The shopping holiday season is right around the corner, and so is Cyber 5.
This event is a massive deal in commerce, as Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales alone make about $38 billion.
This event has a global impact on all sectors of commerce.
Businesses earn huge profits and build brand awareness in these 5 days.
However, others face problems due to poor planning and preparation.
This blog lists 3 checklists for e-commerce businesses, physical retailers, and online shoppers to help with Black Friday preparations.
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Why planning is crucial for Black Friday?
Businesses make millions in holiday sales annually, generating around $70.9 billion.
Major retailers promote their brands using paid ads and set up massive deals on popular items to increase their sales and gain a consumer following.
All kinds of deals and discounts are available in this period.
Some brands even have campaigns that reward customers with points or vouchers, encouraging them to visit again.
Thus, retailers need time to prepare since it is such a big weekend. There will be a rush of orders, which can be overwhelming for everyone involved.
Businesses start preparations well in advance. It is essential to have all the cogs in place and give customers an elevated experience.
This also ultimately helps in boosting sales.
What tools are necessary for Black Friday planning?
Black Friday is the best time to earn maximum profits.
However, it is mainly spent on ensuring the store runs smoothly and products are marketed effectively.
Here are some tools that will help you ease this burden and concentrate on focusing on profiting from the holiday season:
Social Proof Tools
Here are some social proof tools that might help you gain more customers:
1. Wisernotify
Wisernotify is a social proof tool and a FOMO marketing software that helps you promote your products using pop-ups that list user reviews or create FOMO.
They inform consumers of sales activities on popular products and create urgency with messages such as ‘Only 6 left in stock! buy now!’
They also make checkout more manageable and streamlined, prompting the consumer to buy a product.
2. Wiserreview
Wiserreviews helps you systematically display user reviews.
They produce a quick and automated way to help collect reviews and display them on a single page.
They even remind customers to leave photo and video reviews of products, which sometimes carry incentives such as coupon codes.
These ultimately increase customer interaction across the platform.
Planning Tools
Here are some tools that can help you plan for the big sale day:
3. Miro
Miro is essential for setting key dates, deadlines, and promotional periods. The color-coding feature can help visualize different tasks or campaigns.
This tool is free and has an interactive whiteboard layout that helps the entire team brainstorm and visualize.
Spreadsheet Software
Spreadsheet software helps you view data in a compressed and easier-to-digest manner. Some of them are:
4. Google Sheet
Google Sheets is an excellent free tool for budgeting, tracking inventory levels, comparing prices across suppliers, and calculating potential profit margins.
These help you collect all your data in a compressed, well-organized manner, which helps you understand your position.
In the updated version, you can use AI tools such as Gemini to help you collect and present data effectively.
Social Media Management Tool
Social media is an essential aspect of promoting Black Friday events. Some management tools are:
5. Social Pilot
Social Pilot is a free social media management tool that helps you plan and schedule Black Friday social media posts across different platforms. You can plan and schedule posts well into the future.
They also provide analysis, AI assistance, and collaboration tools on their platform.
Inventory Management System
Managing the inventory so the company does not stock out on Black Friday is very important. Some inventory tools are:
6. Zoho Inventory
Zoho Inventory is a tool for tracking stock levels in real time, ensuring you don’t run out of popular products during the rush.
They provide easy sales tracking, manage multiple warehouses from a single place, monitor purchases, and more on one platform.
6. Price Comparison Tools
Price comparison tools help you track sales and the price other retailers sell the same product for. A good tool for this is :
7. Price2Spy
Price2Spy is free software that lets you quickly compare prices across different retailers, ensuring you offer competitive deals.
They help you compare prices, discover trends, and automate the data collected to understand the current market better.
Black Friday Checklist For Ecommerce
An ecommerce website needs to be ready for all kinds of scenarios during the holiday season.
Here is a Black Friday checklist that might help boost sales:
Website & Technical Preparations
Online sales need strong technical support to carry out the planned marketing strategies. Some tech aspects are:
1. Stress Test Your Website
Black Friday sales can draw in a lot of website traffic. It is always a good idea to stress test your website in advance.
This helps you recognize any weak links and work on them beforehand to provide an excellent online shopping experience to all visitors.
2. Optimize Website Speed
A fast-loading website can keep customers engaged for a long time.
It is important that consumers can access the website quickly to increase sales, provide a good consumer experience, and increase the e-commerce conversion rate.
A slow website will only encourage the customers to abandon it.
3. Mobile-Friendly Design
Most shoppers today prefer online shopping as it is convenient and easily accessible.
Ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly is essential for an ecommerce store.
A website that loads on a computer and mobile device can increase the overall customer experience and help maximize sales.
4. Clear Navigation & Search
Streamlining the search and navigation on your website makes it easier for consumers to find what they want in less time.
Multiple filter options can also help them find what they are looking for in greater detail and help save time.
This can create new customers for your website as they have a positive shopping experience.
5. Product Pages Optimized
To be impactful, an online business needs to have high-quality product pages with detailed descriptions, real-time product photos, and some customer reviews.
