Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which is right for you?

Black Friday is known to be the best day for generating revenue for ecommerce businesses. 

And 2024 is going to be no different. 

With making $9.8 billion dollars in sales reported in 2023, the revenue potential sounds even sweeter as the shopping period extends into Cyber Monday.

Black Friday deals are a great way to boost sales and attract new customers. With more people shopping online, it’s the perfect time to grow your business.

So, if you haven’t started already, gear up now! 

Meaning Of Black Friday And Cyber Monday 

Black Friday is a big shopping event that happens every year on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, which is the day following Thanksgiving. Traditionally marking the beginning of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday is famous for its huge discounts and special promotions offered by both online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

With sales beginning earlier in the week and lasting through the weekend, Black Friday has changed from a one-day event to a longer shopping spree in previous years. 

This leads up to "Cyber Monday," a day dedicated to online shopping deals. Cyber Monday, started in 2005, aims to increase online sales. Held after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, it has become one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

Highlights of Black Friday Sales 2023

10 Ecommerce Tips For Black Friday Sales 2024 

As one of the leading Shopify experts in the USA, we are here to help you grow your ecommerce business through effective marketing tactics. Let us go through each of these tips one by one.

#1 Plan for an extended period of sales

Black Friday is no longer a one day show. Promotions now often begin weeks in advance and continue beyond Cyber Monday. It is essential to plan for this prolonged sales cycle if you want to stay ahead. 

Establish specific goals first, such as average order value targets, revenue targets, and client acquisition milestones. To create anticipation, lay out a thorough promotional schedule that includes teaser campaigns and early access offers.

Don’t forget your supply chain—ensure that your stock levels are well-managed throughout the period. To avoid stock shortages, it could be advantageous to plan ahead for busy shopping days and keep regular contact with suppliers. The last thing you want is to run out of your most popular items during the height of the sale.

#2 Make sure that you can meet high demand

If you are unable to meet demand, your promotions will be pointless. Make sure your logistics are up to speed before starting any sales initiatives. This includes having a good fulfilment and shipping plan in place as well as having adequate stock on hand.

Spend some time reviewing your return, customer service, and supply chain procedures. 

Will a surge in orders be manageable for you? 

If not, you run the risk of losing clients to rival businesses. Use "Back in Stock" notifications to alert customers when sold-out items are available again. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also grows your contact list.

Also read: How AI is helping to improve customer experience.

#3 Optimize your website performance

During Black Friday 2024, your website may experience a surge of traffic. Potential clients will avoid a website that loads slowly or crashes. So, speed optimization should be a top priority. In addition, you can also minimize load times by compressing images, reducing JavaScript, and leveraging adaptive image sizes . This ensures quick performance on both mobile and desktop. You can further reduce load times by transcoding images to next-generation formats like WebP.

With an effortless browsing experience, you'll keep customers interested and increase their likelihood of making purchases. This will lead to fewer cart abandonments and a greater conversion rate.

#4 Prepare catchy landing pages and visuals

With your marketing strategy ready, focus on creating visually striking content for Black Friday. Use banners, GIFs, and high-quality photos to quickly show the value of your offer and grab attention in this competitive season.

One very successful tactic is to make a landing page specifically for Black Friday. By combining all of your offers in one location, you give customers a convenient way to explore your offerings. 

By focussing on Black Friday-specific keywords, this landing page can also help with SEO.

You can use paid advertisements, social media, and email to increase traffic to this particular landing page. By tracking the performance of your landing page, you'll also gain insights into what worked and what didn’t, which will be valuable for future campaigns.

#5 Use product bundling strategy for higher revenue

Bundling lower-margin items with higher-margin products is a smart way to improve your store's average order value. By offering related products together, customers are more likely to buy multiple items. 

For example, if someone is buying a camera, they might also want a memory card or camera bag. Or, if they're purchasing workout gear, they could be interested in adding a water bottle or resistance bands. These thoughtful bundles encourage more sales while providing value to your customers.

#6 Offer flexible payment options including Buy now, Pay later

Your customers will find it easier to shop if you provide flexible payment choices such as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). This trend has become more popular, especially during Black Friday. Consumers prefer to make large purchases without paying the full amount upfront. Options such as Klarna, Afterpay, and Shop Pay Instalments can lower cart abandonment while assisting clients in making larger purchases.

BNPL options make expensive products more affordable. They can also encourage customers to make larger purchases, increasing total sales at your store.

#7 Integrate a wishlist feature to encourage pre-sale engagement

Allow customers to save items they want to buy for the Black Friday sale by adding a wishlist feature before the event. This allows customers to share their wishlist on social media with friends and family and can also be a terrific way to create anticipation.

Additionally, wishlists provide you with useful information about the products that are most likely to be popular during the sale. This information can be used to target promotions, encourage particular products, and adjust inventory.

#8 Do email campaigns to build anticipation

One of the best strategies to increase store traffic on Black Friday is through email marketing. Send teaser emails to your audience well before the sale to build anticipation. Give your subscribers early access, highlighting approaching sales, and providing previews of exclusive promos.

Segment your email list to send personalized messages based on past purchases and customer preferences. Emails should also be mobile-friendly because a lot of customers will be using their phones to browse. Last but not least, remember to include an intriguing call-to-action that redirects visitors to your landing page or store.

#9 Set up abandoned cart emails

It is not uncommon for cart abandonment to occur even on Black Friday. To counter this, put up automatic emails to remind customers to finish their purchases. You can also include incentives such as a minor discount or free delivery with these emails to encourage customers to go back to their cart and complete their order.

Now is the perfect moment to put a cart abandonment strategy into action if you don't already have one. Regardless of whether you use third-party apps or Shopify's built-in tools, following up with consumers can help you recover an important percentage of possible lost sales.

#10 Use urgency to drive conversions

During Black Friday sales, creating a sense of urgency is crucial. To encourage customers to make judgments about purchases more quickly, use stock indicators, countdown timers, or limited-time incentives. Give them the impression that the offer won't last long, as this pushes them to act fast.

Final Thoughts 

With these 10 tips, your ecommerce store will be well-prepared to handle the excitement and challenges of Black Friday 2024. Planning ahead, optimizing your store for performance, and implementing strong marketing strategies will help you make the most of the shopping season.

Author

Chandni Bhavsar

Chandni, a skilled project manager, brings the perfect blend of creativity and technical know-how to Shopify stores. Her approach to ecommerce stores is all about making the user experience feel like a breeze. Passionate about staying ahead of the curve, she not only manages projects smoothly but also loves educating others on the latest Shopify trends, helping them keep their stores vibrant and competitive.