How to prepare your e-commerce business for Black Friday

Looking for Black Friday marketing strategies? With the big day – 24 November – just a few weeks away, we’ve rounded up some Black Friday marketing ideas to help your business attract more buyers. Read on to create some buzz!

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US and traditionally marks the start of the holiday shopping season. Retailers offer huge discounts and promotional deals, and some extend their opening hours. The day has become a global phenomenon, attracting record numbers of shoppers looking for bargains.

Why is Black Friday good for business?

The sheer scale of the event means there are plenty of sales to go round – for businesses of all sizes. It’s a great opportunity to shift any overstock inventory you may have with some enticing deals and discounts. 

79% of consumers typically discover a new online store on Black Friday¹, which means there’s a good chance your business will have some new customers through its online doors on the day. And new customers can be converted to repeat customers – providing you deliver a great experience.

Planning for your Black Friday marketing campaign

You’re running a Black Friday sale? Great! Now you just need to let all your customers know. It’s never too early to start – many Black Friday bargain hunters will be browsing social media on the days before to plan their purchases. In response, some retailers offer “Black Friday Daily Deals” to nab some extra sales.   

Stand out from competitors using these Black Friday marketing strategies

Create a Black Friday landing page

Visitors to your website should know immediately that you’re running a Black Friday campaign. Put your best deals front and center of your homepage, use bold headlines, high-res photos and strong call to actions. A countdown timer is a great way to instil a sense of urgency on your deals.

Ensure your deals are competitive

Look at what price points your competitors are selling their products at – can you price match? Or, even better, go lower? Perhaps you can throw in some freebies or samples with every order – anything that can give your business a competitive edge. 

Keep new customers happy…

Attracting new customers through your online stores this Black Friday is key, but so is ensuring they come back again and again. Criteo asked consumers: “What would make you return to a brand or retailer that you discovered on Black Friday?” The leading answers? Beyond the obvious “great deals”, free and fast shipping scored highly². Consider if you can absorb the cost of free shipping elsewhere in your business – it’ll be worth it if it secures you extra sales. As for fast shipping, DHL Express has you covered!

…and remember to reward the loyal ones

Drop your existing customers an email with an extra Black Friday discount code. Use engaging copy to thank them for supporting your business – they’ll appreciate the personal touch. Just remember to use the phrase “Black Friday” in the subject line – emails containing this phrase have a +64% Click Through Rate³.

Create a Black Friday gift guide

You can tap into AI to build unique and personalized gift guides for your customers based on their previous browsing and buying history. Email these out to them a few days before Black Friday so you’re on their radar.

Monitor your inventory closely

If something sells out, you can quickly switch to push other products on your homepage, and if something is not selling as well as you’d anticipated, be ready to offer further discounts.

Ship internationally

Of the world's 195 countries, it’s estimated that approximately 50-60% celebrate Black Friday in some form or another⁴. That makes it the ideal time for you to think about shipping internationally – if you don’t already do so. DHL Express can help your business sell cross-border, taking care of all the hassle around customs regulations, duties and taxes, so that your customers receive their orders without delay – wherever they are.  

With a DHL Express Business Account, you’ll receive logistics support from the experts to help your business manage the peak season rush.