Black Friday will look different this year due to the COVID-19.
Even with the immense rise of ecommerce shopping in recent years, consumers still believe the best deals are reserved for those who are willing to wait in line or make a trip out to the store.
However, many stores like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy, have already announced that their stores will remain closed on Thanksgiving to deter crowds from gathering. There will still be Black Friday sales, however, they are shifting primarily online due to the pandemic. Are you prepared for this shift? Be ready to enhance the ecommerce shopping experience.
To help you prepare for Black Friday this year, here are some important tips to keep in mind.
Pick Your Black Friday Sales Wisely
Most likely your customers’ purchasing habits have changed due to COVID. This article points out that since the pandemic, consumers have been less likely to shop for clothes in person. Furthermore, even online clothing stores are seeing losses because more people are working from home and not going into the office.
Consider some of your best-selling products right now and push these products to produce better numbers throughout the holiday season. Since in many ways, this is an entirely new market, focusing on key products will most likely yield better results. People are still cautious about what they’re buying, so stick to the things you know sell well instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.
Pay Attention to Mobile and Desktop
Always put the user experience first. Think about what your customers are going to be shopping for and the journey they’ll follow. For example, experts predict that the majority of people will be browsing for Black Friday sales on their mobile devices. Consumers will expect a seamless shopping experience that incorporates easy navigation, high quality images, clickable buttons, and an easy checkout process.
That said, the bulk of purchases are expected to take place on desktop. Even though mobile shopping has come a long way, many people prefer the ease of shopping from a computer and feel these purchases are safer. Don’t forget to optimize the desktop checkout process to ensure there are no barriers to conversion.
Create a Sense of Urgency
Retailers love to push the Black Friday experience because this is what gets people in stores and buying things they want. This experience will be harder to replicate online, which is why brands need to be more creative in motivating customers.
Some of the more useful ways to create a sense of urgency include:
● Send text messages to nearby customers
● Introduce a customer loyalty program with double points up until a certain date
● Include a free item with each purchase while products last
● Release a limited number of in-demand products
● Include visual countdown clocks on your website
Advertise to All Audiences
Experts say that holiday spending will be equal among demographics and genders, so don’t leave anyone off the table. You can advertise aggressively to certain audiences, but you should cater to everyone. Remember that people are looking for gifts and may shop with you even when they wouldn’t for themselves.
To ensure you’re reaching the right customer base, segment your audiences and market to them accordingly. If you haven’t updated your personas lately, take the time to do so. In order to be successful with your segmentations, you need to understand your groups and who you’re speaking to.
Partner Up with Another Brand
Black Friday can be an opportunity to partner up with other brands that have similar customers. This way, the two companies can work together to cross-sell their products or build a new audience without spending a lot of money. Consider some of the brands that can add value to your products and services and ask them if they’d like to join together for a holiday campaign.
Consider Deep Discounts
Not all brands want to push major discounts this year because they’re already hurting from the pandemic. But there’s an alternative that could work to your benefit depending on the products and services you sell. By offering high-volume purchases at deep discounts, you can catch more attention, increase sales and reduce inventory.
For example, let’s say your company sells boxes of coffee. Instead of selling two boxes at a 10% discount, you could do five boxes at 50% off. While the discount is high, so is the average order value, driving sales and moving inventory.
Don’t Be Afraid to Tap into Emotion
To cut through the noise and resonate with customers, more brands are considering changing their tones and creating emotionally driven campaigns this year. Without a doubt, 2020 has been a rough year for most.
The pandemic has affected everyone in one way or another, leaving most people feeling more emotional about what’s happening in the world. Recognizing these emotions and promoting positivity and a sense of togetherness is a wonderful way to make people more receptive to your brand.
Regardless of how you prepare for Black Friday 2020, one thing is for certain: ecommerce is where the magic will be happening.
Author: Christina Diecidue
