Black Friday is a big day for retailers. It’s the day after U.S. Thanksgiving and marks the first day of Christmas shopping. It’s a time of special offers, discounts, reduced prices, and general mayhem. In fact, many believe that the term comes from the fact that it is the time of the year when many retailers finally move into “the black”, meaning they make profits. So, how does a small to medium-size business stand out on Black Friday?
Focus on your Website
Leading up to the big day, online retailers need to evaluate their website to make sure it can handle any additional traffic and that its main functionalities and pages work in every browser. You also need to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly or you will be missing out on a ton of potential sales. We recommend requesting a free website audit here to ensure your website is up to par.
Strategic Sales and Promotions
Black Friday is marketing gold and it would be a shame not to use it to your advantage. The term is synonymous with savings and shopping and its mere mention in an ad or post can drive traffic. Be sure to include this in your online marketing strategy leading up to Black Friday. You want to greet that spike in traffic with calls-to-action specific to Black Friday. Work with the goal of converting leads into sales. You can do this by offering sales that are unique to Black Friday, and in a sense, feel special. Be sure to offer your very best and think outside the box. Your Black Friday sales strategy should:
- Mention the exact discount that the customer is receiving.
- Try to upsell through your copy and your website’s functionality.
- Make sales visible on your homepage and in banners, ads or pop messages.
- Clearly convey when the sale ends. You could even use a countdown widget to add a sense of urgency.
Partnerships
Black Friday is a great time to develop some key partnerships. The more you can offer customers the more likely you are to drive sales. Partnerships also allow you to take advantage of someone else’s branding, marketing, and customer base. The trick is to make partnerships that are mutually beneficial and are logical without requiring any explanation. One example is for a kitchen appliance business to partner with a meal kit subscription service.
