As you may already be aware, Black Friday is among the most significant days for the majority of European and American online retailers. The average global sales day is +663% more than a typical day, and this year will undoubtedly see many more sales records broken. Black Friday 2022, which takes place on November 25, will be unlike any other in past years. Customers’ preferences and purchasing habits have been developing rapidly. This year, the supply chain will be crucial, and selecting the appropriate marketing strategies will be more crucial than ever. The 10 most relevant ideas for Black Friday 2022 are provided in this article as a solution to the question, “How to Prepare for Black Friday 2022?”

Where Did Black Friday Come From?

The term “Black Friday” was initially used to refer to the financial crisis, notably the fall of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869, rather than the post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping season. The nation’s gold was purchased as much as possible by two infamously cunning Wall Street bankers, Jim Fisk and Jay Gould, in an effort to push up the price and sell it for astounding profits. The plot ultimately came to light on that September Friday, sending the stock market into a rapid collapse and forcing everyone from Wall Street magnates to farmers into bankruptcy.

From Financial Crash to Shopping Mania

The idea that companies run at a loss, or are “in the red,” until the day following Thanksgiving, when enormous sales eventually enable them to earn a profit, or put them “in the black,” is thought by many to be the origin of the name “Black Friday.” This is false, though.

It’s been said that in the 1800s, Southern plantation owners could purchase enslaved workers at a discount on the day following Thanksgiving. This tale gives the custom a particularly vile twist. Although some have rightfully called for a boycott of the shopping holiday in response to this story of Black Friday’s origins, this demand is unfounded.

The truth about Black Friday’s origins, however, is not as rosy as some companies would have you think. Police in Philadelphia first coined the phrase in the 1950s to characterize the mayhem that erupted on the day after Thanksgiving when throngs of suburban merchants and visitors flooded the city in anticipation of the significant Army-Navy football game that was played on that Saturday every year. Police officers in Philadelphia would not only be unable to take the day off, but they would also have to put in extra-long shifts to deal with the increased traffic and people. Shoplifters would also take advantage of the chaos in stores to steal goods, making things difficult for police authorities.

The phrase “Black Friday” became well-known in Philadelphia within a short period of time. “Big Friday” was the name given to the day by city merchants in an effort to make it seem better.

Black Friday as a term for an increase in retail sales didn’t become widely used until the late 1980s, when businesses began to promote the myth of red-to-black profits. According to reports, Black Friday is both the biggest shopping day in the US and the day when retail establishments start to make a profit for the year.

Black Friday 2022:

Black Friday has seen several transformations throughout the years, from a speculative gold scam to a stampede in Philadelphia to a retail boom. Black Friday could once more change into a new meaning as online purchasing technology develops. For instance, in Europe, the beginning of January and the middle of June are good times to purchase major household appliances since this is when warehouse cleaning occurs, while the pre-Christmas season is the greatest time to purchase books and stationery.

Black Friday lasts all day long. Many stores used to open their doors to crowds of customers waiting impatiently outside the windows on the afternoon of Thanksgiving. The practice of closing on Thanksgiving and reopen early on Friday has become more popular since the epidemic, though.

Online Black Friday deals typically begin at the same time as in-store discounts, if not a little sooner, for individuals who don’t want to wait in line outside of stores. Customers may anticipate a large number of doorbusters, or prices so low the business may not turn a profit, both online and in stores. To give customers enough time to research upcoming bargains and make purchase plans, the majority of big-box retailers publish their Black Friday ad scans, coupons, and offers online beforehand.

Other businesses adopt a different strategy, holding off on releasing their Black Friday advertisements in an effort to generate excitement and keep buyers anxiously checking back for news.

What is a Black Friday eCommerce strategy?

One of the busiest shopping days of the year is Black Friday, which falls on the day after the American Thanksgiving holiday. Customers anticipate discounts and specials from their trusted companies. They respond by lavishly rewarding companies. On Black Friday in 2021, US consumers spent $9.03 billion.

A follow-up to Black Friday, known as Cyber Monday, when online businesses unveil their greatest deals, was born with the advent of eCommerce. With $10.90 billion in sales, Cyber Monday actually outperformed Black Friday in terms of consumer spending in the United States last year.

There will be a lot of traffic to your online business as a result of those large numbers. With a strong Black Friday eCommerce plan, you should be ready.

So that you can grab your clients’ attention and get them pumped for your online sales, you should have a marketing strategy in place in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. Additionally, you’ll need to have a strong customer service plan in order to be ready for the day’s flood of shopping cart orders and client queries.

The essential eCommerce strategies and tools for your Black Friday campaign are outlined here.

What’s the Plan?

There will be a lot of traffic to your online business as a result of those large numbers. With a strong Black Friday eCommerce plan, you should be ready.

