The Black Friday Checklist 2024 for Ecommerce Brands
A day filled with frenzied sales and bustling shoppers hunting for unbeatable deals and jaw dropping discounts, Black Friday, the behemoth of the retail industry is fast approaching.
Once only an event in the U.S.A, ecommerce brands across the globe are now embracing Black Friday as one of the biggest sales opportunities of the year.
In 2023, consumers spent around $9.8 billion online on Black Friday, 7.5% up from the previous year. What’s more, Black Friday has now extended into a whole weekend of increased spending and holiday deals, as many companies now continue their Black Friday sales across the weekend until Cyber Monday.
With Black Friday showing no sign of slowing down in 2024, it’s even more important to ensure that your ecommerce brand is prepared to make the most of this increase in spending. Before Black Friday kicks into gear, ensure your brand stands out with our handy checklist to help your ecommerce brand prepare:
1. Review last year’s learnings
Start by diving into the data from last year’s Black Friday. Analyse your sales performance, customer engagement metrics, and marketing strategies to identify patterns and reflect on what worked well and what fell short.
Think about:
- Sales trends: Examine which products were your best sellers and which didn’t perform as expected. This will help you prioritise inventory for this year’s sales.
- Customer feedback: Look at customer reviews to understand their shopping experience, and explore any common themes, such as shortcomings in delivery experience or customer service.
- Competitor analysis: See how your competitors performed during Black Friday. What promotions did they run, and how did they engage their customers?
Taking the time to reflect on last year’s experiences will equip you with the knowledge necessary to optimise your strategies and maximise your success this Black Friday.
2. Check your carriers
As Black Friday approaches, it’s essential to ensure that your shipping carrier can handle the surge in order volume and meet your customers’ delivery expectations. A reliable carrier is crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction during this busy shopping period.
Make sure your chosen carrier can manage increased shipments without delays, and don’t forget that your customers may want different shipping options, such as free shipping or next-day delivery. Ensure you have these options available to enhance the shopping experience.
Take the time to shop around and compare different shipping services to find the perfect fit, and consider using multiple carriers for different services, if necessary.
If you’re seeking access to shipping services from leading carriers at exclusive rates and discounts, take a look at Zenstores Swift.
3. Multi-store management
If you have more than one online sales platform, for example Shopify and Etsy, you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping up with each of your online stores. As Black Friday approaches, the complexity of managing orders from multiple channels increases, making streamlined operations essential.
Consider using a delivery experience platform that allows you to integrate all of your platforms into one place, so that you never miss an order. This way, you can easily track and manage orders without the headache of switching between platforms.
With Zenstores, you can integrate multiple platforms and power every step of the ecommerce delivery experience, allowing you to focus on what really matters: delivering an exceptional shopping experience that keeps your customers coming back for more.
4. Inventory check
Check over your stock in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. It’s essential to make sure that everything has been recorded correctly, so you don’t let customers down and you are prepared for the anticipated surge in orders.
Verify that your inventory is accurately recorded, as discrepancies could lead to overselling and disappointing customers who expect items to be in stock. Make sure to pay extra attention to your best-selling items - you don’t want to miss out on orders due to being out of stock.
While it’s important to focus on best-sellers, don’t forget about slower-moving items. Consider bundling them with popular products or running promotions to clear out excess stock.
By checking your inventory and ensuring that everything is in order, you’ll position your ecommerce brand for success this Black Friday, reducing the risk of missed sales opportunities and enhancing the overall customer experience.
5. Set up deals & sales
Black Friday is synonymous with hot deals and super discounts. Now that you’ve reviewed last year’s performance, know what shipping services you plan to offer, and have checked your inventory, it’s time to decide on some deals.
Suggestions:
- Create tiered discounts: Encourage larger purchases and drive up your average order value (AOV) by offering tiered discounts. For example, provide 10% off for purchases over £50, 20% off for purchases over £100, and so on.
- Feature best-sellers: Promote your best-selling products with discounts.
- Introduce bundles: Consider creating exclusive product bundles that offer added value to customers. These bundles can help you move slow-moving inventory while providing customers with a deal that feels special and unique.
- Set time-sensitive deals: Time-limited offers create urgency, prompting customers to act fast. Consider setting hourly or daily deals throughout Black Friday weekend to maintain momentum and excitement.
