19 Black Friday Ecommerce Tips & Hacks to Skyrocket Your Sales

As Black Friday 2023 approaches, online businesses must hone their strategies to capitalize on this substantial shopping event. The essence lies in embracing the latest eCommerce hacks and understanding evolving consumer behaviors. Historical data underscores the stakes: Black Friday 2020 saw $188.2 billion in spending, and despite economic challenges, Black Friday 2021 garnered $14.04 billion in online sales​​. The upward trajectory continued in 2022, with a 2.3% increase in online sales amounting to $9.2 billion. The preference for online shopping is growing, with 2021 data showing 38.1% opted for online shopping over in-store, a trend poised to rise. Mobile transactions, accounting for a significant chunk of global Black Friday sales, emphasize a shift in shopping preferences​.

Projections for Black Friday 2023 are promising with predictions of higher average spending per person, indicative of recovering shopping habits post-pandemic​​. As online sales burgeons, brands must ensure website readiness to handle traffic surges and offer stellar user experiences. Preparing for Black Friday 2023 entails gearing up for a shopper influx, with the latest trends and data as pivotal tools for achieving a successful and profitable event.

Thus, in this article, we gathered up a list of 19 proven and extremly effective Black Friday eCommerce tips and hacks to test on your own BFCM marketing campaign, along with specific robust platforms that can assist you achieve your Black Friday goals.

In this post, we show you the latest marketing tactics every brand must execute to be properly prepared for the Black Friday weekend. Here is the list of the best eCommerce hacks we gathered, so you stay ahead of the competition:

The barely minimum 3 eCommerce marketing tactics for Black Friday 2023

The concept of growth hacking is quite simple: every idea, strategy or tactic you employ should be centered around driving business, thus, boosting profits. With email marketing contributing to almost 23% of total sales made on Black Friday last year, if you haven’t already started using eCommerce growth hacks, Black Friday is the optimal opportunity for your to re-image your automated email campaigns and strategies. Check out these least expected marketing tactics that every brand should execute:

1. Create a Black Friday Landing Page
2. Create dedicated designs for Black Friday (newsletters, website banners, social media). Tip: use gifs, people love’em and it’s super easy with pickapic!
3. Schedule newsletters to nurture the demand

Of course, these three tactics are just the tip of the iceberg. Your competition is more fierce than ever this year. We’ve got the goods on the best Black Friday growth hacks to help you leave competitors in the dust. Thus, let’s move with a list of 19 of the most effective Black Friday eCommerce tips and hacks you can implement for your brand this year.

Black Friday eCommerce hack #1: Customize your Exit Intent Pop Up

Tactic: Use nice Black Friday-related graphics and eye-catching copy to inform and lead people to your landing page.

Driving customers to your site and giving them a good experience is only part of your goal as an eCommerce retailer. You need to have a strategy in place to catch customers who try to leave your site without purchasing your product or direct them to your special promotions.

Utilize the best marketing automation tools to give one last shout-out to your potential customers. You have nothing to lose! Maybe offer them a discount on your products, you never know — you might just change their mind.

Black Friday eCommerce hack #2: Add a Black Friday related hook for your list building pop up

Tactic: Provoke people to opt-in to your newsletter so as to get early access to Black Friday deals.

It sounds illogical to interrupt your Black Friday shoppers with an opt-in pop up, but actually, it’s not. Black Friday is all about getting deals. So as long as you fine-tune your opt-in pop up to let customers known that signing up to your newsletter means getting an early bird special or discounts, they will sign up!

Just make sure you only display that to your unknown visitors, so you’re not impacting the flow of customers who have already done business with you previously. Also, be sure to rock your Black Friday newsletter opt-in pop up by evoking emotions, using humor or something intriguing.

Black Friday eCommerce hack #3: Modify your Cart Abandonment automation

Tactic: Adjust the graphics and copy as well as the sequence for maximum conversion. (Send an automated email 5 mins after, 6-hours later, 24-hours later, etc).

Cart abandonment is something that every online shop deals with, and Black Friday shoppers are no exception.

You see, eCommerce cart abandonment is quite common, occurring at a rate of 68.63%. However, by targeting Black Friday shoppers with relevant messages, you can continue to engage and convert your leads. Pretty cool, huh?

