Santas Helpers: Expert Insights on Peak season- Black Friday Strategies and Beyond
As the holiday season approaches, businesses are gearing up for the busiest shopping period of the year. To help you maximise your Black Friday success, we've gathered insights from industry experts on essential strategies. Here’s what they had to say:
When every retailer is fighting for traffic, one silver bullet is optimising your website performance. Thien-Lan Weber, VP Strategy and Marketing at Hyvä, emphasises the importance of a fast website:
"A fast website ranks better in search engine result pages, experiences a lower bounce rate and converts better. Focus on Google Core Web Vitals and invest some of your eCommerce budget into passing those as they provide long-lasting benefits to your revenues and profit." Not only is this cost-effective, but it also helps you comply with accessibility regulations, expanding your market and boosting conversion rates.
Holiday season purchases often involve buying gifts for others, making social proof crucial. Chloe Thomas highlights:
"That’s why social proof is even more important when your customers are buying gifts than when they’re buying things for themselves. Make sure you’ve proactively put the most useful reviews and testimonials front and centre on the product page and in your marketing." Displaying useful reviews and testimonials prominently can assure customers they’re buying gifts that will delight recipients. Start with the most popular products to build trust and drive conversions.
Online retailers should focus on customer retention and lifetime value this Black Friday. Sam Theakston, Director of B2 Agency, advises:
"Focus less on 'just getting product out the door' and more on how the customers can be immersed in your wider product offering with returning purchases. Think long-term not short-term." By immersing customers in your wider product offering and encouraging repeat purchases, you can turn one-time Black Friday shoppers into loyal brand ambassadors.
With mobile shopping on the rise, optimising the mobile experience is crucial. Alun Lucas, Managing Director of Zuko Analytics, points out a common issue with mobile forms:
"One of the consistent issues we see with the mobile experience on mobile forms is the use of inappropriate HTML types for fields. This leads to incorrect keyboards being shown to the user; for example, the alphabetical keyboard being shown when someone needs to enter their phone number." This simple fix can significantly improve the mobile shopping experience, reducing cart abandonment and increasing conversion rates.
To convert last-minute Black Friday shoppers, focus on timely promotions and urgency-driven messaging. Dan Walton, Head of Growth at Quickfire Digital, suggests:
"Offer special deals in the final hours and highlight these prominently on your website and social media to create urgency. Use countdown timers and alerts like 'Only a few left!' to prompt immediate action. Simplify the checkout process with fewer steps and multiple payment options. Retargeting ads can remind shoppers of items they viewed but didn’t buy, offering extra discounts or reminders of the sale ending soon." These tactics can help you engage last-minute shoppers and boost conversions.
To maximise success during Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), start by gathering opt-ins and customer data as early as possible. Aoife Teague, Accounts and Partnerships Lead at Octane AI, explains:
"E-commerce quizzes are an excellent way to engage customers and collect valuable information about their preferences and shopping habits. These quizzes help customers easily find the products they need by identifying their ideal choices. Octane AI customers, for instance, have seen an average conversion rate of 16% from quizzes." Implementing eCommerce quizzes enhances customer engagement, personalises the shopping experience, and boosts subscriber growth, making them a crucial component of a successful BFCM strategy.
Catherine Rees, Ecommerce Manager at Numatic International, emphasises the importance of early preparation:
"Prep early but don’t be afraid to change your mind. Yes, it can seem crazy to be prepping for Black Friday before the summer has really begun but it really helps. Be ready to hit 'go' at the end of October and give yourself the benefit of choice through peak. Competitors go early? If you wanted to you could go too! Unexpected societal event you could join in with? You can. Sudden supply chain issues, no problem. Black Friday is often very heavy on creative, the earlier you can get the bulk out of the way, the more time for finesse."
Rebecca Hillard, ecommerce customer retention specialist, advises brands with third-party distribution against competing directly with major retailers:
"Instead, what has worked incredibly well in my experience is giving customers a point of difference and a reason to shop your products through your store. Plan something those retailers can’t offer. For example, in the beauty sector, you could sell online exclusives that aren’t available anywhere else, such as exclusive sizes, product bundles, or bespoke products. A fashion brand could have an exclusive colourway or style. Consider added value incentives; customers love to feel they’re receiving something extra special. This way, everybody wins!"
Kunle Campbell, Ecommerce Growth Advisor at 2X eCommerce, underscores the importance of early preparation:
"Preparation for Black Friday should begin in the summer. Ideally, your inventory planning and order scheduling to ensure product availability by early November or late October should commence by June or July, especially if you’re manufacturing overseas. On the marketing front, focus on ramping up the acquisition of fresh customer data through zero and first-party data collection. Remember, Black Friday is largely about retargeting and customer re-engagement. The best time to collect and engage customer data is from August through October."
These expert insights provide actionable strategies to enhance your Black Friday and beyond. From optimising your website and leveraging social proof to creating value-added offers and improving mobile experiences, these tips can help you drive success during the holiday season.
Ready to optimise your operations for the peak season? Speak to your account manager or product specialist today to get started.