- Highlight free shipping: Customers are more likely to complete their purchases if shipping costs aren’t an issue. Try offering free or discounted shipping as part of your Black Friday deals.
6. Marketing campaigns
To drive traffic to your website, implement a well-planned marketing strategy in the weeks leading up to Black Friday.
Try creating a series of targeted email campaigns designed to build excitement. Teaser emails can hint at upcoming deals, while countdown emails will instil a sense of urgency. Also, remember to set-up abandoned cart emails; re-engaging customers who left items behind with reminders about limited-time offers can significantly boost conversions.
You could also use social media to promote your store and engage with your followers, highlighting your Black Friday promotions or featured items in your content leading up to the day. Additionally, consider investing in paid advertising to increase visibility and reach new potential customers.
Finally, post-Black Friday, don’t forget to follow-up! Use email and social media to promote Cyber Monday deals or extend exclusive discounts to shoppers who may have missed out on Black Friday offers, ensuring you maintain momentum throughout the holiday shopping season.
7. Optimise your website
You’ve planned how to get people visiting your website - but will your website stand up to the challenge?
Your website is driving your Black Friday sales, so it’s essential to ensure it’s fully optimised for both desktop and mobile users.
Key Areas to Focus On:
- Speed and Performance: Slow websites lose customers. According to Forbes, 47% of users won’t wait more than 2 seconds for a website to load. Ensure your site loads quickly on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Mobile Optimization: A growing number of shoppers are using their phones to browse and purchase, so your mobile site must be just as user-friendly as your desktop version.
- Clear Navigation: Ensure it’s easy for customers to find what they’re looking for. You could even create a dedicated Black Friday page or section to highlight deals.
By optimising your website for both desktop and mobile users, you’ll create a seamless shopping experience that increases your chances of converting visitors into customers.
8. Improve your checkout experience
You’ve done everything to attract customers—optimised your website, promoted irresistible deals, and fine-tuned your inventory—but if your checkout experience falls short, you risk losing valuable sales.
With approximately 70% of online shoppers abandoning their carts, it’s key to make sure your checkout process is smooth, simple, and seamless.
One simple improvement is adding an accurate delivery estimate and clear shipping pricing to your checkout page.
Zenstores Convert allows you to display dynamic and accurate delivery estimates based on the customer’s location. By providing clear delivery timelines, you can set realistic expectations, reducing cart abandonment due to uncertainty.
9. Automate fulfilment processes
With the spike in orders during Black Friday, manually handling fulfilment can quickly become overwhelming. Automating your fulfilment processes will save time, reduce errors, and ensure a seamless post-purchase experience for your customers.
By automating your processes you can:
- Speed up order processing: Instead of manually selecting shipping options for each order, automate these choices. This ensures that orders are processed and shipped out faster, even during high-volume sales periods.
- Reduce human error: Automations reduce the risk of human error. This leads to fewer costly mistakes.
- Improve customer satisfaction: Accurate and efficient delivery will boost customer satisfaction and increase the likelihood of repeat business.
With Zenstores, you can use Shipping Rules to automate your fulfilment processes. These customisable rules allow you to automatically assign shipping services based on predefined criteria, such as order weight, destination, or value.
By implementing shipping rules through Zenstores, you can ensure your Black Friday fulfilment process is fully optimised.
10. Post Black Friday review
Black Friday may be over, but you can keep the momentum going throughout the holiday season and beyond. A post-Black Friday review can help you to turn one-time buyers into loyal customers, and set the stage for both the Christmas season and future sales events.
Start by reviewing your Black Friday performance. Examine metrics like sales volume, conversion rates, traffic sources, and which products were most popular. Identify what worked well and what didn’t. This analysis will not only inform your Christmas strategy but also lay the groundwork for an even better Black Friday next year.
By thoroughly reviewing your Black Friday performance and focusing on customer retention, you can leverage the influx of new shoppers to drive repeat business through the holiday season and beyond.
Making the most of Black Friday and beyond
Black Friday is a golden opportunity for ecommerce brands to capture new customers and boost sales, but success requires preparation and a well-executed strategy.
By following the tips on our checklist, your brand will be in a prime position to make the most of Black Friday 2024. And don't forget to build lasting relationships with the influx of new shoppers, setting the stage for continued growth throughout the holiday season and beyond.
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