15 Black Friday eCommerce Strategy Tips & Ideas

Guess what’s back? Yes, it’s that time of the year again, and if you blink, you might miss it.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner, and your potential customers are gearing up with credit cards in hand, ready to pounce on irresistible deals.

“Shut up and take my money!” they scream in anticipation.

But here’s the million-dollar question: Have you prepared your store’s Black Friday eCommerce strategy so that you can seize every sales opportunity that comes your way?

If you have even the slightest doubt, I strongly recommend you keep reading. Just as your eager customers storm into your store, they’ll swiftly move on if they’re not convinced by what they see.

Don’t worry; we’ve got your back. Here are 15 incredibly effective, yet surprisingly simple, Black Friday eCommerce ideas that can significantly boost your chances of turning visitors into loyal customers.

15 Effective Black Friday eCommerce Strategies

“Simple” is the key here. We’ve curated these tips to ensure maximum impact with minimal effort, especially when time is of the essence, and Black Friday is just around the corner.

To put things into perspective, Black Friday sales in the U.S.  generate an average of nearly 10 billion dollars, and each customer spends around $256 on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

Every eCommerce business is vying for a slice of this lucrative pie. So, paying attention to these strategies for just a few minutes could mean a substantial increase in your Black Friday sales.

Let’s dive in!

Quote | Maximum profit, minimum effort.

1. Boost Visibility for Best-Selling Products

This Black Friday idea for eCommerce might seem obvious, but let me point out a detail that you might be missing.

Take, for example, the Nintendo Switch – a hot item during Black Friday eCommerce sales.

When a customer searches for this specific product, the search results often show dozens of video games for that console.

The default selection by the search engine makes sense since these games are relevant (the keyword appears in the title and description, users have previously clicked on these products, etc.).

While that’s okay, there’s room for improvement.

Customize the search results to include not only the games but also the gaming console itself, and perhaps some of its key accessories.

By doing this, you’ll optimize the search experience, making it more likely for your customers to find exactly what they’re looking for and complete a purchase.

Apply this approach to the products you sell. After all, nobody knows your business better than you do.

2. Speak Your Customers’ Language

Your customers are individuals. They search the way people do, not necessarily the way you want them to. They might make spelling mistakes when typing, or use their own terms like “sneakers,” “kicks,” or “tennis shoes” instead of the exact search term.

Or, they might be looking for a product based on a specific problem or theme. For instance, they might search for “fall” on a craft website. This could mean that they want to find products with classic fall colors, themes, and designs, not necessarily an item called “fall”. 

An advanced eCommerce search engine can be a valuable solution in this context. 

It automatically addresses the challenges of misspellings and synonyms, ensuring that your customers get accurate results. 

And, you can establish rules or term equivalences for jargon and thematic searches, providing you with control over the search results.

3. Highlight Seasonal Products

In the end, the best practices often involve applying logic. So, why not apply the same strategies that work in a physical store to your eCommerce platform?

Consider this scenario:

Halloween is approaching, and among the products you sell, there are a few costumes in your catalog. What would you do with them? Hide them in the back of the store or showcase them in the window?

It makes sense to give greater visibility to products that are more likely to sell easily, based on the seasonality of your business.

4. Create Attractive Product Bundles

If there’s an opportune time to prepare special bundles, Black Friday is undoubtedly one of them.

Combine related products that complement each other well, offer a discount on the total price, and create a dedicated product page for these bundles.

Additionally, dedicating a landing page showcasing all the special bundles you have for Black Friday will work exceptionally well for your Black Friday eCommerce strategy.

5. Craft Compelling Promotions and Gift Packs

Data shows that 40% of Gen Z shoppers start planning for Black Friday at least two weeks in advance.

In particular, brainstorming Black Friday eCommerce ideas is important, but creating gift packs won’t require significant investment and can significantly boost sales.

Review your inventory for products that can be grouped by themes or items that have historically sold well at specific times of the year.

You’d be surprised how many people struggle to find the right gifts. By simplifying their decision-making process, you can increase your sales.

Creating gift packs like “Christmas gifts” or “Mother’s Day gifts” are just a couple of examples. There are undoubtedly many more creative possibilities you can explore.

6. Optimize Search Results

As mentioned earlier, it’s crucial to adapt to how your customers search.

Certain keywords like “sales” and “discounts” are commonly used by customers to find products with the lowest prices.

Leverage the insights from your advanced search engine to identify these keywords used by your customers. Create redirects to showcase products associated with these terms. 

It’s a straightforward method to enhance the shopping experience significantly. Best of all, you can achieve this by using the information you already have to your advantage.

7. Prevent “No Results”

Displaying a “no results” page is one of the worst outcomes for potential customers, especially during Black Friday. Overlooking these details can be costly, as shoppers may quickly turn to other platforms.

Consider this example: a store experiencing a peak demand for Adidas Yeezy sneakers faced a staggering 100,000 searches resulting in no matches. Unbelievable.

This case stood out because an advanced search engine like Doofinder claims to maintain non-results at less than 1%, yet this store had them at 16%. 

What had gone wrong? And how long had the store been losing sales?

In the previous month, there were only 300 searches for this term.

After some investigation, I discovered that controversy and a rumor were the culprits. There was a belief that Adidas would offer significant discounts on that model, prompting users to rush to their favorite store to check it out.

The solution? 

It would have been better if the store had anticipated the surge in demand beforehand and stocked up as soon as possible. Or at least reacted promptly.

However, here’s a simple and quick-to-implement solution: offer an alternative.

Create a rule in your advanced search engine options so that when customers search for a specific product you don’t have, show them a very similar one that could meet their needs. While some people might not purchase the alternative you offer, if you don’t provide them with any options, they definitely won’t buy anything.

