9 e-commerce tips for Black Friday
6min read
01/10/2020
Halloween has only just ended and we already have to look forward to the next shopping event: Black Friday! This event was totally unknown to us just a few years ago, but… Now it is one of the most profitable days in the e-commerce sector, so prepare your e-commerce for this lucrative period with the following 9 tips.
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Nine e-commerce tips for a successful Black Friday
► 1. Offer real promotions
For several years now, Black Friday has also been ‘celebrated’ in Europe, so European consumers are increasingly aware of what can happen on this day and their expectations are obviously high. A few weeks before the start of Black Friday, consumers are already starting to look at your website in detail to find out if the future promotions brought are real. In the past, some websites have followed a rather dubious business strategy… Just before the start of the sales, retailers raised their prices. Consumers thought they were getting a bargain, but in reality, the price hardly changed at all.
So, it’s best to avoid your reputation being damaged and to have real promotions. What strategy can you follow? For example, you can allocate a one-off special offer to a very limited number of products, so that your visitors will also find out
about the other
► 2. Control the mobile version of your website thoroughly
Did you know that up to 60% of Black Friday purchases are made using a smartphone or tablet?1 In addition, during the end-of-year period, the number of (mobile) searches on Google reaches a real peak. It is therefore crucial that your e-commerce site is mobile friendly. Make sure that all your means of communication (Facebook messages, newsletters, etc.) are adapted to the small screen of a smartphone.
► 3. Develop a Black Friday strategy in 3 phases
Consumers are researching the market earlier and earlier each year in preparation for Black Friday, so a Black Friday campaign should be spread over several weeks
- November 1-16: draw attention around your offers. As soon as you know what promotions you’re going to run, start sharing them bit by bit with your consumers. You can lift a corner of the veil on your future mega deals a week before.
- 17 November to 2 December: during this period, your campaign should be running at full speed, and you can even link this campaign to Cyber Monday (= the Monday following the Black Friday weekend).
- December 3 to 18: thanks to Black Friday, you probably got a lot of new customers. Stay involved and make sure you integrate the Christmas sales into your future communication, so you will be ready for the most commercial period of the year.
► 4. Adapt your campaign to all channels
When preparing your e-commerce site for Black Friday, don’t forget to take other channels into account. Take for example social networking platforms, signage, emails and newsletters, etc. Always ensure that you use a personalised message that clearly and directly states why the consumer should buy from you.► 5. Keep your customers happy at all times
Black Friday is undoubtedly a frantic day! The sales madness already starts on Thursday night at midnight, so plan enough employees to last the 24 hours. It is not only enough here to boost your promotions, but also and above all to keep your customers happy. Make sure you can respond to their questions and complaints as soon as possible. With impeccable customer service, Black Friday is the perfect time to turn your new web visitors into loyal customers.
► 6. Make it easy to return
One of the biggest phobias of online shoppers is a complicated return policy. Make it easy for your customers and choose a returnable packaging
, for
example. Did you know that up to 96% of online shoppers will buy again if a return goes well2?
► 7. Adapt your shipping conditions
Most online shops do everything in their power to deliver ordered products within 1 working day.However, on a busy day like Black Friday, this promise isn’t so easy to keep.Research shows that only 25% of online shoppers are willing to pay more for fast delivery.The rest of your customers won’t mind their parcel staying on the road a little longer – as long as you communicate this clearly, of course.Plus, it’
s
better for the environment: orders that need to go in the same direction can be grouped together more efficiently, limiting travel.3
► 8. Make a logistic analysis of your warehouse
Activity in your warehouse probably peaks during the end-of-year period.Hire enough employees and integrate the right machines and packaging systems in time.Also think about the stocks in your warehouse.Based on sales figures from previous years, you can estimate the number of items you need to have in stock.Nevertheless, a small stock can also work as a persuasive agent: a consumer can’t wait if he wants to benefit from your exceptional deal!
► 9. Have the right e-commerce packaging
[This last point should not be forgotten. You can choose for your e-commerce packaging between
- Customised crates: print your crates with your logo for more visibility and popularity ;
- Crates with two-way closure: make life easier for yourself and your customers with a crate that can be safely returned ;
- Variable height crates: adapt your crates to the dimensions of each of your products;
- Automatic bottom crates: your crates are folded in the blink of an eye;
- Isothermal crates: send your food safely;
- Packaging for bottles;
- Boxes and cases for books;
- And more.
What is Black Friday?
Depuis les années 1960, le Black Friday lance le début officiel des soldes de Noël aux États-Unis. C’est le vendredi qui suit la fête populair eaméricaine Thanksgiving, fêtée le 4è jeudi du mois de novembre. Traditionnellement, beaucoup d’Américains font le pont le jour après Thanksgiving. C’est le moment rêvé pour les commerçants, avec tant de gens en congé en période de fin d’année, de séduire les acheteurs avec des promotions exceptionnelles.
Littéralement, “Black Friday” signifie vendredi noir. Mais pourquoi parle-t-on de la couleur noire ? Une explication courante concerne le chiffre d’affaires des commerçants. Le Black Friday a tellement de succès que c’est le premier jour de l’année lors duquel les commerçants ne sont plus dans le rouge et commencent à réaliser des bénéfices. Leur chiffre d’affaires rouge se transforment alors en chiffre noir ou positif. En 2016, le Black Friday était le 3ième jour le plus rentable pour le secteur du e-commerc
- On average, shoppers get 28% off on Black Friday.4
- On Friday 29 November 2019, Wordline recorded a record number of 10,432,103 e-transactions (both in physical and online shops), which is 25% more than on a normal Friday (22/11).5
- The peak of shopping activity takes place on Fridays between 5 and 7 pm.6
