As a shopaholic, Black Friday used to be one of my favourite holidays. I am very easily persuaded by a sale. But over time Black Friday noise has increased to such a level that I just tune it all out. It isn’t just the shopaholic in me that hates it. My inner Marketer cannot stand half-hearted Black Friday sales that don’t make sense. I once bought a R600 desk that was on sale for R800 the week of Black Friday (it dropped to R600 for Cyber Monday…but the original selling price BEFORE Black Friday was R600. I lost respect for that brand after this little stunt.)
If you’re planning on running a Black Friday sale, here are 5 questions to ask yourself:
1. What is in it for your customer?
Genuinely think like a customer. Not what forced excuse you’re going to provide management with as to why you should run a Black Friday sale when you know in reality you don’t have an actual sale and you just want to go along with the Black Friday noise and make it seem like you’re part of the sales. Stop it. We see you.
2. Does Your Promotion Make Sense?
Listen, not all sales are for everyone. I remember a discount bookstore announcing one year that they weren’t doing sales because they were a “discount bookstore” and couldn’t discount their books anymore. That’s perfectly okay. If it doesn’t make sense to run a Black Friday sale, don’t do it. There will be other sales.
3. Can My Brand Handle Providing Support for a Black Friday Sale?
Is your website okay to handle a high volume of visitors? Is your Customer Care team prepped for a higher volume of calls? If you’ve decided that it makes sense to run a sale for Black Friday, make sure you’re prepared for it. Also if you’re sharing a specific sale page online- check that it does actually exist.
4. Is Your Site Mobile-Friendly?
CHECK YOUR SITE THRICE!!!
This is a pet peeve of mine and something I always struggle with. Sites lag on Black Friday and no matter how much I love shopping, I’m not spending time on a webpage that takes longer than 5 seconds to load (and that’s generous. Most experts recommend a loading time of 3 seconds max).
Black Friday doesn’t have to be chaotic. If your sale is solid, your comms are clear and your site isn’t crumbling under pressure- you’re already ahead of half the internet. (I am so proud of you!)
Now go forth, sell smart and may your bounce rates be low and your carts be full.
