As of a few years ago, people in the UK were only aware of Black Friday as the corporate holiday that inspired pandemonium in shops across the US. Today, all that has changed.
While you’re unlikely to have to fight anyone to get the last TV in any shop on the high street, Black Friday is taking on greater importance for UK retailers – especially for those with an online presence. In 2018, online traffic on Black Friday rose by a massive 48% - with many forecasting similar growth this year. If you’re an ecommerce business, you have to capitalise on this opportunity. But how do you know you’ve done everything you can to prepare for the year’s busiest day for online shopping?
Marketing campaigns
To succeed on Black Friday, you have to be able to drive people to your site. You know your target demographic: make sure your messaging is tailored to pique their interest. A lot of brands are unafraid to spur potential customers into action by seizing on their fear of missing out on deals. Getting that sense of urgency across to potential customers is pivotal to maximising sales. Countdown clocks are a common and prominent part of Black Friday branding. Selecting the right channels to convey this message is an important consideration for retailers. Amazon have enjoyed tremendous success on Black Friday in part due to their email marketing campaigns. It isn’t just the content of their emails that drives their success; it’s the timing too. In the weeks leading up to Black Friday, Amazon regularly remind their customers of the approach of the sale. Whatever channels you use to generate interest in your business, whether that’s email, PPC or social media, we can help you get the most out of them. – Contact us for a free consultation on Black Friday & Cyber Monday Campaigns
Scheduled maintenance
As customers frantically man their laptops, tablets and phones to get the best deals possible in the run-up to Christmas, it is inevitable that your site will have to endure higher than normal levels of traffic. If you’ve neglected to put your site through its paces in the weeks running up to Black Friday, you run the risk of it capitulating under the weight of increased traffic at the most crucial moment. To ward off the emergence of any underlying issues – as well as to resolve any lingering flaws that might be hindering your site’s performance, it is essential to schedule maintenance well in advance of Black Friday. Slow site speed is a massive deterrent: 53% of consumers abandon a page that takes longer than three seconds to load.
User journey
The user journey should be a well-worn path by the time Black Friday rolls around. In the preceding weeks, you should use the wealth of data that is available in Google Analytics to trial different solutions, eventually leading to an easy-to-navigate and refined user journey. By presenting customers with a clear and concise landing page that isn’t bogged down by text and a cluttered and confusing layout, you give them the best chance of making a purchase. A refined landing page will help to reduce bounce rate and maximise sales. Timely marketing campaigns, regular site maintenance and carefully constructed landing pages are just three ways online retailers look to make the most of Black Friday. If you’re looking for other ways to gain an edge on your competitors in the fiercely contested run-up to Christmas, check out how we can help you with digital marketing.
