Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2016 are now less than 100 days away – these two days (on average the busiest for most retailers each year) that have been well and truly adopted in the UK, from American beginnings, are certainly worth preparing for!
Because of the frenzy that surrounds these days, many buyers hold off on purchasing goods, in the expectation of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Knowing this, the retailers save up deals for these days (though like most promotional times like Christmas, the deals start earlier and earlier each year).
In 2014, online spending saw a 41% increase compared to 2013 across Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Black Friday hit the £1-billion-mark last year, but commentators predict the overall spend in the UK this year is expected to exceed £5-billion pounds from 24th to 28th November 2016 (Black Friday week).
Is your retail business ready for this year’s frenzy?
Is your site a mobile friendly website? More than 60% of mobile users now access the internet and with m-commerce being the fastest growing area of ecommerce, having a mobile responsive website is absolutely vital if your business is to compete for sales.
Are you opening up your business to as much traffic as possible? What digital marketing services have you got in place to generate the traffic you need to make the most of this year’s busy period?
Is your Ecommerce website business prepared for how busy you may get? Here are some things you should consider doing this year to ensure you can manage the increase in orders that you should expect:
1. Test thoroughly – For example, undertake numerous performance tests of your system up to peak loads to reduce the likelihood of your system failing during this busy time.
2. Stagger your marketing activities – Don’t market all of your customer deals at once at the start of the Black Friday period, feed them gradually to keep consumers shopping.
3. Prepare the business – Make sure everyone within the company is aware of the marketing campaigns and promotions in advance so they can prepare accordingly where they expect the biggest surges of traffic.
4. Have a contingency plan – For example, add a queueing system whereby customers have to wait to access the site which will reduce the chances of the site crashing down from a surge.
5. Ensure your staffing plans are set – Ensure your staff shifts for the Black Fiveday are planned and set.
If you need any help or advice when it comes to Ecommerce, including maximising traffic to the website, conversion rate optimisation and building loyalty and repeat buyers then don’t hesitate to get in touch.