In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, RepricerExpress wants to see if you’re ready for Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) 2020!
Every Day, It’s A Gettin’ Closer
Although BFCM is a few months away, now is the time to prep your site and get ready for the rush — and what a rush it’ll be.
CNBC reported that online sales increased 23.6% on Black Friday with retail pulling in $6.22 billion.
But to see an increase in your sales, you can’t just put an ‘Open’ sign in the window and expect the orders to come rolling in.
You’re going to have to make a detailed plan on how you can take advantage of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Where the Shoppers Are Coming From
There’s a popular saying in the web development community: mobile first. It refers to how devs design sites, starting with the smallest devices and working their way bigger. And that’s because half of web visits last year were sourced to mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets.
So one of the top things to think about when planning your holiday strategy is to appeal to small-device shoppers.
Keep some of these tips in mind:
- Economise your headlines. While you want to get as many keywords in there as possible, remember that screen space is valuable real estate on mobile devices and you don’t have room for filler words.
- Include SMS marketing in your campaign. There are third-party services that allow you to integrate text messages into your marketing strategy, enabling you to reach more users in more ways.
- Test out QR codes in your marketing emails. Instead of an onslaught of text in emails, a QR code offers your shoppers a quicker, more visually friendly way of accessing your deals.
- Reach shoppers on mobile-friendly social media platforms, like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
- Use a service that compresses photo but keeps them at a high quality so when users tap on an image to view it, it still looks good.
That being said, mobile users accounted for 50% of shoppers last year, which leaves the other 50% using more traditional devices, like laptops and desktops. Don’t forget to include them in your planning, too!
Know What Kind of Seller You Are, And Individualise Accordingly
Big box stores tend to be synonymous with super low prices, while small businesses might not always afford to follow suit.
So don’t.
If you wanted to be associated with a big box name, you wouldn’t have made the choice to sell on Amazon. You’re doing this for a reason, and BFCM is a chance to show off your special individuality. Here are some ways you can differentiate yourself from the faceless corporations:
- Show ways you give back to the community, like advertising X% donation to X organisation with every purchase of X product.
- Personalise your emails to your shoppers. One of the biggest reasons consumers choose small businesses is because they want to feel like a person, not a dollar. Convey that feeling by adding individual flair to emails and texts.
- Package your items in a creative, unique way. Maybe this means attaching a postcard inside with bulleted information points on it, or maybe it means using colourful wrap on the boxes.
Keep This Checklist Close and Handy
Last but not least, these are some really important questions you should be asking yourself to make sure you’re prepared for BFCM.
- Have I looked at the data from last year (at the very least) and years before to make a decent prediction about this year’s numbers?
- What’s the status of my inventory? Do I have enough products to see me through to the new year?
- What’s the status of my suppliers’ inventory? Do they have enough in stock to meet my needs?
- Is there an in-person event I can attend to spread hype about my brand/store?
- Do I have enough help to handle the increased load? Or do I need to hire people? Who do I need to hire? And where will I look for that help?
- What kind of pricing strategies do my competitors employ? Am I comparing myself to competitors who sell similar items, competitors who sell to/from the same locations as myself, or a combination of the two?
- What fulfilment method am I going with?
- Do I know when the last deliverable dates before Christmas are for my audiences?
- Have I come up with a marketing and advertising strategy that’s been thoroughly researched?
- How am I allocating my time each day?
Save Time and Increase Profits – Win, Win
The more BFCMs you sell through, the more experience you’ll gain. But if there’s one area in which you don’t need to be a veteran to do well, it’s repricing. By using RepricerExpress, you’ll increase your chances of succeeding this BFCM by using pricing rules that can maximise your profit margin. With just over a month to go, sign up now and enjoy your first 15 days on us.