Really, the key to improving your odds of recovering potential sales loss is timing. You are not going to get them all back, but studies have shown that by sending an email within 20 minutes of cart abandonment achieved an average a 5.2% conversion rate. So, give it go and see your Black Friday eCommerce sales going up for sure.

Black Friday eCommerce hack #4: Push Notification reminders automation

Tactic: Set some reminders 1 week before, 1 day before, 1 hour before, and when the promotion starts.

Why are push notifications an important element to Black Friday eCommerce hacks? Simple: they do the work for you in keeping your customers engaged with your brand.

You can give your Black Friday marketing campaign an extra edge with eCommerce push notifications. This is because you can reach customers whenever they are active on their devices to tell them about Black Friday special updates, sales, promotions, and reminders. As a result of this communication, you can expect to have a 3 to 10x higher click rates compared to your standard newsletters!

Furthermore, try utilizing an automated push notification with cart reminder, to get the best of both worlds – push notification and cart abandonment automation in one!

Black Friday eCommerce hack #5: Give free stickers on each order

Tactic: People love stickers and it would be a nice loyalty tactic (and maybe a motive too!)

This is a no-brainer: Everyone loves stickers! Happy customers even post YouTube videos about their free stickers that they receive from their favorite brands.

Studies show that stickers can actually help drive people to your blog, increases your brand’s organic traffic and creates customer loyalty. Not only will you make your customers happy with a freebie, but they also will continue to promote your brand by displaying the sticker! Just think about it — there are wall stickers, bumper stickers and stickers people love to put on their laptops, etc. Endless possibilities to grab the attention of new customers!

Definitely one of our favorite Black Friday eCommerce tips!

Black Friday eCommerce hack #6: The Chat hack

Tactic: Setup triggered messages to provoke interaction with people and promote your Black Friday landing page.

This eCommerce growth hack is a well-kept secret and is often overlooked. However, it produces unbelievable results in increasing your conversions. In fact, visitors who use live chat convert at a rate of almost 8x versus those who do not use chat! At the same time, using chatbot can significantly ease the strain on your customer support staff during the busy holiday period, as simple and transactional inquiries can be taken care off by the AI.

Black Friday eCommerce hack #7: The SEO hack

Tactic: Add “Black Friday Sales” on the HTML titles of the participating categories/products to increase CTRs and organic traffic.

Titles are the very first glimpse that potential customers and, not to mention, search engine algorithms, get of your site. You need to be sure to create an eye-catching title, focusing on what you have to offer for Black Friday.

By implementing this simple SEO tweak, you will drive more traffic to your page and the more optimized your site, the higher search engines rank it! After all, what’s the point in implementing all of these game-changing Black Friday eCommerce hacks if no one can find your site?

Black Friday eCommerce hack #8: Adjust your remarketing ads

Tactic: Configure your copy and design to be Black Friday related to this day. (Maybe mention the free sticker thing, too!)

When you think that over 49% of online shoppers take at least 2 visits to your website before they make a purchase, you need a tactic that enables you to follow your customers and drive them back to you! By running retargeting and remarketing ads you will see an increase in conversions outside of your website.

All you need to do is choose a relevant copy to create mind-blowing ads for your Black Friday campaign. The result? You will succeed in increasing traffic, returning customers, and ultimately, conversion rates!

Black Friday eCommerce hack #9: Create scarcity with a FOMO tool

Tactic: Try using a FOMO tool like Proof for this day for maximum scarcity effect?

Scarcity, a term every (eCommerce) growth hacker should know. Truth be told, no one wants to feel left behind, and up 60% of millennials make reactive purchases based on this principle. Create urgency for your visitors by installing a countdown clock for your Shopify store, create alerts for deals of the day or discounts, limited stock, flash sales, and more. Show your visitors that your products are “In high demand!” or that there are “Only 2 left!” and watch your conversions soar.

FOMO eCommerce hacks can be personalized some by adding visitors’ gender, city and product category. And, as you know, the more relevant the message a potential customer receives, the more likely they are to click and convert!