The greater the detail on the page, the more trusted the product is.
Black Friday’s marketing strategy may also include an e-commerce store providing add-ons or bundles on certain products to increase Black Friday sales.
6. Social Proof & FOMO
Marketing strategies such as social proof (reviews and reactions) and FOMO (fear of missing out) can create a sense of urgency around a product.
When people feel they are missing out on something interesting, they always want to buy that product. This can drive up average order value.
Using tools such as Google Analytics can help you identify your target market.
7. Secure Payment Gateway
During Black Friday, there are many attempts at cybercrime.
One such attempt is a data breach. Therefore, having a secure payment gateway that isn’t compromised is very important in protecting the consumer’s data.
Marketing & Promotions
Here are some marketing and promotion tips that may help you in creating an effective Black Friday strategy:
10. Black Friday Landing Page
Create a dedicated page to showcase your deals and promotions.
Listing Black Friday discounts on a page can help customers easily find the deals they are looking for, which adds to a positive consumer experience.
Also, check: 13 Proven Black Friday Popups to Boost Sales
11. Email Marketing Campaign
Creating email marketing campaigns can be a great way to get customers to visit your website. You can use their purchase history to offer personalized deep discounts.
This may increase the number of loyal customers and bring in new potential consumers.
12. Social Media Promotion
Social media promotions are a big part of Black Friday campaigns. These help companies reach a huge consumer base and capitalize on them.
Even small business owners can build brand awareness through these platforms. Eye-catching graphics, customer reviews, and engaging captions can help increase sales immensely.
13. Create a Sense of Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency can benefit sales, especially during Black Friday sales.
Pop-ups such as ‘limited time deal’ or ‘few left in stock! Buy now!’ can help CTAs urge the customer to act.
Related read: How to Create Urgency in Sales (11 Effective Strategies)
3. Inventory & Logistics
Here are some ways you can deal with inventory and logistics during Black Friday:
14. Stock Up on Popular Items
Analyze the popularity of your products and stock up on the most popular ones.
This way, you can continuously replace sold-out items and avoid disappointing consumers.
15. Prepare for Increased Shipping Volume
With increased product sales, the need to ship products will also rise.
Assigning trusted delivery services for this is an excellent way to assure accurate and hassle-free delivery.
Businesses can also offer expedited shipping if the sales are stable.
16. Clear Returns & Exchange Policy
State the return and exchange policy clearly and in a way that is easy to understand.
Businesses must also display these terms and conditions so consumers can quickly view them to prevent further complications.
Black Friday Checklist For Retailers
Here is a Black Friday checklist for retailers to go through to avoid all kinds of hiccups during Black Friday:
Store & Staff Preparations
There is a lot to prepare for Black Friday in a physical store. Some tips are:
1. Store Layout & Visual Merchandising
In-store sales on Black Friday are based on what catches the customer’s eye and the discount offered.
Arranging all the products systematically may appeal to the consumers and increase sales.
2. Inventory Management
See to it that your business’s products are stocked in maximum quantities, especially those used in Black Friday marketing. Store an adequate stock so it does not run out.
3. Staffing & Training
Hiring extra staff to manage the rush on the sale day is a brilliant idea as it does not overwhelm the existing staff members and makes paying attention to the consumers easier.
Training all the staff to handle the flow of customers smoothly helps elevate the customer experience, creating a positive attitude towards the store
4. Point-of-Sale Systems
Ensure your POS systems are functioning correctly and can handle high transaction volumes.
There is a rush of customers on Black Friday, which means that the sales counter is always running.
Making sure that the systems can handle all the load is very important.
5. Crowd Management
Crowd management is an essential factor in preventing chaos in the shop.
Set up barricades and dedicated areas where people cannot gather for an extended period so as not to hinder the flow.
Setting up temporary trial rooms aside from the existing ones is also a good idea.
Marketing & Promotions
Marketing campaigns are at the core of Black Friday sales. Here are some ways to maximize promotions:
Also, check 88+ Impressive Black Friday Quotes and Slogans
6. Doorbuster Deals
Create a few limited-quantity, high-demand “doorbuster” deals to generate excitement and attract early crowds. Sometimes, retailers even offer a free gift as a Black Friday promotion.
These deals usually are the primary attractions that help gain consumers.
7. In-Store Signage
Use clear and impactful signage to highlight Black Friday deals and guide customers through the store.
Ensure they are not covered and stand out in the crowd to gain maximum attention and help sales.
Customer Experience & Service
Many retailers overlook the customer service factor during Black Friday. Some tips to maintain a good customer experience are:
8. Clear Return & Exchange Policies
State clear and easy-to-understand return and exchange policies during the check-out procedure. This will ensure that consumers know the terms and conditions before purchasing.
You can even print these on the bill to provide written proof.
9. Gift Wrapping & Packaging
Offering festive gift wrapping and packaging for the products can help increase the consumer experience; it shows that you are trying to join in their celebration, creating an emotional aspect of the sale.
Sometimes, stores also offer free packaging on products above a specific price range to entice consumers to buy them.
