Getting Ready for Black Friday

The time has come for the main shopping event of 2022 - Black Friday & Cyber Monday!

As usual eCommerce merchants and retailers are counting down the days until Black Friday (25th November) sales madness arrives in November, along with Cyber Monday on 28th November, which is another great opportunity to reap extra profits during this long weekend where they can enjoy increased traffic from online shoppers looking forward to making their Christmas list more complete than ever before!

In our latest article we explore how you should prepare yourself as an ecommerce business so that next year's festive period goes off without any hiccups or technical difficulties - read on:

 

How Did Black Friday Start?

 

The name "Black Friday" has its origins in the Philadelphia Police Department. The city's force coined this term to describe what would happen after Thanksgiving Day tourists hit town and everyone tried desperately hard during that one day of sales; there were chaotic scenes with people fighting over products.

The name has endured and is now recognised as a day for peak holiday sales figures. But why exactly is Black Friday such a big deal? Well, it's not just about the sales. Retailers have managed to turn this day into an opportunity for global celebration that spreads its wings through countries who don't even celebrate Thanksgiving! The reason behind all these discounts can be attributed largely due to their profitability - which has led them into extending this event to Black Friday weekend ending with the Cyber Monday.

 

Black Friday Marketing Tips for Online Retailers

 

The best way to make the most out of Black Friday is by having a sound marketing strategy in place. Here are some general tips for driving as much traffic possible over Thanksgiving period and turning it into an opportunity that will help you earn more money!

 

Learn How to Use Retargeting Effectively

 

Retargeting is a marketing method that can help businesses grow their customer base by targeting people who have previously visited your website or clicked on an ad. Retention rates for retailable customers are high at up 97% of window shoppers, meaning it's possible to greatly increase traffic and boost sales if you know how this system works.

Retargeting is a great way to remind people about your products after they've already seen them. It's also provided by most of the major platforms, including Facebook Google and LinkedIn so If you're serious about your Black Friday eCommerce strategy you should experiment with this powerful tool.

 

Embrace Social Media

 

Merchants are utilizing social media to reach customers in a cost-effective manner. The best way for them is by providing high quality content and engaging with potential clients on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram can help elevate your brand awareness while also increasing the amount of loyalty amongst loyal customers that you already have!

This is a great time to market your business because consumers are looking for deals. Offer them something they need or want, but don't overdo it with "limited-time" marketing language.

 

Don't Be Afraid to Upsell and Cross-sell Your Products

 

Upselling and cross-selling are two of the more common strategies used in retail today to encourage shoppers toward purchases. Upgrades can be offered as an alternative when someone is about buy something, while additional products may come with complimentary deals that make them appealing enough for some customers not just want but need those items too. 

If there’s a time of the year that these strategies comes handy that would be the Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so do not be afraid to upsell and cross-sell your products.

 

Consider a Black Friday Product Launch 

 

With the general excitement of Black Friday, it's possible to create more hype than would be possible on other weekends or slower sales days. This means you'll need excellent planning for your product launch and ensure that everything from your marketing and eCommerce site infrastructure work together as one system so they can provide a seamless experience for customers looking forward buying something special this holiday season!

 

Preparing Your eCommerce Site and Payment Gateway for Black Friday

 

As you prepare for the upcoming Black Friday sales, it is important to partner with a reputable payment provider who has experience in scaling up their operations. The right technology and methods can help ensure that your conversions at checkout are smooth which will lead more customers into becoming loyal followers of your brand.

 

Payment Methods — Set Up Your Checkout for Success

 

There's a lot going on in the world of ecommerce, and one thing that has become increasingly important is payment methods. In 2022 nearly 25% percent ended up leaving an online store checkout page if their preferred method wasn't available - which means you can't take it lightly! 80% of consumers rank convenience as something crucial when shopping.

To ensure the best customer experience possible, it's important to offer shoppers as many popular and convenient payment methods. However there can be some variation in preference between countries due to local customs or preferences so you must take this into account when choosing a suitable solution for your business.

The popularity of credit and debit cards is decreasing as more tech-oriented methods such Apple Pay or Google pay become increasingly popular with younger generations. The trends show that 26% of all 25 - 34 year olds would use these technologies their primary payment method over the next 5 years. 

 

Every Shopper Has Their Own Unique Preferences

 

Shoppers may choose a particular payment method based on its characteristics. For example 27% of participants in our survey admitted they would be likely use Buy Now Pay Later if given the option at checkout for large-ticket items such as TVs or appliances. So, you'll inadvertently exclude potential customers by not including these payment methods on your website.

 

Payment Page Implementation and Design

 

The payment page is the gateway to your customers' purchases. It should be well designed and easy for them so that you can get their business as soon as possible, not just this once. In order not lose any potential revenue from visitors who may walk away at crucial points in an online retailer's sales process due to poor customer experience.

This is one area where you as an online retailer have complete control, so it's crucial that your design and content reflect the professionalism with which all other aspects of your business operates.

When it comes to the overall design of your payment pages, there are several important elements to consider:

 

·       Pay attention to logos and images

 

When building payment pages, it is important to ensure that you are using high-quality images and branding. You should also consider including logos from popular methods so shoppers won't question your checkout's legitimacy before making a purchase.

 

·       Check That Payment Pages Are Responsive 

 

It's important to make sure your website looks great on all devices, and that means making it responsive. You'll have more customers if you can sell them something while they are browsing with their phone or tablet in addition to when you show up live.

 

Infrastructure — Ensure Your Site Can Cope With Increased Demand 

 

Heavy demand periods are a nightmare for any business - they can cause errors and downtime. You don't want your site's speed or customer service to go down during peak times, which means you need an infrastructure in place that will keep up with increased traffic levels without crashing- this includes choosing reliable payment providers as well.

 

Uptime

 

With a high-load situation on Black Friday, you'll want to make sure that the payment provider has systems in place for when things get hectic. This includes multiple data centers and an uptime guarantee at 99,99%.

 

Fraud Protection

 

There is no doubt that fraudsters will try their luck with any opportunity they get, especially during big sales events like Black Friday. Our recent survey data revealed 30% of online business owners had seen an increase in fraudulent activity at checkouts and 37% consumers were scammed while shopping online! In order to tackle this complex topic you must ensure you have reliable risk control systems set up.

 

Customer Support

 

Merchants should look for a payment provider that can offer timely expert support in case something goes wrong. Downtime during one of the biggest online sales seasons represents lost revenue, so having reliable and efficient customer service is absolutely necessary.

 

In Conclusion

 

The Black Friday weekend has arrived and with it comes a hectic period for online shoppers. With increased traffic, business owners must ensure their payment infrastructure can keep up so they don't miss out on any opportunities this year.

We at Catalystpay thrive to enable online businesses by providing a industry-leading payment gateway technology. Contact us to discuss how we can support your business through the holiday season.