More proven Black Friday eCommerce tips, hacks & ideas

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #10: Launch Daily BF Offers: Daily Black Friday offers have two critical competitive advantages. They focus on scarcity/fomo which makes them highly effective and they keep customer retention at high levels on a daily basis, as long as your offers are interesting.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #11: Optimize Site Performance: Ensure your website loads quickly and performs well under high traffic to provide a smooth shopping experience. Implement caching, optimize images, and use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve site speed.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #12: BF Bundle Offers: Create attractive bundle deals that allow customers to buy complementary products together at a discounted rate. This will increase the average order value and encourage bulk purchasing.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #13: Social Media Teasers: Tease upcoming deals and special offers on social media platforms to build anticipation and drive traffic to your site. Use engaging visuals and hint at exclusive discounts to generate buzz.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #14: Influencer Collaborations: Partner with social media influencers to promote your Black Friday deals. Choose influencers whose followers align with your target audience for maximum impact.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #15: Loyalty Program Promotions: Reward your loyal customers with early access to Black Friday deals or extra discounts. This not only encourages purchases but also fosters customer loyalty.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #16: Live Chat Support: Provide live chat support to assist customers in real-time as they shop. Quick responses to inquiries can significantly improve the shopping experience and reduce cart abandonment.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #17: Gift Card Incentives: Offer a free gift card with a minimum purchase amount to encourage higher spending and return visits to your online store.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #18: Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-optimized to cater to the increasing number of shoppers using smartphones to make purchases. A mobile-friendly site is crucial for capturing mobile traffic.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #19: User-Generated Content: Encourage customers to share their purchases on social media with a unique hashtag. This authentic user-generated content can help build trust and drive more traffic to your site.

Black Friday eCommerce Hack #20: Real-Time Inventory Updates: Display real-time inventory levels to create a sense of urgency. Showing that only a few items are left in stock can trigger FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and prompt customers to make a purchase.

Growth hacking Black Friday from $275:

Growth hacking your Black Friday sales isn’t an easy task. The competition gets higher year after year but the good news is that you can implement all the above-mentioned eCommerce hacks only from $275, using 5 different tools. The best part? You can replicate this strategy to run all year round and adjust it to other seasonal marketing campaigns. All using this same growth stack. So, the marketing tools you will need are:

1. ContactPigeon ($199/month):
   Why this tool: ContactPigeon is a 100% eCommerce-focused marketing automation platform which trusted by 250+ enterprises in the US & Europe can help you with: Exit Intent popups, List Building widgets, Cart Abandonment strategy, Email Marketing, Push Notifications, SMS marketing, other custom, omnichannel automations you may need. The plans start from $199 per month.
2. MobileMonkey (freemium):
   Why this tool: Being the favorite chatbot tool of Neil Patel, MobileMonkey can help your company set up highly converting Facebook Messenger Chatbots. The company offers a free plan.
3. Proof ($26/month):
   Why this tool: Proof is a Ycombinator-backed company used by 3,000 companies which can help you increase conversions with its live social notifications. The plans start from $26 per month.
4. Facebook Ads Manager (free):
   Facebook Ads Manager is the official platform to set up your Facebook/Instagram remarketing ads. The actual cost here is the budget you will spend here.
5. Google Ads (free):
   Google Ads is Google’s official platform to set up your remarketing ads at Google and partners’ websites. Same thing here, the cost here depends on your budget.
6. Your own (team’s) hands (free):
   All the SEO tasks and the setting up of the mechanisms should be done from you and your team. However, if you have a ContactPigeon subscription, a marketing automation consultant can help you in the implementation stage to save lots of time.
7. A local printing partner ($50):
   You will need to design and print your free Black Friday stickers. Printing ~1,000 stickers won’t cost you more than $50, depending on the desired quality.

The Black Friday FAQ of any eCommerce business

How can an eCommerce business prepare for Black Friday?

