That time of the year when sales explode over a single weekend is approaching again.
That's right, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the events to shine with your ecommerce store, so this guide will go over everything you need to know to ensure you get the most out of it.
So why are Black Friday and Cyber Monday so crucial for print on demand stores? Read on!
Why you should have a Black Friday sale
Historically, retailers would open their stores as early as five a.m. to offer in-store deals on everything from electronics to toys during the Christmas shopping season.
With the growing popularity of online shopping, ecommerce stores have been able to break records in 2018, generating $6.2 billion in online sales, a 23.6% increase from the previous year.
People are shopping online for pre-holiday bargains more and more, giving ecommerce stores a significant edge in attracting new customers and boosting sales.
Black Friday starts every Friday after Thanksgiving, and the following Monday for Cyber Monday!
What you need to know about Black Friday ecommerce stats
- Black Friday revenue in 2021 was estimated at $205 billion. (Source)
- Mobile devices played a significant role, used by 75% to research products, compare prices or make purchases, up from 66% last year. (Source)
- Online traffic increased by 220% on Black Friday and 155% on Cyber Monday compared to a regular weekday counterpart. (Source)
- Over half of the online shoppers were first-time buyers (Source)
- Men (88%) and women (85%) alike participate in Black Friday shopping (Source)
- People aged 35-44 were most likely to partake in Black Friday. (Source)
Now that we know why the sales during this weekend are so significant, let's find out how you can begin preparing for it.
How do you prepare your store for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Preparation is half the battle in ensuring you reach new and old customers as much as possible. Here's how you can make that to the fullest!
Update your website
It's essential to update your website to announce the Black Friday sale.
Your website can display a banner about what you will be doing and at what time.
Another way is to include Black Friday graphics on your website, such as the homepage header, popup notifications, and product images.
Announce the delivery details
One of the biggest questions a visitor will have includes:
- When can I expect this to arrive so I can have it ready before Christmas?
- Will the shipping times be affected due to the Black Friday traffic?
- Will there be any changes to the shipping costs due to the Black Friday traffic?
You can include this information on your home page, product page, and FAQ (frequently asked questions) page. You don't have to do all of them, but it ensures your visitors see them.
Figure out your special offers
While Black Friday discount deals are standard, not everyone does the same deals.
There is no rule you have to follow, and you can also include other ways to offer a special deal!
Later, we'll review other deal ideas you can use. Make sure the upcoming special offer(s) are easily seen on your website so people can prepare for them.
Did you know you can create exclusive discount codes for your social media content?
For example, let's say you want to post about a product on Twitter every few hours throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
You can create discount codes related to your social media content. By engaging your audience, you'll be able to increase your following and hopefully land more sales.
The tactic is relatively straightforward, but it is undoubtedly one that has the potential to pay off during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Notify your audience of Black Friday deals
Create the deals, and they'll come.
It turns out that doesn't work!
If you want your Black Friday deals to be successful, you must market them so people know ahead of time.
How? Here are a few ideas to help you get started.
Social media
What better use of spreading the word of your Black Friday sale than through social media?
It makes sense because new and current followers can see and be aware of what you offer.
There's also the paying strategy of social media, where you can set up ads to be run to like-minded people to see what you offer and how much they'll save from your deals.
While not mandatory, it's also the most effective strategy for reaching the most people in the shortest time.
Burt's Bees does this regularly – they use images of their products on Instagram a few days before they are released.
Since they constantly generate buzz around their products, they sell out almost immediately.
For more info on how you use social media, here's a beginner's guide on Facebook Ads to make the best of it.
Email list
This is similar to the social media strategy, except it works by sending an email to all your subscribers who want to know about any significant sales.
The average email subscriber is worth more than the average follower, so you must not skim on this! According to DMA research, every dollar spent on email marketing returns an average of $32.
You can even send multiple emails over the weeks to build hype, so once it launches, people will be super excited to buy from you.
Here's a beginner's guide on how you can start using email marketing for the big sale season!
