It’s that time of the year again. If you haven’t thought about it yet, it’s time that you should. Yes, we are talking about the biggest shopping event of the year, Black Friday.

With the rise in digitization and online shopping, a lot of consumers are shifting to online shopping rather than going to a physical store. Last year, the Black Friday sale hit a whopping number of $14billion of online sales.

In 2020, consumers spent a record $9 billion at online businesses, up 21.6 percent from 2019. There is no doubt that this year as well, people will purchase from the comfort of their homes, breaking all the previous e-commerce records.

So, businesses have amazing opportunities to increase revenue and reach their sales goals with the upcoming shopping season. All you need to do is build a strong and unique online presence for your brand.

If you’re wondering how? Here is a complete checklist of how you can build a strong online presence for your brand during black Friday.

1. Set Up Your E-commerce Store

Before you excite your customers with the fantastic deals and discounts you want to offer during Black Friday, you need first to set up your eCommerce store. The first thing you would need for that are platforms such as WordPress or Shopify. If you already have an E-commerce store, creating a dedicated landing page for the big day can also help you in boosting your sales.

Keep in mind that the name you choose for your e-store or landing page is what can make or break your sales during Black Friday. Keep it simple and short, opt for a name that doesn’t confuse your customers or stop them from interacting with your website. A simple yet innovative name with domain extensions such as .icu or .cyou is the perfect option to help you build that unique online presence during Black Friday. For example, www.blackfriday.icu or www.sales.cyou.

Another thing to keep in mind while you build your eCommerce store is to make it easy to navigate through. Make sure your website or landing page can handle the traffic and those visitors can make purchases utilizing a simple checkout process.

2. Optimize Your Website For Heavy Traffic

Too many ongoing visits to your website can slow it down and even cause it to crash. It usually takes a lot of traffic to bring it down, so make sure your host can manage an increase in traffic.

A massive 46% of shoppers indicated they’d never return to a website that was too slow. They need to get their shopping done as soon as possible to receive the most excellent discounts. They’ll leave and never return if your website doesn’t make it easy for them to do so.

You can also add a countdown pop-up to generate a sense of urgency on the website. A pop-up about your amazing deals or even a gentle reminder that you are starting your sale soon can effectively help you to engage with your audience.

3. Plan Out Your Pop-ups

If you haven’t thought about adding pop-ups on your website during Black Friday, maybe you should give it a thought.

Pop-up ads appear at the center of the page, where the visitor’s attention is engaged. As a result, it plays a significant role in grabbing their attention, and the user will almost certainly take a look at the ad’s content before leaving the website.

You may create a pop-up for any reason and schedule it in advance, whether you want to direct visitors to your most incredible Black Friday deals, build awareness, etc. On Black Friday, shoppers have too many options and too little patience. With well-targeted pop-ups, make sure to get your most critical messages to the right people at the right time.

4. Keep Your Customers Safety In Mind

Shopping safety is essential in establishing trust with your customers (and ensuring that they return).

Shoppers, especially those who have a seasonal need to buy, want to know that their personal information is secure on your site. According to research conducted by the Department of Commerce, half of all internet users in the United States are hesitant to shop online due to concerns about privacy and security.

Display signage prominently on your site’s checkout pages that indicates it’s safe to shop with you to calm customers’ doubts.

Also, don’t forget to get an SSL or TLS certificate (authentication and encryption system, which ensures that data is securely transmitted over the internet) from your hosting provider to ensure your website’s security.

Apart from this, you can also try indulging in co-branding with other brands with similar niches. When visitors see familiar brands promoting your services, they’ll automatically develop a sense of trust within yours.

These trust-building strategies can make a huge difference, particularly during the big shopping day.

5. Participate In Greater Causes

It’s difficult for a small business to stand out when every brand promotes a sale or promotion.

Furthermore, times are changing, and society is growing more aware of the drawbacks of consumerism.

As a result, you as a brand can opt for more thought-provoking campaigns to distinguish yourself apart from the competitors and contribute to building a healthy social change.

Here are some ideas on how you can do that:

• Create a fundraising initiative: How about you donate a part of your sales to a charity that genuinely aligns with your purpose and goals, as well as encourages your visitors to do the same? You can even set up a fundraising landing page using a .sbs domain name. .sbs stands for Side By Side and is perfect for philanthropic initiatives and charitable causes.
• Build awareness around conscious consumerism: According to a Which survey, one in every five individuals regretted their Black Friday purchases. You can prevent this by promoting mindful consumption among your audience during your Black Friday sales. How about creating a “What I need v/s What I want” section on your website that allows them to understand their purchase truly and not spend their money mindlessly. It might seem like you are affecting your sales with this strategy, but when your consumers see that you genuinely care about them, they will grow more loyal to your brand.
• Reward your customers: Consider rewarding your customers for doing something good. You can team up with various charities and urge your visitors to support them in whichever way is most convenient for them and reward them for their efforts. It will not only help raise awareness about the issue, but it will also make your customers feel rewarded by supporting a cause.

Final Words

With increasing consumers opting to do their pre-holiday shopping online, eCommerce brands have a unique opportunity to attract new customers and raise their overall sales.

A successful eCommerce Black Friday campaign demands both the preparation of your website and the planning of your marketing activities. You can ensure that every element of your business is ready for what may be your greatest sale yet by making a list of what needs to be done sooner rather than later.

Also, stay up in the game by registering a smart, unique, and strong domain name for your website.