So that you can catch your clients’ attention and get them pumped for your online sales, you should have a marketing strategy in place in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. Additionally, you’ll need to have a strong customer service plan in order to be ready for the day’s flood of shopping cart orders and client queries.

Black Friday Tip #1: Mind your profits

Many internet retailers’ eyes shine while discussing Black Friday, and they hear the recognizable “ka-ching” sound. However, many of them lose sight of the distinction between income and profit when in that gold rush-like frame of mind. While encouraging sales with alluring incentives is fantastic, there is no use in doing so if your profit margins are about to disappear.

Therefore, consider what would happen if you didn’t follow the crowd and do what they do if your margins are already slim. Customers’ readiness for sales or purchases on Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the key topic at hand.

Furthermore, if you want to launch a sales deal, play around with the size of the discount. Does a 15% discount provide the same outcomes as one of 5%? So you’ve effectively converted a 10% discount into a 10% profit on each transaction.

Black Friday Tip #2: Arrange your timing and plan beforehand

The Black Friday hysteria begins earlier each year. In fact, it has advanced to the point that some marketers now refer to “Black Month.” Even 53 days in advance, Amazon started its Black Friday 2022 advertising.

The start of the Christmas season for the majority of online retailers is marked by a frightening Halloween evening. There are several significant e-commerce shopping days in November. For instance, the importance of Single’s Day has been spreading from Asian markets to American and European e-commerce marketplaces.

You may or may not have already started planning a campaign for this day. Whatever the case, some of your competitors will. Therefore, you should start teasing your potential clients with your Black Friday deals before that day. Making early announcements of special discounts is one tactic that has proven successful in previous years. You may provide more and more specific details about your campaign as the big day approaches. You can keep your clients engaged and on your toes by employing this strategy.

Black Friday Tip #3: Take site performance off the table

The potential to lose or gain millions in sales on Black Friday can hinge on your ecommerce platform’s reliability.

Whether or not you need to replatform right now, it’s good to have a backup strategy. Install an uptime monitor to notify you when your website experiences downtime. That way, you can react quickly or immediately lean on your platform support team.

Site crashes are a huge turn-off, but a slow-loading site can be equally irritating for customers.

Black Friday Tip #4: Monitor your stock levels

Black Friday 2022 strategy and timing are now more crucial than ever for marketing initiatives and promotional deals. The fact that supply chains have been overwhelmed and have not been operating well over the past several months is one of the largest contrasts from recent years.

Large problems awaited suppliers on Black Friday in 2021. In addition to the fact that many businesses and items now have a backlog of production and shipments, everything has also gotten more expensive. As of right now in 2022, issues like rising gas prices, energy expenses (which are harming warehouses), and the economic crisis brought on by armed conflict in Europe have led to potential price increases.

Many analysts predict that many corporations will struggle to maintain adequate stock levels. Be sure to stock up on your supplies early enough so that you are ready for any situation. Due to stock shortages, some businesses won’t be able to reach their full potential on Black Friday 2022. Make decisions early and cooperate with reliable partners to ensure that it’s not you.

Black Friday Tip #5: Keep it straightforward

One of the key marketing adages is “keep it simple,” and for good reason. Customers will only interact with deals, advertisements, material, and such if it is simple to understand. This is especially true during a time of year that may be quite stressful. Black Friday 2022 and the upcoming holiday season will overwhelm internet buyers more than ever.

Be careful to be honest about what you have to give. Concentrate on promoting 1 to 3 of your top sales in particular. Focus on the main points of your product and avoid confusing potential customers. Don’t make your clients consider making another alluring buy; instead, provide that one bargain they will adore.

The so-called option overload effect might result from having too many good offers. In that situation, the client won’t be able to decide with confidence and will finally abandon your online store without making any purchases.

Despite the fact that bundles are a terrific method to boost sales and basket sizes, we encourage you to avoid offering complicated bundles on Black Friday in 2022 for the same reasons as previously. This will not only help visitors make decisions, but it will also make running your business easier.

Black Friday Tip #6: Use social media, content, and display advertising to fill your marketing funnels

The holiday season is a battleground for e-commerce. For Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2022, the competition in this market will be at an all-time high. Therefore, before that, be sure to fill your marketing funnels.

Use content marketing all year long to get people to subscribe to your newsletters and social media platforms. In this manner, you may create efficient email and remarketing lists to reach your target market as affordably as possible.

Use display advertisements in addition before Black Friday. As a result of their low click-through rates, they have a terrible reputation. However, they might be a fantastic approach to assist your marketing initiatives. They are reasonably priced, and you may use them to access niche markets through channels you do not already service. It is really one of the least expensive methods for growing audiences.

When would be the ideal moment to begin? Regardless of when you read this, our response will always be yesterday. Don’t hesitate to get started; you won’t regret it.