With real-time data, a potentially challenging situation can be transformed into an opportunity.

8. Indicate Discounts and Out-of-Stock Items

During periods of high demand, such as Black Friday, people are more inclined to make purchases. They enter a psychological state where they notice subtle cues that encourage them to complete a purchase.

One such cue is displaying exact discounts applied to products directly in the search engine results, not just on the product detail pages. This makes the products more appealing as they are perceived as opportunities to be bought at a lower price than usual.

Another effective cue is showing products that are out of stock.

This serves two crucial functions. Firstly, it prevents frustration; nobody wants to proceed with a purchase only to discover at the last moment that the chosen product is unavailable.

Secondly, it creates a sense of urgency. When customers see products running out, they feel the pressure of time ticking away, motivating them to make a purchase decision promptly. This urgency acts as an incentive for them to take action as soon as possible.

9. Guide Customers with Filters

A well-designed set of search filters is indispensable in guiding your potential customers to the products they’re looking for. Combining these filters with a virtual assistant that asks simple questions can further refine the options presented by the advanced search engine.

Gathering details like size or style through these filters aids in directing customers to products that are increasingly relevant to their needs and preferences. This personalized approach enhances their shopping experience and increases the likelihood of finding the perfect product.

10. Implement Quick Add-to-Cart Buttons

During high-demand days like Black Friday, a unique shopping behavior emerges. People are not only more inclined to buy, but they are also eager to complete their purchases swiftly.

At this point, customers have often researched the product and made their purchase decision. They just want to add the chosen items to their cart and check out as quickly as possible, ensuring they don’t miss out on the products they’re interested in purchasing.

This streamlined experience can be provided through the proper configuration of an advanced search engine. By including an “add to cart” button directly in the search results, customers can add products without having to navigate through individual product pages. This approach expedites the process significantly.

Of course, the effectiveness of this approach depends on your industry and the nature of your products. 

Traditionally, this option is recommended for inexpensive products that require little consideration before purchase. However, during Black Friday, this approach can also be effective for slightly more expensive products. Customers come prepared, having already researched what they want, making the swift checkout process particularly appealing.

11. Promote Discounts and Gifts

An advanced search engine serves as a perfect tool to showcase discounts and special Black Friday eCommerce promotions that you have prepared. If you have advertised these promotions on social networks or other media, it’s crucial to display them prominently on your eCommerce platform.

Utilizing banners within the search results is an effective way to achieve this. These banners can be configured for general searches, but they can also be highly customized to maximize relevance for the user. This customization ensures that the promotions displayed align closely with what the customer is looking for.

A tool like Doofinder simplifies this process significantly. You can choose the image, set up the button, set the destination link, and specify when these banners should be displayed during searches. This level of customization not only enhances the visibility of your promotions but also provides a seamless and visually engaging shopping experience for your customers.

12. Facilitate Access to Important Pages

Banners also offer the possibility to provide easy access to valuable information, not just limited to promotional content.

During times of high demand like Black Friday, issues related to exchanges and returns are frequent concerns for customers.

A proactive approach could involve creating a redirect so that specific searches like “shipping” or “return policy” lead directly to the page containing the information customers are seeking. 

This efficient use of an advanced search engine ensures that customers can quickly find essential details, enhancing their overall experience and reducing potential frustration. By anticipating their needs, you create a more customer-friendly environment, strengthening their trust in your eCommerce platform.

13. Customize Search Results

On regular days, competition is high; on Black Friday, it’s even more intense. That’s why having tools that offer the most personalized experience for your customers can make a big difference.

Implementing this involves making products that potential customers are interested in more relevant in upcoming searches. These products should move up in the search results, and similar items should appear alongside them, enhancing the browsing experience.

Imagine a user choosing an amethyst necklace from the search results. When they return to the search engine later, that necklace is now at the top of the results, with similar options displayed below. This tailored approach to product discovery and navigation creates a unique experience for each user.

Utilizing navigation and search data is key to automatically fine-tuning this personalized experience. By doing so, you increase the likelihood of customers finding products they’re interested in, ultimately leading to more purchases.

14. Offer Relevant Recommendations

These recommendations and suggestions are incredibly valuable, especially on Black Friday, when maximizing your eCommerce’s average sales ticket is crucial.

Leveraging your customers’ heightened willingness to buy, providing suggestions and recommendations for products related to what a user is searching for can significantly aid in cross-selling and upselling efforts.

An advanced search engine like Doofinder offers personalized recommendations and suggestions based on customer behavior. Automating this process is essential, since manually setting up recommendations could be tedious and prone to errors. 

The feature works automatically to recommend the most relevant products to your users, enhancing their shopping experience and increasing the likelihood of larger purchases.

15. Manage Product Visibility

Certainly, not every aspect of eCommerce revolves solely around selling. There could be various reasons, such as wanting to prioritize seasonal products or focus sales efforts on specific items. Additionally, for strategic reasons related to stock or distribution, businesses might choose to hide certain products from search results.

An advanced search engine provides the flexibility to modify search rules according to these needs. Businesses can exclude specific results or establish exclusive access, ensuring that their eCommerce platform aligns with their unique strategies and objectives. This level of control enables businesses to tailor their online store to match their specific goals and market demands effectively.

Create Your Black Friday eCommerce Strategy and Crush the Competition

As demonstrated by these 15 Black Friday strategy ideas, it’s entirely feasible to employ straightforward strategies that, with a touch of common sense and minimal effort, can yield significant results.

The best part? Once you integrate these practices into your routine, they’ll continue to benefit you not just on Black Friday but also during any other period of heightened demand throughout the year.

Boosting your sales becomes much simpler with the right tools, like an advanced search engine, in your arsenal.

So, let’s dive in and make it happen!