Black Friday, a term that once meant different things in different places, now means one thing globally: the year’s largest sales event. Some even call it “the Super Bowl of the retail industry.” It is now an e-commerce game.
Although the term uses ‘Friday’, the event has now become a month-long or weekend event, starting on Friday after Thanksgiving and running through the weekend. 2026’s black Friday is set to officially begin on November 27.
However, some brands will start offering Black Friday deals before the 27th, while others will start as early as the first week of November. For example, Jumia Black Friday will start in early November or even as early as late October.
Black Friday covers the sales industry (offline and online). In this article, however, we’ll show you how to prepare for the biggest sales in the coming Black Fridays as an online store or retailer.
Things you must do before the event begins:
Set your Goals:
What exactly do you want to achieve this year’s Black Friday? More than a hundred sales? Increased inflow of potential customers?
More email leads? If the answers to the above are in the affirmative, you are reading the right article. Clear goals make it easier to hit your sales targets.
Set your Budget:
For Black Friday, be prepared to offer freebies and mouth-watering deals. Two of the most important tools to drive traffic to your site are ads and newsletters. So, your budget should include provisions for freebies and strong publicity.
Get your Website Ready:
The last thing a hyped-up Black Friday shopper wants is a crashed site. No shopper wants to see “We’re sorry, hold on a sec,” or “We need a moment.” Because of the likely traffic spike, your site may start performing poorly. Plan early to avoid this.
Some sellers start their sales well before the big Friday. Make sure you have an intuitive user interface, a seamless checkout experience with multiple payment methods, and strong mobile functionality.
Once you’ve checked those off, you can focus on maximizing sales during the event. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.
Work on the Advertisement in Advance:
Optimize your email strategy, ad placement, and social media to highlight the deals, new products, gifts, etc. you have in store for Black Friday.
Send emails often enough without spamming, and use a unique, catchy subject line. Remember, other businesses will be doing the same.
Also, post on your social media so followers can stay up to date. Be as fun and innovative as possible to build excitement.
Gifts:
You could give out gifts, even with the minimum purchase, to encourage people to shop from you. The gift should be relevant to your niche, inexpensive, and eligible for free/ inexpensive shipping.
However, since you’re not running a charity, make sure the products being bought cover the cost of these gifts. You have to protect your margin.
Free Shipping:
An online poll found that 88% of consumers are more likely to shop online with free shipping. If you incorporate this into your Black Friday sales, remember to protect your margin.
Limited-time Window Deals:
You can create urgency with temporary sales. You can also run different deals every hour. It keeps customers on their toes and makes them revisit the site every hour to check for the next deal.
That way, you keep their attention. Use eye-catching banners to grab their attention. A countdown timer can also increase the sense of urgency.
Extend deals: As we mentioned earlier, most people start shopping for holiday gifts and the like before Black Friday. If you can, start promoting deals before the event.
Some people may have changed their minds and want to buy a particular item now because of the discount. Utilize Cyber Monday by extending your deals till then. Also, send out targeted emails to people who may have abandoned their cart as a reminder.
Track your Success:
Monitor performance and gather insights to inform next year’s sales. Don’t forget to put in the work to turn new customers into loyal customers. Keep up email marketing and social media engagement, and keep offering attractive deals at other times of the year.
If you struggle to keep up with the groundwork needed for successful Black Friday sales, don’t fret. Call Lead Web Praxis Media Limited, and they will provide the guidance you need or lay the groundwork for you.