Black Friday Tip #7: Email marketing is the ruler

Adding to what was discussed before, it is challenging to attract clients on a day when every other business is spending time and money to achieve the same thing. Making use of the strength of your email list is one technique to attract attention to this before and on Black Friday 2021. Use the trust you’ve established to inform your subscribers about exclusive offers.

Categorize and tailor the information and offers in the emails to realize their full potential. Using the recipient’s name in the subject line is one way to find low-hanging fruit. Studies have revealed that this results in 22% greater open rates. There are many different aspects of the subject line.

There are many different aspects of the subject line. Based on them, 47% of email receivers open emails. Therefore, it usually pays to spend a few minutes planning your subject lines.

Sending them a Black Friday email based on their prior behavior requires a little more work. However, this is a really effective tactic. For instance, first-time purchasers are often more interested in discounts, but devoted clients may be more interested in VIP deals that are only available to them.

Black Friday Tip #8: Social media is the queen

Social networking is a fantastic technique to attract clients, just like email lists are. Improve your accounts and include pertinent keywords. Even your profile photo might be changed for Black Friday 2022.

Inform your fans of your most recent offers, include the appropriate hashtags in your postings, and provide promotion codes. To take advantage of the social proof this technique generates, encourage user-generated content. Make it easier for your friends to shop by using the social shopping function. Additionally, have you ever considered or really done this before dealing with micro-influencers? It is worthwhile to examine the return on investment in any instance.

While using social media to promote sales is a terrific idea, consider why people follow you. Avoid going overboard with your Black Friday deals as this may erode the confidence your followers have in your account and business.

Black Friday Tip #9: Increase conversions from visitors

You are so close to making that sale if you have managed to drive some attention to your website or product page. In 2022, a typical benchmark for checkout abandonment in e-commerce is 69.57%. This percentage is significantly greater than 80% for mobile traffic.

One of the most upsetting experiences for online retailers is coming so close but not getting the conversion. If we compare it to sports, it would be similar to missing a penalty in European or in American football — losing the ball in the end zone.

How can this figure, which was notably high during Black Friday, be decreased?

• Refresh the look of your store

Be original to stand out from the crowd. In this manner, you will improve the likelihood that they will stay on your website and make a purchase from you.

• Create a feeling of urgency

Create a sense of urgency as a strategy to use in 2022 during the busy season. Add a countdown timer or a display of the remaining inventory to alert clients to the offer’s impending expiration.

• Include a live chat feature

A live chat service is a fantastic approach to decrease drop-off if you have the capacity to offer one. Examine the behaviors of those who abandon the checkout process. The majority of the time, unanswered (and unasked) questions will drive away potential customers. You may intervene before a visitor leaves your online store if you know where the issues arise for which sort of visitor. By doing so, you may improve conversion rates while simultaneously learning important lessons and developing automated solutions for future blocks.

• Improve shipping conditions

High shipping charges and long delivery delays are two of the primary causes of cart abandonment. Offer free delivery for cart sizes up to a particular size, if at all feasible. By doing so, you may boost sales while lowering cart abandonment.

• Set off reminders for abandoned baskets

There will always be clients who choose to quit the checkout process, even if you have taken every precaution and tried your hardest to prevent it. Although you cannot avoid it, you can attempt to contact those who did. Sending a reminder email or text can be quite helpful if you have the data at hand. While the majority of consumers will disregard these reminders, some may return and finish the conversion. While some people might not buy anything, you might gain even more value in the long term by learning why they left.

• Offer clear and simple refunds

In e-commerce, returns are now a significant make-or-break aspect. This is especially true during the Christmas season, and there is little question that this year will set new records. To remain profitable, provide a straightforward returns policy and establish a successful reverse logistics system.

Black Friday Tip #10: Use Black Friday as a springboard for future sales

The majority of online retailers simply use Black Friday numbers when determining if the day was successful. However, you have to take a step back and consider Black Friday as the starting point for future sales. Profit on the fact that many people are eager to test new brands and items on that day because everything is often less expensive.

For instance, trademark your packaging to provide a memorable customer experience. Consider including fliers or “thank you” notes in your packages as well. Offer discounts to encourage repeat purchases from your consumers and win their loyalty.

Black Friday Tip #11: Communicate peak times with your fulfillment partners

It is crucial for 3PL organizations to be aware of any anticipated increases in order volumes in order to allocate enough resources. This will enable enough personnel to be made available to ensure prompt order fulfillment.

This year in particular, and going forward, it will be even more crucial. Customers appreciate the shopping experience more and more. Therefore, quick delivery times help to increase client happiness, which then helps to increase customer loyalty.

Nothing can stop you if you use these 11 Black Friday 2022 strategies and your skills as a retailer.

We wish you every success in your efforts!