For eCommerce businesses, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are both an exciting and overwhelming time of year. Approached well, the whole weekend presents massive sales opportunities.
In 2022 alone, US consumers spent a staggering $9.2 billion dollars during Black Friday sales. But it isn't just a US sales holiday any longer — Black Friday weekend has gone global.
If you’re planning to participate in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales this year, then it’s important to prepare well ahead of time.
We’ve put together six tips for Black Friday prep that will help your site handle the increased load.
Prepare Your Website for Black Friday Cyber Monday (in 6 Steps)
In this article:
- Do your research & plan ahead
- Check website usability and speed
- Test your server capacity
- Update webpage content for SEO
- Optimize website design and UX
- Prepare to scale up fulfillment operations
1. Do Your Research & Plan Ahead
The first thing all eCommerce retailers should do in preparation for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales is to plan and research well ahead of time.
Even software and SaaS companies are getting in on the act these days. For these organizations, it’s important to make sure all of your software development contracts are in check ahead of time.
Also consider which Black Friday marketing channels you’ll use to build excitement around your event and what offers you’ll incorporate into your campaigns.
Shoppers tend to start searching for deals early, so make sure your communications and campaigns start well in advance.
2. Check Website Usability and Speed
Black Friday sales bring large volumes of traffic to eCommerce websites, so it’s crucial to test usability and speed beforehand using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
Research shows that bounce rates increase by 32% when page load times increase from one to three seconds.
Make sure loading speeds are lightning fast if you don’t want to lose sales to competitors.
3. Test Your Server Capacity
As well as testing page load times, it’s important to test your server capacity. If your Black Friday campaigns do well, expect heavy traffic.
What is server capacity?
Server capacity is a computer’s ability to handle tasks and users — how fast it can think, remember, and process data without crashing.
If you aren't very tech-savvy, use Google PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest. They're simple to use and free.
4. Update Webpage Content for SEO
To ensure people find your offers, optimize your website or online store for search engines.
Ahead of Black Friday, give your web and social copy an SEO refresh. Start by reviewing:
- Perform a site crawl for errors
- Optimize metadata, captions, and alt text (include Black Friday keywords)
- Replace or remove broken links (404s)
- Update CTA button text to encourage conversions
- Refresh contact information
Next, use Google Keyword Planner to identify popular holiday search terms. Terms like “deals”, “sales”, and “gifts” rank very high around this time. Feature these keywords in your landing pages, web copy, and social media content to build visibility.
If your sales process is more complex:
- Use keywords on your Terms & Conditions page
- If you use contracts and need e-signatures, use Proposify or Proposify competitors
- Add FAQs with relevant keywords and phrases
5. Optimize Website Design and UX
To ensure customers can easily find what they’re looking for during the Black Friday event, your site must be intuitive and user-friendly.
Focus on:
- Eye-catching Black Friday Sale logos and banners
- High-quality visuals and multimedia
- A dedicated Black Friday page
- Keywords in URLs, alt text, and product descriptions
6. Prepare to Scale Up Fulfillment Operations
Lastly, ensure your supply chain can handle the surge in customers. Plan for higher warehouse, shipping, and delivery demand.
Keep best-selling items stocked and prepare for extended shipping times. Offer curbside or local pickup for nearby shoppers.
Ace Black Friday Sales
With rigorous preparation, you’ll be ready to make the most of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday rush. Plan ahead, optimize your site, promote your offers, and back up fulfillment operations for the season.
Author Bio
Yauhen Zaremba – Senior Director of Demand Generation at PandaDoc
Yauhen is a growth-focused marketing leader with over 14 years of B2B and B2C experience.
For the past seven years, he has specialized in electronic signatures, proposals, and document management.
