Black Friday prep can seem like a never-ending to-do list. Have you ordered enough stock? Are the ads ready to launch? Did you test all the landing pages? Will the website crash??
*Deep breaths*
You’ve got this. Supercharge your store and get ready for a stress-free holiday season with this Black Friday Checklist.
Black Friday Checklist 2023: 5 Steps to Get Sale-Ready
Follow this list (and check it twice) for Black Friday and Cyber Monday success.
1. Reports
Before you dive into campaign plans or site optimizations, take some time to review your ecommerce reports. Insights on shopper preferences, popular products, and search queries should shape your Black Friday strategy. Here’s what to evaluate:
- Analyze shopper behavior reports to inform merchandising and targeting plans
- Review popular searches for campaign ideas and landing page inspiration
- Investigate your zero results report for gaps in the site search experience
- Check social media insights on top-performing channels and trending products
- Assess sales and product data to inform Black Friday inventory forecasts
2. Site Search & Product Discovery
Black Friday shoppers are on a mission to buy quickly so they don’t miss out on your best deals. Easy product discovery and accurate search results are crucial. Accelerate the path to purchase with these checks:
- Ensure your site search offers autocorrect and autocomplete suggestions
- Set up synonyms to accommodate variations in search terms
- Optimize the zero results page to avoid dead ends in the shopper journey
- Review and refresh your site search UX for ease of use
- Customize product filters for Black Friday shoppers’ needs
- Update your site navigation to make gift guides and sale pages easy to find
3. Merchandising
Merchandising elevates the entire Black Friday shopping experience. From messaging and visuals throughout your site, to campaign landing pages and product layout, merchandising subtly compels shoppers to buy. Don’t overlook these tactics:
- Brainstorm this year’s Black Friday creative
- Set up landing pages to align with campaign needs and shopper behavior
- Launch homepage, category, and inline banners to promote your offers
- Add promotional badges for products that are on sale and selling fast
- Set up boost rules to dynamically optimize product display
- Instantly remove out-of-stock products from view with live indexing
- Schedule campaigns to launch and deactivate at specified times
4. Personalization & Recommendations
Bombarded with mass marketing and generic sales, Black Friday shoppers gravitate towards retailers that personalize their shopping experience. Customize the buyer journey for happier customers, higher conversions, and more repeat buyers:
- Personalize search and merchandising for hyper-relevant product discovery
- Use geo-targeting to customize the shopper experience by location
- Offer personalized recommendations that reflect individual shopper preferences
- Cross and upsell complementary accessories to boost average order value
- Send personalized email recommendations to drive engaged site visits
- Prepare a post-sale nurture campaign to boost loyalty and retain new customers
5. Site Functionality & User Experience
Last but not least, don’t forget the basics. Glitches, bugs, and website crashes are the enemy of Black Friday sales. Ensure a smooth shopping experience (and a stress-free weekend for your team) with a site audit and key functionality checks:
- Optimize site speed to drive down bounce rates and eliminate shopper frustration
- Test the mobile experience for quick and easy conversions on small screens
- Streamline the checkout experience to prevent cart abandonment
- Brief external vendors on traffic spikes and discuss contingency plans
- Refresh your website FAQ and update shipping and return policy pages
- Test customer service contact options and brief your support team
Join The Countdown to Black Friday
As an online retailer, you can never be too prepared for an event like Black Friday. The good news is, a smooth Cyber Weekend is possible when you plan early, and test often.
Ready to dive into step-by-step prep? Don’t miss the Black Friday / Cyber Monday Checklist webinar!
