9 ways to help you get ready for Black Friday

No, it’s not a song by Bing Crosby 😀 but we are indeed beginning to feel the positive vibes that come along with this time of the year.

What is even more thrilling is the Black Friday energy that knocks on each and every door, from merchants to clients and Twispay to payments.

We want you to be prepared no matter what obstacles you will encounter on your way to success on the big day – Black Friday 2019.

Friday Who? 🤔

Let’s take a trip to where it all began. According to The Telegraph, Black Friday „was actually first associated with financial crisis, not sales shopping.

Two Wall Street financiers Jim Fisk and Jay Gould, together bought a significant amount of US gold in the hope of the overall price soaring and in turn being able to sell it for huge profits.

On Friday, September 24 1869, in what became referred to as "Black Friday", the US gold market crashed and Fisk and Gould's actions left Wall Street barons bankrupt. 

It was not until later years that the post-Thanksgiving period became associated with the name.”

Nowadays, Black Friday is the long-awaited event of fall, that glues our faces to the computers, smartphones, and even the store doors, only to feed the shopping hunger.

It also keeps shopping addicts spend more without considering the consequences, but at the same time, it is an excellent opportunity for anyone who tries to save some money.

You can consider Black Friday as an unofficial start of the holiday shopping fever for the ones who get ready for Christmas gifts.

No matter what people are interested in, online shopping is growing and is certainly not showing any signs of decline.

E-commerce continues to blend in with our purchasing behaviour, and it has a significant impact on traditional shopping.

According to Statista, approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide made their purchases online in 2018.

As e-commerce is growing year after year, so does Black Friday purchasing, along with it.

In the following lines, we will give you some interesting tips you can consider when starting to get prepared for Black Friday.

Knowing what to expect can help you reach more shoppers while increasing your holiday sales.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Make sure your online business has enough feedback and reviews

Many business owners fear the thought of online reviews, believing that a negative one can ruin their company.

Still, the benefits of clients’ feedback shouldn’t be ignored because they can be substantially larger than the risks.

In the long run, this strategy increases your customer’s confidence in their shopping decision, helping you to sell more.

So don’t ignore the power of online reviews to avoid missing out a significant number of potential customers.

2. Plan your strategy long before the holiday rush

Maybe you think that you have plenty of time before Black Friday sets in, but consider that this strategy will save you a lot of stress later.

Organize your campaigns, plan your marketing budget and keep the designer happy, because you want to attract customers’ attention with beautifully designed and super creative ads, convincing everyone to learn more about your great deals.

Don’t forget that sending personalized messages to the right people at the right time will increase conversions and sales.

Keep your subscribers informed with the savings your brand offers and encourage them to purchase while the offer is still available.

Remember to build anticipation for your sales long before Black Friday.

3. Keep your website functional

It’s critical that you have a technical and business plan well documented, so improving your business earlier will save you time and prevent chaotic planning if problems arise.

For example, you should prepare your website for a large number of visitors and shoppers who are impatient to buy.

This is a big chance for you to provide a seamless online experience so they can discover in no time what they want to purchase and avoid the incomplete orders and shopping cart abandonment.

You must be prepared to handle excessive request load that your website is likely to experience.

Avoid the disastrous moment when your website crashes and goes down completely, due to high-load days, such as Black Friday. 

Get your server ready to handle the large traffic that Black Friday implies, because you must know how to recover from disaster and protect your brand’s reputation.

Optimize your website and mobile applications performance and test the end-user performance while you still have time.

4. Make sure your website’s security level is high

Never allow any security holes in your system, because this will be an open door for cyber-attacks, will compromise your customer’s sensitive data and damage your business.

Run the latest versions of software to avoid any vulnerability and ensure that you are complying with security requirements.

The best advice is to detect attacks as they happen and always be prepared for the worst.

Your payment gateway must also ensure a high level of security and shouldn’t have timeouts or error messages.

5. Keep your website clean

Bear in mind not to implement too many usability options on your Black Friday landing pages, as you might make your users feel overwhelmed and confused.

We’re talking about hectic website design that can make visitors get the feeling that they don’t understand what they should choose.

For example, you might have the offer on the left, multiple buttons on the right, with several calls to actions running to the bottom of the page, ending with product discounts.

Truth is, users will leave your website.

6. Give Facebook a chance

Using targeted ads on Facebook is meant to increase brand awareness, especially on Black Friday, when you want customers to find out about your hot deals.

This strategy will get the right message to the target buyer, precisely to the client that you want to attract.

Instead of focusing only on the lower price, try to highlight the benefits that your products offer and how they can improve your customers’ lives.

Connect with the visitors of your Facebook page in a more meaningful and emotional way, by highlighting positive reviews on your brand.

7. Promote your Black Friday offer on Linkedin

Linkedin marketing can be pure gold for B2B companies, making it better for this type of marketers.

Create a landing page on your website for this campaign, where you briefly explain the benefits of your products.

Next step: concentrate your Black Friday message in a banner, with a smart call to action, then share it on Linkedin.

8. Use email marketing to make them click

Email marketing increases Black Friday sales with the help of messages that stand out from the other regular emails that your clients receive.

Keep your message clear and simple, visually emphasize your products’ benefits and use a catchy CTA.

9. Offer live chat support for the visitors of your website

Did you know that this the most effective way to offer customers a friendly shopping experience?

They feel that their needs are met, and you highlight that you are concerned about their problems. By doing this you will strengthen their trust, and you will build an authentic relationship with your clients.

You reassure your customers that behind their screen, there is a person that instantly connects and communicates with them so they will not feel the urgency to leave your website.

Customers appreciate brands that value their time by providing them with essential information and not making them Google about a product or service.

Give them quick and easy to understand answers to increase the credibility of your brand.

Conclusion

Black Friday can be the most important time of the year for your business and it will help you gain exposure and increase sales.

Hopefully, these tips will help you maximize your efforts.

So be sure to apply the guide above to intensify your marketing campaigns and ensure your Black Friday success.