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The holiday season is here, and 2022 has proven to be a year of opportunity and change, especially when you are getting ready for the biggest shopping days of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). There are a variety of ways you can do this by focusing on: page speed, ecommerce SEO, social media marketing, and more!

When compared to holiday sales for the same period in 2021, the National Retail Federation predicts that 2022 retail sales for November and December will rise by 6% to 8%. Given that holiday sales in 2021 amounted to $889.3 billion (about $2,700 per person in the US), this is no small effort. 

Preparation is key, so you must begin planning as early as possible to maximize this year's largest shopping event. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are tremendous opportunities for your company to end the year on a high note; however, that may look for you. 

As you gear up for these two big days, it’s perfectly understandable that you may feel a little on edge about things like shifts in consumer behavior, issues with inventory, fluctuations with demand, and the current economic climate. However, you can put up your virtual “open for business” sign without the stress and anxiety when you are prepped for such a big day. 

Whether you are geared and ready to go for this year’s BFCM or you will be ready next year, this preparation checklist will help you in making sure you are ready for whatever these two big days may throw your way. 

1. Speed-Test Your Website: People Cannot Buy What They Cannot See

Poor page load speed will drive away customers on the internet. In fact, a survey revealed that 46% of customers claim they won't ever visit a slow website again. On your website, you want to make sure that does not occur. 

Make sure the checkout procedure is as efficient as possible. Shoppers on Cyber Monday and Black Friday are erratic. They have a short amount of time and thousands of stores to choose from. If your checkout process is not efficient, customers will leave your store. In general, 69% of shoppers leave their shopping carts empty; that is the last thing you need. 

It can be beneficial for you to invest a day in streamlining your checkout procedure before Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You might think about offering other payment choices like PayPal or even Bitcoin.  

You also want to make absolutely sure you have backups of everything, including the website code and product photos. Remember, Black Friday and Cyber Monday only comes once a year, so be sure to get your site tested for speed to ensure it does not come off as spammy. 

2. Ecommerce SEO 101: Make Sure Your Product Descriptions are Written to SELL!

Create sales-driven product descriptions. Inspire feelings while making it simple for search engines to archive. Scarcity is one of the principles of persuasion, and the following expressions can be used to emphasize the sense of urgency to buy: 

• Selling out fast! 
• Limited time only! 
• Only one left! 
  
  

You should also improve the quality of your product descriptions. Since 7 out of 10 customers are undecided about their purchase, your persuasive content can be very effective. Review your sales statistics if you ran promotions last year to discover what worked best and conduct SEO keyword research. You may get inspiration from this information for changes you could make to current items. 

Make a timetable for your product releases that will specify when and how much each product will cost. Instead of making it up as you go, start early, and make minor adjustments. 

3. Plan Ahead to Start Early

Did you know that BFCM shoppers start looking for deals as early as October? Some even start browsing items in September and will keep an eye on those items to see if they go on sale. October is when you want to start enticing shoppers with coupon codes and “limited-time” special offers. So, even if you are not quite ready for this year’s BFCM, this is the perfect opportunity to be observant of consumer behaviors. With that, take a glance at your inventory, and crunch numbers that allow you to create coupon codes that generate a profit but still saves customers money where they truly feel they’re getting a good deal. 

4. Take Advantage of Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing may do wonders for your ecommerce. Remember that the more engagement your Facebook and Instagram adverts receive, the better they perform if you choose to run them. Therefore, you should design highly engaging and shareable social media campaigns. Remember that reaching your target market is more important than simply getting your advertisement in front of your customers. 

Look for hashtags you may capitalize on as Black Friday and Cyber Monday get closer. Discover the hashtags your audience is using and consider how to include them in your promoted posts. Ensure that Facebook and Twitter are included into your social media plug-ins so that customers may share your promotions with their friends. 

5. Stay on Top of Your Inventory

This year, there are more issues with supply chains and deliveries than ever before, so be sure to assess your inventory levels before Black Friday. Make sure you have enough of your best-selling items on hand so you can take advantage of Black Friday. 

Offer your consumers an added perk for shopping in-store if you sell goods both online and through a physical store. You can sell more goods and use fewer delivery services if you promote in-store purchasing. 

Gear Up! Black Friday & Cyber Monday are Approaching!

This Black Friday and Cyber Monday check list covers the majority of the information you require for this year's approaching sale events. It should improve your chances of success during the holiday season. 

The holiday season will see fierce competition in marketing. Prepare, plan, and use digital marketing to stand out from the competition for a prosperous holiday season that is full of expansion. Let DevDigital help!