Black Friday & Cyber Monday: Maximise Sales with These Quick Wins

Black Friday marks the start of the eagerly awaited Christmas shopping season, and over the next week, shoppers will be on the lookout for the best deals and discounts they can find.

This significant surge in ready and willing online shoppers makes Black Friday and Cyber Monday two of the most critical dates in the Ecommerce calendar. This once-a-year shopping event is your opportunity to attract new customers, re-engage previous consumers, and boost online sales.

Here are five easy-to-implement quick wins you can do today to help make this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales your best yet.

Set Up Abandoned Cart Emails 

An essential for any Ecommerce business, abandoned cart emails are a type of automated email campaign sent to individuals who have added products to their online shopping cart but did not complete the purchase. The primary goal of these emails is to encourage visitors to return to the website and finalise their transaction. 

To maximise sales this Black Friday, set up automated emails to remind customers of items left in their shopping carts. To be effective, your email should include details about the items left in the cart, a clear call-to-action (CTA) and an incentive to encourage the customer to return to the website and complete the purchase.

Use Retargeting Ads

Also known as remarketing ads, retargeting ads are a type of online advertising strategy that targets users who have previously visited a website or interacted with a brand in some way. 

The primary goal of retargeting is to re-engage users and encourage them to return to the website or take a specific action, such as making a purchase.

Here's a quick overview of how retargeting ads work:

1. A user visits a website but may leave without purchasing or completing a desired action.
2. The website places a small piece of code on the user's device during their visit, which allows the website to recognise the user when they visit other sites or platforms.
3. As the user continues to browse the internet, they are shown targeted ads related to the products or services they viewed on the original website while browsing other websites or social media.

By using retargeting ads to pitch to users who have already shown interest in your products, you can encourage them to return to your site and make a purchase.

Start An Email Campaign

Email marketing is a highly efficient and cost-effective tool for Ecommerce businesses. Email marketing facilitates direct customer communication and allows you to tailor your messages based on behaviour, preferences, and purchase history to create a sense of exclusivity and deliver more relevant and compelling content.

Build anticipation by sending out teaser emails in the days running up to Black Friday and follow up with emails highlighting your not-to-be-missed promotions to create a sense of exclusivity for your subscribers.

Remember, an effective email marketing campaign must:

• Have a compelling subject line.
• Be responsive on mobile.
• Have clear CTA's.
• Include exciting, easy-to-read content.
• Contains professional and engaging imagery.
• Be timed correctly and personalised.

Add Pop-Ups To Your Website

Website pop-ups are a great way to increase online sales by engaging visitors, capturing their attention, and encouraging them to take specific actions. Here are a few ways you can use pop-ups to book online sales this Black Friday:

• Email Sign Up: Ask for visitors' email addresses for a discount. Once you have their email addresses, you can send targeted promotional marketing emails.
• Promotions: Offer limited-time, exclusive promotions to incentivise visitors to make a purchase.
• Cart Abandonment: Pop-ups can be triggered when users abandon their shopping cart, reminding them of the items left behind. Offering discounts or incentives in these pop-ups can entice users to remain on your site.
• Exit-Intent Pop-ups: Exit-intent pop-ups are triggered when visitors are about to leave the site. These pop-ups can present last-minute discounts or offers, giving users a reason to reconsider and complete their purchase.

Optimise The Checkout Process 

The checkout process directly influences the overall user experience, conversion rates, and, ultimately, the success of your Black Friday sales. If your checkout process is complicated, time-consuming, or confusing, potential customers may abandon their carts, leading to lost sales opportunities.

You must transform your checkout process into a seamless customer shopping experience to make the most of Black Friday. Here's how to do it:

• Create a Clear and Intuitive Design: Use a clean design with a logical flow, ensuring users can easily understand and navigate the process.
• Make It Simple: Streamline the checkout process by reducing the steps required to complete a purchase. Each additional step introduces the potential for drop-off, so aim for simplicity.
• Security Assurance: Display security features such as SSL certificates and secure payment icons to reassure users that their personal and financial information is safe.
• Offer a Guest Checkout Option: Provide an option for guest checkout to allow users to complete their purchase without creating an account. This makes it easier for first-time customers who may not want to go through the account creation process.
• Make it Mobile Friendly: Ensure the checkout process is fully optimised for mobile devices. Many users shop on smartphones and tablets, and a mobile-friendly checkout experience is crucial for conversion rates.
• Turn On Auto-Fill: Allow users to automatically populate fields with information when possible to reduce the number of steps.
• Offer Multiple Payment Options: Offer various payment options such as PayPal, Apple Pay and credit/debit cards to accommodate different customer preferences.
• Provide a Save For Later Feature: Offer a 'save for later' feature that allows users to return to their shopping cart later without losing their selected items.

Black Friday is a highly competitive time of year, and you must use this opportunity to stand out from your competitors. By offering compelling discounts and exclusive deals combined with some strategic planning and seamless execution, you can successfully attract more customers, re-engage previous buyers, and maximise sales.

Good luck!