6 tips to prepare your e-commerce for Black Friday | RAJA

The end-of-year period is approaching, and with it, all the key events for e-commerce, including Black Friday and its digital counterpart, Cyber Monday. A rush period is coming, and even more so during the Covid crisis, which makes many consumers reluctant to go shopping in vivo.Here’s a chance for you, as an e-retailer, to multiply your order book and outperform. But to do so, you’ll have to apply these 6 key e-commerce tips for Black Friday (and all the other holidays that follow it). From the customer experience to packaging, and including the productivity of your warehouse, find out about all the tips for boosting your business during this key period!

1. Improve your customer experience (really)
2. Communicate your promotions in advance
3. Keep in mind the protection of your goods
4. Improve the efficiency of your supply chain
5. Leverage packaging for productivity
6. Prepare for order returns

improve your customer experience (really

) As an e-retailer, you’ve probably already thought about how to improve the user experience on your website. Optimised and attractive product pages, a smooth shopping experience, social proofing: these are undoubtedly some of your main concerns. But what if, for Black Friday 2020, you thought about your customer experience in a global way, by reworking your entire customer journey? Think in particular of..

• Make the e-commerce ordering process easier for your users. For example, you can simplify your order pages to display key elements (product summary, prices, promotions, delivery times, etc.). Also, make sure you offer your customers several payment methods (PayPal, bank card, gift voucher, etc.).
• Work on the delivery of your products. Offering several delivery methods to your users can significantly boost your conversion rates: think not only about home delivery, but also about direct delivery to the mailbox (thanks to dedicated postal packaging) or even the deposit. In the age of Covid-19, these contactless delivery methods will reassure your users. Also make sure to provide a reliable parcel tracking method, which allows your customers to project themselves into their delivery.
• Unboxing is the key moment when your customers open their parcels to discover their goods. To take care of this phase, make it easy to open your parcels (with tear strips for example), use pleasant cushioning materials (such as tissue paper, rather than loose particles), or add little surprises to your packages.

Communicate about your promotions

in advance It’s no secret that during promotional periods such as Black Friday, e-commerce must make an effort to communicate about its offers in a particularly relevant way. Year after year, consumers are accustomed to turning to their favourite sites to order during Black Friday… but don’t be afraid to launch a real marketing plan around the promotions you are preparing. In order to do this, you can think about..

• Sending a newsletter to your existing customers or email subscribers.
• Invest in targetedonline advertising on platforms such as Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads, and Google Ads.
• Communicate with your community on social networks.
• Launch a competition to win an extra discount or a specific product..

whatever the webmarketing levers you put in place, remember to highlight in your communication the major element that attracts your e-commerce targets during Black Friday: attractive prices and promotions on your products.

Keep the protection of your goods in mind

As you know, the primary function of packaging is to protect goods during shipment (protection against breakage, but also against theft). While it is tempting to customise your e-commerce packaging for Black Friday or other specific events, you should always keep this primary function in mind. Therefore, think about detailing the product(s) you want to package in your orders to your custom packaging supplier. Your technical and creative brief will be key. Take the time to

explain

anytechnical constraints that may be encountered by your custom packaging: Are yourproducts

particular to

your products?

• As their name indicates,the integrated boxes allow you to save time on the setting up phase. They exist in different references, to adapt to your key products of this end of year.
• Instant and quick assembly boxesare real treasures for quick and efficient packing – no need for adhesive to assemble them!
• Pockets, cases or cartonswith adhesive tape allow you to close and secure your parcels in no time, without the need for additional adhesive.
• Kraft paper tapeis both eco-responsible and easy to use: no more scissors to cut your tape, it can be torn by hand, while maintaining the same protective strength for your parcels.
• Packaging machines and systems save you a significant amount of time compared to traditional packaging, especially during busy periods. While air cushion packaging machines automatically inflate your packaging, kraft paper packaging machines crumple the paper as it should be, leaving you to simply integrate it into your packages. At RAJA, these machines are available for hire: why not try them out to boost your e-commerce during Black Friday?

and you, how are you going to make packaging your “time-saving” ally?

Prepare for order returns

Yes, you know it well: more e-commerce orders mean more returns to manage as well. When it comes to order returns, the challenges for e-commerce logistics centres are twofold: on the one hand, to ensure that the return is easy for customers; on the other hand, to have the goods returned in good condition, to avoid unnecessary loss of stock. So, to prepare for the inevitable influx of order returns at the end of the year, be sure to

• Review your returns policy if necessary. For example, you can increase the return time during the period to avoid bottlenecks in your supply chain. Consider offering free returns during the period: these will help boost your sales and may convince some customers to order.
• Display your return conditions clearly on the site: they must be clear to all your users: think about positioning them throughout the ordering process on your e-commerce site (on a banner on the home page, on your product pages, on the order page, and even in the order confirmation emails).
• Provide return packaging, which makes it easier for customers to return goods securely, as it is designed to withstand several consecutive deliveries. Cases, crates, boxes, pouches: return packaging comes in a variety of formats, so it’s up to you to find the right one for your products!

with these 6 key tips, your e-commerce business is ready for Black Friday. Get your stocks ready, pack up