As South African’s, we’re sitting in an interesting position when it comes to Black Friday (and Cyber Monday). We don’t celebrate the American Thanks Giving holiday, but thanks to the global nature of our media and commerce, we have adopted the shopping phenomenon that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Not only are these important individual days for retailers everywhere, but they also mark the beginning on the festive season commerce boost that lasts until just after New Years.
Which is why we decided we’d write an article for all of our small business owner friends on preparing your website and digital presence for the upcoming shop-a-thon.
How to get ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Start Early
Don’t wait until it’s a week to go before you start thinking about Black Friday. You need to start planning now. Decide what specials you’re going to offer and then start getting your customers excited about them online.
Get your Marketing Collateral Ready
From social media banners and images to the copy for your landing pages, make sure you have plenty of time to make changes and edits by starting now.
Prepare your Ecommerce Website
If you sell online you will need to make sure that your entire website is running smoothly, and that you can manage additional traffic. Whoever works on your website should be called in and asked to test every page, your check out cart, and your overall user experience.
You should also let them know well in advance that you want specific landing pages created (or updated) for the duration of the sale.
Go Mobile
If you don’t already have a mobile responsive website then this would be a good time to make that adjustment. People like to browse on their phones. Make sure the entire shopping process from browsing to completing the sale is easy to do on mobile.
Create your Marketing Emails Now
Email is a powerful tool for marketers. Let your customer base know what your special offers are by sending them well-written emails, complete with strong subject lines. You can use email to create a buzz before the fact, too, by sending out teasers and “Save the date” emails.
Leverage your Social Media Channels
Facebook and Instagram both allow you to share highly visual content to a highly specified audience, complete with clear calls to action in the form of clickable buttons and links. Use them.
Prepare your Delivery System
Make sure that whoever you use for delivery is aware that you will (hopefully) have high order volumes for them to deliver. Offering free delivery on orders over a certain size can be a great incentive for your customers.
Have at least 1 Insanely Good Special Offer
Think of this as part of your long-term marketing plan. We know that it’s easier to sell to an existing customer than to convert new customers. So remember that with every new person who signs on during your jaw-dropping sales, you are saving on future marketing and potentially creating a new loyal customer.