Now we looked at ways to inform your customers about Black Friday; here's a round-up of the best tools you should use to maximize your success.
Use these must-have tools
Here are the three best tools you should use, beginning with analytics!
Analytics
An analytics tool is the best way to measure the amount of success on Black Friday.
An analytics tool tells you who's visiting your site, where they're going, and where they're going. The heat maps feature shows where the user is looking and clicking, so you know what's being seen and ignored.
Once you know the behaviors of your customers, you'll be able to make it easier for them to find what they want and reach the checkout with a positive experience!
One of the best to try out for free is Hotjar.
They allow features such as seeing where your customers are clicking and where they leave your website.
Another cool thing to note is a heat tracking system that shows you were and they aren't looking at your website.
For more information on Hotjar, check out our in-depth article about it and other print on demand tools!
Meta Pixel
A Meta Pixel tracks a visitor's behavior so that you can target them later. This works by placing a small code on your website that captures data from every visitor.
You're more likely to get accurate results if you have it sooner rather than later, as it's a crucial marketing tool.
If you didn't set up your Meta Pixel yet, check out our complete beginner's guide here.
Live chat
Fun fact: 42% of visitors want to use a live chat system instead of phone calls because they believe it's faster than waiting to be answered.
Also, another 42% say a business is more trustworthy when they have a live chat system on its website.
Since live chat allows you to talk at your own pace, it has become more popular than other support methods, such as phone calls and emails.
There are a lot of great live chat tools out there, and our favorite is Zendesk.
Zendesk allows you to have a great live chat system and all the features you want to ensure your store's customer support goes as smoothly as possible during the Black Friday weekend.
For more information on Zendesk, check out our in-depth article about it and other POD tools.
6 ideas of the best Black Friday offers to use for POD
When you think of offers, you probably think of percentage discounts. You're right. That is the most common offer, but why not try other offers too?
Other offers can be better because you're differentiating yourself from the competition, and people may believe they're getting a better deal than they are!
Here are some ideas you can try for Black Friday.
1. Free shipping
While some businesses always offer free shipping, it can be a powerful way to get people's attention.
Never underestimate the power of using the word 'free' in marketing. It's a super word that will always grab attention because people love free things, especially when they don't have to do anything to get them!
Using free shipping through an entire event is enormous if you can do it.
2. Buy one, get one free
The buy one, get one free strategy is powerful for those selling smaller-priced products, so it entices more impulsive purchases.
It may not be effective for expensive purchases because you may be cutting too much into your profit margins to be worth it.
3. Black Friday exclusive products
An excellent way to announce a product is by giving it a unique showcase only during the weekend of Black Friday!
It's a super effective way to make it known and entice the viewer into not missing out.
There's no rule that it has to only be during Black Friday. You can set it to be released later and reward those who purchase it early.
4. Run contests and giveaways
Like free shipping, people love free stuff!
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday's most significant shopping sales, you've got the recipe for success on social media.
You can also offer your audience the chance to win something great during the big weekend so that you can generate benefits in return.
Consider likes, retweets, comments, and shares – all of which will make your brand and sales more visible.
5. Gift after purchasing a certain amount
The gift-with-every-purchase strategy is popular with the more extensively priced products. This is so you have enough profit margin to give something for free.
The small gift can be anything you think makes sense for your branding and products. An excellent way to find out is to give your customer the choice of a gift so you know they'll get something they'll use.
Another way to find the best gift for them is to use one that compliments the big product purchase.
For example, if they bought a giant wall print to hang up in their home, gifting them wall tape to help install the art print without damaging their walls will be super helpful.
6. Percentage discount
Lastly, the standard percentage discount is a useful and safe option.
There are also different percentage discounts you can do besides the familiar store-wide sale of a fixed amount.
You can offer a percentage discount when the buyer is purchasing a certain amount in their cart. You can also use a deal when they're buying a specific product.
You can use your imagination and test which strategy works best for you!
You've been in a lot of hard work to have a successful Black Friday, but you can also carry that momentum into the new year.
