Make Black Friday 2024 your most successful yet: boost your eCommerce sales with these expert quick tips

With Black Friday swiftly approaching, it’s natural to feel like time is running out to supercharge your eCommerce business for the shopping frenzy ahead. No need to worry, we’ve got your back with a strategic guide to ensure you make the most out of this Black Friday. As experienced marketers and the proud creators of the UK Dev Awards’ eCommerce website of the year 2023, we understand what it takes to deliver a high-quality retail experience. Let’s dive into the top tips and quick wins that will elevate your Black Friday sales.

Whilst we are experts in WordPress WooCommerce sites, this advice applies for all retail websites including Shopify.

1. Elevate user experience

First things first, understand your customers’ journey through your site. Installing a tool like Hotjar allows you to measure and optimise your website’s user experience. Hotjar provides invaluable insights into how users navigate your site, where they encounter obstacles, and what captures their attention. Identify and address pain points to ensure a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience. Act now to enhance user satisfaction and boost conversion rates.

The eCommerce managers we work with often find that Hotjar exposes a great deal of quick wins to improve user experience and maximise revenue. Black Friday is typically the busiest time for your business with a dramatic increase in sales, just think what an increase in your conversion rate of 2.5% to 3.5% will do for your revenue. For many sites, we’ve found that the free version of Hotjar is often more than enough to start gaining valuable insights, so this is a brilliant low-cost way to drill down into user behaviour. You just need to make sure you have a compliant cookie consent management platform (CMP) for whatever data you are collecting. Check out our article on Google Consent Mode to find out more about the benefits of using a CMP like Cookiebot.

Another action that can be greatly beneficial for users’ experience of your eCommerce site is for you to make sure that you accept a range of payment options, including digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. This can increase the speed at which purchases are made, which can reduce cart abandonment. This is especially relevant considering a Baymard Institute study found that 22% of customers who abandon their cart when shopping online do so because the checkout process is too long or complicated.

2. Automate your emails for a seamless communication flow

Closing the communication loop is crucial for building trust and confidence with your customers. Leverage email automations to keep your audience informed without drowning in administrative tasks. Tools like Zapier empower you to work smarter, not harder. Set up automated emails to update customers on Black Friday deals, order confirmations, and shipping notifications. A well-informed customer is a satisfied customer, leading to increased loyalty and repeat business. In 2024, customers expect to be able to shop online at any hour of the day and so email automations is one way to keep up with your customers’ expectations without taking on 24 hour customer support.

3. Upsell and cross-sell to maximise profits

Seize the opportunity when customers are ready to make a purchase by implementing upselling strategies. Create enticing bundles that complement their chosen products, encouraging them to add more to their cart. Remember, the momentum is high when a customer is ready to buy; capitalise on this by offering value-packed deals that enhance their shopping experience and increase your average transaction value. Implementing bundles and creating upselling opportunities is easy on WooCommerce, please get in touch if you’d like to learn more. We implemented this on Tuckwells, and we were thrilled with the results.

Another eCommerce top tip that we have implemented in the past is the inclusion of wish lists, and the option to send hints. We added this to Tuckwells’ Out and About clothing site, which won the UK Dev Awards’ eCommerce website of the year 2023. By implementing both wish list and hint features, we improved the site’s potential as a place to buy gifts for people. This is essential for Black Friday success, and something that we recommend people consider incorporating into their site. This is especially pertinent because 71% of consumers plan to shop on Black Friday in order to purchase gifts, according to a Statista survey.

Build up momentum for the Golden Quarter results your business deserves

As you gear up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, make some key changes to your site to maximise what’s known as the “Golden Quarter” in retail. Our expertise as award-winning designers and developers uniquely positions us to help you deliver a retail experience that stands out. Trust us to guide you through the intricacies of optimising your eCommerce platform for maximum performance during this critical sales period.

In summary, it’s not too late to implement these strategies and ensure a successful Black Friday 2024 for your eCommerce business. Take action now, and let’s make this Black Friday your most profitable one yet!

Find your site’s untapped potential

Whether you have questions about the best payment gateway to use, you’re finding your online shop is running slowly or you are integrating with a complex stock management system such as Ibcos Gold, our friendly account managers are keen to chat with you. For more information, feel free to check out our range of articles on eCommerce platforms, or get in touch to find a solution that maximises your eCommerce website’s success.