• Step #0: In 2021, every eCommerce or retail brand oughts to take additional neccesary preparation actions and decisions to deal with the pandemic crisis.
• Step #1: Start preparing your Black Friday eCommerce strategy early. The perfect time for this is during September
• Step #2: Make a quick tech audit to your website (speed, UX flow errors, check for pages with high bounce rate)
• Step #3: See what worked for you in the past
• Step #4: Do your research on Black Friday marketing resources over the internet
• Step #5: Merge #4 & #5 and craft your own Black Friday marketing plan
• Step #6: Conduct an audit on your Black Friday Strategy (Use our Checklist!)
• Step #7: Execute the plan
• Step #8: Distribute/Promote

How successful is Black Friday?

In short, just in the US Black Friday eCommerce grows approximately $1 billion every year with Black Friday 2018 reaching 6.22 billion. In 2019, online sales exceeded $7.2 billion sales. In 2021 predictions are quite controversial, however, due to the pandemic.

How do you promote Black Friday deals?

The more omnichannel your approach is in 2021, the better your Black Friday sales will be. You should create a complete marketing plan including email, push notification & SMS in coordination with Social Media marketing efforts, PPC and SEO tactics. Using an omnichannel marketing automation tool can greatly increase your company’s results.

Why is Black Friday so important?

It is the #1 shopping day for retailers in the Western world. The global average difference in Black Friday vs ordinary Friday online transactions was +624% in 2018. So if you don’t run a Black Friday promotion then your competitors will.

How do you make the best use of Black Friday?

To make the best use of Black Friday, businesses should prepare in advance by optimizing website performance, stocking up on inventory, and crafting compelling offers. Engaging in email marketing, social media promotion, and ensuring excellent customer service can enhance the shopping experience and boost sales.

What is the optimal marketing strategy of Black Friday?

The best marketing strategy for Black Friday involves creating buzz through teaser campaigns, offering limited-time discounts, and utilizing various channels like email, social media, and PPC advertising. Highlighting exclusive deals and employing retargeting ads can help attract and retain customers, driving higher conversions.

What do consumers usually do on Black Friday?

Consumers typically hunt for deals and discounts on Black Friday, often purchasing more due to the perceived savings. They browse both online and in physical stores, comparing prices and looking for exclusive or hard-to-find items. The goal is to obtain the most value while spending less.

What services can an eCommerce business offer on Black Friday?

eCommerce businesses can offer special services like expedited shipping, gift wrapping, and exclusive member discounts on Black Friday. Additionally, providing a seamless online shopping experience, extended customer service hours and easy return policies can further entice customers and encourage purchases.

Any Black Friday ideas for small businesses in eCommerce?

Small eCommerce businesses can capitalize on Black Friday by offering bundled deals, launching new products, or providing special discounts to loyal customers. Engaging the local community through social media campaigns and collaborating with other small businesses for cross-promotions can also be effective strategies to drive traffic and sales. You can grab more inspiration and additional Black Friday ideas for small retail businesses here.

Other useful Black Friday resources for eCommerce

• 7 Creative Black Friday Strategies for retailers
• Black Friday statistics: The 80 most important stats for retailers
• 9 Email Marketing Ideas for Black Friday 2020
• Black Friday Email Subject Lines
• Top 5 Black Friday Marketing Automation Scenarios for Holiday Success
• The Black Friday Wiki for eCommerce
• Black Friday report 2018
• How to Prepare for Black Friday: A Retailer’s Guide
• 150+ (awesome) Black Friday Email Subject Lines for eCommerce
• The 30 best Black Friday campaigns of all time
• Top 5 Black Friday Marketing Automation Scenarios for Holiday Success
• Cyber Monday Statistics: 70 Stats Every Retail Executive Should Know

Get prepared for Black November and…

With Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas around the corner, the sooner you set up these mechanisms and eCommerce hacks, the bigger results you’ll have this holiday season. Grab the above-mentioned Black Friday eCommerce ideas and turn them into actions. This is crucial. You HAVE to chase the maximum growth and sales, and in order to do so, you need to consider that growth hacking is a mentality, not a tactic. Only the most active brands will stay at the top of the pack. Hense, are you well-prepared for Black November?

ContactPigeon’s was recently included among the top 5 highest-rated marketing automation platforms in the world, according to G2 (Winter 2023).
Contact us to see how we can assist you with your Black Friday strategy.

PERSONALIZED MARKETING AT SCALE See how ContactPigeon can drive growth for your eShop. Try It Out