How to keep the Black Friday sale momentum going
There is always an opportunity to get sales no matter what time of year it is, so what you do after Black Friday can be crucial.
Here are some strategies to keep getting sales well into the holidays so the fun can go on all year long!
Upsells
Upselling is selling a better version of a product.
For example, someone bought a travel suitcase. In an email promotion, you can send that person a bigger or higher-quality version they could consider.
There is also cross-selling!
Cross-selling is complimenting a product with another one. For example, a 'complete the look.' If the customer buys a matching shirt and shorts, they'll most likely want to purchase sandals, so the outfit is complete.
Cart recovery emails
With many print on demand stores, you'll get people who left products in their shopping cart without a purchase.
70% of people are going to leave the cart, based on Baymard Institute's findings. (Source)
It can feel frustrating to know you were close to a sale, but at least you have a cart recovery email to send to them to let them know they left their products in the cart.
Here's a beginner's guide on how you can start setting up your cart abandonment emails and get them recovered!
Sign up to emailing list
Even if you couldn't get a sale from Black Friday, bringing a sign-up to your emailing list is your next best goal.
People who subscribe to your mailing list are more likely to purchase from you and want to hear more about your promotions than on social media.
Best of all, email marketing is one of the most inexpensive ways to reach out to people not using this marketing strategy, and you're losing money in the long run.
For more info, here's a detailed beginner's guide on email marketing for ecommerce.
Retargeting advertisement
If you're using Meta Pixel on your store (and you should!), you can have more data to set up retargeting ads.
Retargeting ads will allow you to target people who have visited your store and purchased in the past.
As a result, you are more likely to achieve successful results since the person already knows you.
A 'last chance' advertisement
Cyber Monday doesn't have to end your special offers and discounts.
It might result in shoppers losing out on your sales.
Wouldn't that be a shame, especially if they're interested in your products?
Consider sending another email alerting your mailing list about a last-chance sale.
During the holiday season, try to convert as many customers as possible by offering them an extra 10% discount.
You should leverage urgency if you send the last chance sale email – shoppers must know this is their last chance!
Customer surveys
A strong follow-up email after Black Friday is a customer survey to learn more about your visitor's experience.
A lot of the time, we assume we know what our customers like. Sometimes we go by what we want, but without knowing for sure.
There's a good chance you're wasting time and energy on the wrong things that your customers wouldn't like as much.
Survey emails are a great way to learn what your customers think about your store, products, and anything else you need to know.
Don't forget to incentive the survey as well!
Be creative in ways you can reward people for taking the survey, like a chance to win a free product or a promo code.
There is no 'right' incentive, so do what's best for you and what your customer would enjoy.
Summary
Before we go to the conclusion, we've created a quick summary of this article for you, so you can easily remember it:
- You're losing sales if you don't participate in Black Friday and Cyber Monday because people are expected, and the profits steadily grow yearly.
- Make sure to update your website with graphics and banners to let everyone know about your Black Friday sale.
- Make your shipping details as straightforward as possible because it's one of the areas people look for the most.
- Be creative in your sales! Buy one, get one free, or a gift with every purchase help stand out from the rest of the offers.
- Use social media and your email list to help get as much attention to your big sale as much as possible.
- Have a plan for recovering abandoned carts with an email system.
- Just because the big sale weekend is over doesn't mean you should stop marketing and find ways to engage your new customers.
Conclusion
Black Friday is one of the most critical times for any print on demand store.
Many people want to purchase from you, and it's your job to make it as easy as possible.
This guide should help you understand how it's done so that you can follow along! Make the most potent Black Friday possible, and have a great day.
Want to learn more about print on demand?
Ready to move your print on demand store to the next level? Check out the articles below:
- 15 Best Print on Demand Companies and Suppliers
- Printful vs. Printify: Which One for Print on Demand?
- How Do You Handle Print on Demand Returns in 2024?
Plus, don’t forget to check out our in-depth how to start a print on demand business guide here!
