crucial to have a mobile app for your eCommerce store. Sure, consumers can find your website on their smartphone, but having a mobile app will increase conversion by 157%. If an app is out of the budget, make sure your website works well on desktop as well as mobile devices. If shoppers can’t navigate your site well on their phone, they’re likely to go elsewhere for mobile accessories and other items.
Use Social Media
Social media is an eCommerce store owner’s best friend. Data shows that 60% of consumers use social media to research products. So, if you don’t have an Instagram account for shoppers to check out, they may pass on your print on demand products. Consumers want to see real people engaging with your business on social media before buying Christmas gifts from you.
Expand Your Payment Methods
It should be no surprise that the more payment methods you have, the more business you’ll receive. If you don’t have the payment method easiest for them to use, a shopper is likely to move on. Research shows that 12% of online shoppers canceled a purchase because they couldn’t use their preferred payment method.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, there’s much to do in eCommerce before Christmas shopping begins. Following these tips should help you have your ducks in a row. Whether you have a print on demand shop, or are selling mobile accessories, it’s always important to be prepared!
