Where did Black Friday and Cyber Monday come from?
Black Friday arose in the United States, specifically in Philadelphia, around 1961. Although it is not officially a holiday, as it is celebrated on the last Friday of November, that is, the day after Thanksgiving, many Americans enjoy those vacation days, thus increasing the number of potential buyers. For this reason, it is a key date for businesses, kicking off the pre-Christmas sales season on this day.
Another key date, less known, is Cyber Monday, which is celebrated on the Monday after Thanksgiving, that is, the Monday after Black Friday. It emerged in 2005 to increase online purchases and together with Black Friday, it has become one of the dates where the most sales take place.
Some mistakes in online stores are quite traditional these days. We recommend paying special attention to them so as not to commit them.
Mistakes that you should avoid on Black Friday
- Raise prices weeks before and then generate false discounts. This a strategy that for years has worked for some businesses, especially physical ones and that is usually taken to online stores in the wrong way. Users must never be deceived. If you can afford a discount, great, but if not, don’t increase prices in October and then lower them at the end of November. If you get caught, the criticism can be dire. This is a technique that can give you a bad online reputation.
- Start preparing the Black Friday campaign the week before. If you don’t have anything ready for Black Friday on November 20, it’s better to let it be. The Black Friday campaign has a lot of work: creating a specific landing page, advertising campaigns on Facebook and Google, and banners. The ideal way is to start designing your campaign at least a month in advance.
- Not checking the capacity of your hosting. Monitor the capacity of your website and your server. If it is already limited as normal, on Black Friday you can have traffic spikes and this can cause your website to crash if it is not well optimized. Make sure that your hosting can handle the traffic volume that will come to you these days.
Tips to sell more on Black Friday
Create specific campaigns on your website with your Black Friday offer and give a real discount.
It is not about incorporating a general discount for your website but about studying which products you can afford to make that specific and real discount. Consumers often study the prices of the products that interest them. Do not play the typical trick of raising prices and then lowering them on these special days. They will realize.
Adapt your website to your Black Friday offer.
It is ideal to create a specific landing for your campaign, yes, keep this landing year after year, to position the page. Prepare specific banners with your offers for these two days, check that the discount coupons work, create an image for your campaign that is recognizable, incorporate a wish list, and make the discount or offer only available in a number of units to provoke a sense of urgency in the client. You should also check that the information on shipping costs and shipping times is visible, to avoid complaints and perhaps extend your return policy for those users who take the chance of Black Friday to buy their Christmas gifts.
Cross-selling of products.
Do not be left alone with what the client has gone looking for. In many cases, the user who enters e-commerce with the intention of buying a product chooses others if you offer them. Establish a list of products to increase the amount of sales and offer complementary products with special discounts.
Be creative
You can take advantage to give free rein to your imagination. Remember that users receive a lot of information on a day like Black Friday, so you have to stand out in some way, and offer something different from the others. Get inspired by some Black Friday GIF animations and then use them to be more visible and get your users’ attention. Many stores, for each purchase or for every 50 euros spent, give away an accessory. You can do raffles, promote that users interact through the networks by holding photography contests, and win a prize… Be creative, and generate interest in the public.
Work on Abandoned Carts through Email Marketing with an urgent and needy call and perhaps an extra discount.
If you still do not work with abandoned carts on your website, you should know that you are losing a good sales opportunity. Around 60% of users abandon the cart at some point in the purchase process and on average 75% of those users did have a purchase intention. So if you don’t do it today, start doing it with Black Friday. Create an email with information about the abandoned cart and offer an extra discount to ensure the purchase. Incorporate the urgency and need in this email.
Why do Small Businesses Need a Black Friday Sales Strategy?
30% of all retail sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas. Whether you have a physical or e-commerce store, a large business, or a small one, Black Friday is a sales opportunity that is too good to miss.
For small businesses, having a good Black Friday plan gives them the opportunity to:
- Sell old stock or introduce new products. It is also a great opportunity to present your new products of the season.
- Get new potential buyers: During sales, customers are likely to buy the items they think are good value for money. This can happen to familiarize them with the brand. Therefore, this provides an opportunity to attract these promising prospects and provide a great buying experience.