With Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) just around the corner, the buzz for last-minute deals is in full swing. Consumers are already scouring the web, hunting for the best BFCM discounts and bookmarking the ecommerce stores that have caught their eye. But we all know shoppers—if there’s a chance for a better bargain, they’ll keep checking for even deeper discounts.

For ecommerce store owners, this pre-BFCM rush means a boost in traffic, as customers keep revisiting to see if their favorite items have dropped in price. To keep up with the hype, some stores have already launched early BFCM deals, smoothing out traffic spikes and ensuring they’re ready to deliver top-notch service when the big days arrive.

Even if you’ve been prepping for months, the days just before BFCM still offer a chance to fine-tune your approach. In ecommerce, there’s always that one more thing to optimize. So, what last-minute BFCM strategies can you put into play to maximize conversions and give your customers an experience they won’t forget?

Check and recheck

As any captain of a ship would do before a storm, walk around and make sure all the ropes are fastened and your crew is in position. Look at every consumer and supplier touchpoint and make sure all apps and plugins that govern them are working well. It’s equally important to send an email to your dropshipping suppliers with volume surge history from last year. A reminder can go a long way.

Communication is key, so have a quick Skype call with all your remote VAs and make sure they will be fully available the weekend of BFCM. Go a step further: create and share a flashcard with everyone’s email and phone for when the unforeseeable problem arises.

At the same time, organize your sales plan. Map your sales by item and category including start and end date, type of discount, and marketing channel. Make sure all your ads and posts are scheduled so your hands are free to handle orders in the rush of BFCM.

Additionally, check your packaging supplies and do some last-minute restocking. You don’t want to realize you are out of tape right at crunch time.

Retarget previous customers

Your ads, posts, and emails should be scheduled by now but if your customers are taking advantage of your early-bird discounts and giving you new data in the process, you can do much more. They are probably not done shopping for everything on their lists. Use your new data to send highly-personalized emails with discount codes on similar or complementing items.

After all, it is far easier to sell to existing customers than to bring in new ones. So use the momentum to build up the buzz with countdown timers and reminders about your deepest discount on popular items. As you are keeping people engaged, entice them further with free shipping on top items.

Offer free shipping

Black Friday is as much a sale as it is a marketing tool to get your brand in front of the wide holiday audience. Consider offering free shipping for the entire sale even if that shrinks your margins. You will more than make it up later on return customers.

Not to mention, shipping costs are one of the prime factors for cart abandonment. You will be removing an important psychological barrier and making the purchasing path much smoother. If you cannot afford to offer free shipping to everyone, retarget existing customers with individualized free shipping coupons. You can use an app like JustUno to achieve just that.

Turn one-time buyers into loyal customers

BFCM isn’t just about boosting sales for a few days—it’s a golden opportunity to set up your store for long-term growth by turning first-time shoppers into loyal customers. Don’t underestimate this last-minute BFCM chance to wow your customers and start building lasting relationships.

High volumes don’t mean it’s okay to cut corners. In fact, the holiday surge is your perfect opportunity to get creative and keep those one-time buyers coming back. One simple way is to include small extras in each package, like samples, coupons, or handwritten thank-you notes. Preparing these materials ahead of time and adding them to your packaging flow makes it easy to delight your customers hassle-free and keep them coming back even after BFCM ends.

Stay on top of customer service, returns, and exchanges

It is not too late to hire one or two skilled virtual assistants to help with customer service on the Black Friday weekend and the week after. Employ platforms like Upwork or Freeeup for quick access to a pool of talent. People often buy from several stores and then return the items that are not a perfect fit, especially in the clothing category.

How you handle returns and exchanges says everything about your customer service. With BFCM around the corner, setting up a smooth returns process can make a huge difference in customer satisfaction. It’s a detailed process with lots of moving parts, but nailing it means you’ll keep more happy customers long after BFCM. Plus, you’ll avoid the risk of frustrated buyers leaving negative reviews on social media.

Employ discounts on popular items

Leverage your most popular items to drive traffic to your store this last-minute BFCM. With shopping excitement in the air, it’s time to focus and streamline your marketing. Highlight top-selling products that customers love, creating buzz around the items people are already eager to buy.

To make a big impact, offer a limited quantity of these fan favorites at a steep discount, and spread the word through social media and email. You can even add a day or two of targeted last-minute Facebook ads to amplify the reach. This kick-off strategy can spark great word of mouth, bringing in new visitors who may pick up additional items along the way.

Build up the urgency and scarcity

Consumers are already counting down the days to BFCM and preparing for limited quantities on their favorite deals. Help them stay on track with countdown timers that build excitement and lead up to specific sales. Similarly, use tools like Fomo to show real-time purchase activity and engage visitors through social proof.

Highlight the limited quantities of your top products that are likely to sell out fast. Use countdown apps to show how few are left, creating urgency and encouraging customers to buy early—even if the best discounts haven’t hit yet. This way, you can prompt those last-minute BFCM buyers to act quickly, knowing they might miss out if they wait until the deepest discounts arrive.

Always gather data

Don’t take your eyes off your data. Get insights from Google Analytics, Facebook, or the likes of HubSpot, and track your users to better understand their interaction with your store. Install apps and plugins that offer specific data on key touchpoints, like

• heat mapping, to see how they interact with your product page, and
• popups and chatbots, to see what questions they ask and why they navigate away.

This effort will help you understand how your Black Friday consumers act differently than those same shoppers during normal conditions. That way, you will be able to improve your store and know what to adjust in the future during peak volume seasons.

Automate everything you can

Automation can be a game-changer during the last-minute BFCM rush, letting you handle high volumes without breaking a sweat. Use this time to ensure your automation for marketing, customer service, and fulfillment is fine-tuned and ready to take on the surge. Here’s a quick checklist to keep your store running like a well-oiled machine:

• Final tune-up for automations: Double-check your marketing, customer service, and fulfillment automations to ensure they’re set up to handle the BFCM load.
• Delegate wisely: Use apps, platforms, or trusted team members to handle tasks that don’t need your direct oversight.
• Avoid weak links: If you’ve recently hired a VA who hasn’t handled high volumes yet, assign them only to tasks where they’ve proven effective.
• Stick to what works: BFCM isn’t the time to test new processes; rely on proven methods to ensure smooth operations.

Automation will help you make the most of BFCM without getting overwhelmed. Set up your systems to run efficiently and prepare to deliver a seamless experience for your customers.

Summing it up

For a successful last-minute BFCM, your aim is to boost sales, maximize marketing, and prepare your store to handle the holiday rush with ease. Start by planning your discounts in advance, ensuring offers are consistent and enticing. Build excitement through your marketing channels—email, social media, and ads—to keep customers engaged and eager to shop. It’s also key to streamline your order fulfillment process, so orders go out smoothly, keeping delivery times prompt and customers happy.

Lastly, ensure seamless team communication for quick issue resolution and strong customer service, setting the stage for high retention rates. With everything lined up, you’re set to make this BFCM your best yet. Ready to take it on?