Despite the headlines claiming that Black Friday and Cyber Monday is dead, COVID-19 regulations and restrictions will not be hindering holiday shoppers this year. With the rapid increase of online shopping in recent months, brands are adapting their approach to capture their audience and most are doubling down on digital efforts to establish their online presence. This strategic push will be what gives them the competitive advantage to capitalize on the biggest shopping days of the year that fall on November 17 (Black Friday) and November 30 (Cyber Monday).  

If you’re an established or emerging brand and want to increase your website traffic and conversions, here are three things to consider this holiday season:

Optimize Your Website for Online Sales

Cyber Monday has always caused sites to slow down or crash due to an influx of website traffic and sale transactions to keep up with customer demands. This year is no different and with the dramatic increase of online shoppers, you will need to prepare yourself for any problems that may arise.

Without proper web maintenance and e-commerce knowledge, you may find yourself in a dilemma when payments stop getting processed, or your site crashes due to a high-volume of site-clicks. This can be avoided by a simple website audit to make sure that everything on your site is running smoothly. Setting up pixel tracking is another great way to ensure your audiences’ data are being gathered. This tool will measure a marketing campaign’s performance, track conversions, and build an audience base. If you feel you need additional support with this daunting task, you can always reach out to an agency who specializes in website audits/development. 

Alternatively, if you’re an emerging brand and this is your first Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you will need to make sure that your website has the key elements in place to ensure that you’re well-equipped with the right tools. 

Once your website is set-up for e-commerce and you are confident in its functionality, there are other key factors you need to address for your online business to run smoothly. Some factors to consider are sufficient product stock, speedy delivery times, flexible return policies and most importantly, consumer transparency. During a time of uncertainty, packages will inevitably be delayed and you will need to be prepared for such. A surefire way to combat this inconvenience is to choose the right couriers that are reliable and/or offer premium shipping options like DHL, UPS, FedEx. By doing your due diligence and offering this kind of transparency to your customers, the likelihood of sales will increase as shoppers are still willing to pay a premium if it means it will fit their timelines. 

Keeping these details top of mind will not only position your business for growth after the hectic holiday season, but ensure that it will be a seamless experience for both you and your customers.

Reach Shoppers with Effective Digital Advertising

People have always been encouraged to shop in-store on the day of Black Friday to secure deals, but the rising growth of online businesses are challenging this narrative. Businesses have started launching promotions earlier and extending them longer in response to the decline of in-store shoppers and to make sure they don’t lose sales during the holiday season and this year is no different. 

With the majority of consumers being indoors and not willing to go out, you will need to be creative in how to reach your target audience. First is to develop a digital strategic digital advertising campaign (ie. Google ads, sponsored posts, and email newsletters) that conveys the importance of Black Friday and it's highly sought after deals to your shoppers. Second is to create content that will resonate to your audience and communicate your brand ethos effectively. Whether you reach out to an agency to aid you or utilize an hourly service, you will need to make sure that they are knowledgeable on the type of ad campaign that will prove to be beneficial for your brand’s goals.

Communication and Transparency

A key element to a brand’s success, before and after Black Friday, is their approach to brand transparency and how they communicate their core values to the public. Now more than ever, the communications industry plays a large role in making sure the correct information about a business is being published and distributed. Therefore, when investing in revamping an e-commerce website, developing a digital advertising campaign, and creative assets it’s also important to have these initiatives communicated to the appropriate channels to gain overall brand awareness.

Bringing on a team of communication experts will be beneficial during unprecedented times and shifts in our economic landscape. Having strong additional support during a high-volume and hectic sales season will ensure that your business is prepared at all levels.

Are you participating in this Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday this year? Do you need additional support with website development or assessment, digital advertising, or graphic design? View our capabilities deck here and connect with us at hello@bluedoor.agency or 1-855-854-5594.

  
About the Author:

As a Graphic Designer at Blue Door, Sheila is multi-disciplined with a background in the luxury beauty and lifestyle industry. With her previous experience, she brings in a different perspective when it comes to digital content development, creative strategies, and design execution.