10. Queue Management
Implementing strategies that help minimize queue wait time and offer faster checkouts also contributes to a positive experience and consumer service.
Setting up temporary self-checkout kiosks also helps.
Logistics & Operations
Logistics is essential not only in ecommerce but also in retail stores. Some ways for smoothening the process are:
11. Supply Chain Management
Keeping close track of suppliers and actively communicating with them will help a lot in providing a smooth supply chain, as it will help you identify shortcomings.
This way, you can work on them quickly.
12. Contingency Plans
Have backup plans for unexpected situations, such as power outages or technical issues.
It even keeps other items ready to be displayed if you run out of popular items, as you never know what a consumer may like.
Black Friday Planning for Online Shoppers
Shopping online during the holiday season can be fun and stressful.
Here are some tips to prepare for Black Friday so that you are not overwhelmed:
Pre-Black Friday Preparations
Black Friday sales start the minute the clock hits 12 a.m. As a shopper, it is important that you have your lists ready.
Here are some ways you can get ready for the sales in the weeks leading to the day:
1. Set a Budget
Determine how much you’re comfortable spending and stick to it to avoid overspending.
Customers often end up overspending due to enticing deals and companies’ marketing efforts.
2. Make a Wish List
All e-commerce platforms provide the function of a Wishlist on their platforms.
Create a list using this tool. This will help you view all the products you need to buy on the day and all the Black Friday deals available on them.
3. Sign Up for Email Lists & Loyalty Programs
Get early access to sales and exclusive discounts by subscribing to newsletters and joining loyalty programs.
These may also give you extra discounts or loyalty points that will help you while making a purchase on the sale day or in the future.
4. Download Retailer Apps
Many stores offer app-exclusive deals and discounts. Downloading these apps and signing up can also help you find better deals.
5. Create Accounts on Retailer Websites
Save time during checkout by creating accounts and filling in the necessary details in advance.
Sometimes, the deals are time-limited, or the stock is limited; these procedures, done in advance, will help save you time.
Black Friday Shopping Day
Here are things you can do to enjoy and utilize Black Friday deals to the maximum:
6. Start Early
Many of the best deals sell out quickly, so starting early, even as soon as the sale starts, might help you get better deals.
It is also important that you complete buying the Wishlist first before looking for other interesting products, as this will help you see whether you have reached our spending limit.
7. Compare Prices in Real-Time
Use price comparison tools or browser extensions to find the best deals on the same product, as the prices vary immensely.
Scrolling through multiple websites before the sale day is also helpful in determining which site provides the best deals.
8. Check for Coupon Codes & Discounts
Look for additional savings by using coupon codes or taking advantage of discounts.
You can also sometimes earn these by leaving reviews or signing up for loyalty programs. These deals help you save a lot of money.
9. Read Reviews
Before purchasing, read product reviews to ensure you’re buying a quality item. Look for authentic reviews, as many websites use bot-generated content to promote their products.
See the product review on multiple sites and then make the final decision.
10. Pay Attention to Shipping Costs & Return Policies
Check the shipping costs. Sometimes, the companies charge extra high prices during the sale season.
Also, read and understand the return and exchange policy in detail.
11. Beware of Scams
Be wary of phishing emails, fake websites, and other prevalent scams this season.
Also, make payments through secure gateways to ensure your data is well-protected and not compromised.
4 Common Pitfalls to Avoid While Planning
Many businesses make mistakes during the holiday shopping season that hurt overall sales.
Here are some common mistakes to avoid while planning Black Friday strategies:
1. Poorly Planned Marketing
A poorly planned marketing strategy, where businesses wait until the last moment to announce deals or let only popular products do the heavy lifting, can be very harmful and lead to lost sales.
Thus, a company must engage in multiple channels, such as social media campaigns, send teaser emails, or offer exclusive previews to loyal customers in its strategy.
Also check: 9 Black Friday Subject Line Examples (+ GPT Prompts)
2. Lack of Post-Black Friday Follow-up
Not engaging with consumers after Black Friday sales is a very poor practice. An e-commerce business needs to develop its relationship with customers beyond the Black Friday period to build a strong customer base.
Marketing efforts such as surveys, customer reviews, and reminders about discounts on products in a customer’s Wishlist can help improve a business’s rapport with its customer base.
3. Overlooking Customer Service and Communication
The key ingredient that encourages Black Friday shoppers to make multiple purchases is the personalized customer service that a business can provide.
Their ability to understand and provide what a consumer wants influences consumer opinion and may help increase customer loyalty. Failing to do so can significantly impact sales and customer experience.
Also, check: 9 Critical Black Friday Mistakes to Avoid at All Cost.
Wrap up
Black Friday is a major commercial event worldwide. Almost all business owners, whether online or physically, prepare well in advance for the increased demand on the cyber weekend.
The above-given tools and checklist are curated after a lot of market research to help you make the best of the weekend, regardless of whether you are an e-commerce store, a retail store, or an online shopper.
Following the above-given steps will help you navigate the sales season smoothly and efficiently while also ensuring you get the most out of a sale.
