Black Friday Readiness Checklist: Is Your E-commerce Store Optimised for the Holiday Rush?
Source: AusPost eCommerce Report 2024
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) have quickly become the biggest e-commerce events in the year. Just last year more Australians than ever before took advantage of the November sales period to save on their Christmas shopping with online purchases during Black Friday increasing by 88% compared to 2019.
Recent data from the ABS revealed that Black Friday spending in 2023 was higher than the Christmas period (move over Boxing Day sales, there is a new kid on the block!). This a golden opportunity to attract new customers, boost sales, and end the year on a high.
"Consumers brought forward some of their usual December spending to November to take advantage of Black Friday sales. This shift in spending from December to November reflects the growing popularity of Black Friday sales and the impact of cost-of-living pressures, with consumers seeking out bargains and taking advantage of discounts in November.” — Ben Dorber, ABS head of retail statistics
But all of the excitement and potential for profit bring with it one very important factor for success: preparation.
Imagine your website is swamped with eager shoppers, but instead of sales, you’re facing slow loading times, higher-than-expected cart abandonments, or your inventory running dry just as demand hits its peak. Not ideal, right? These headaches can derail the momentum for any e-commerce business, but with the right planning, they’re avoidable.
Our Black Friday e-commerce readiness checklist breaks down everything you will need to have in place to handle the rush and capitalise on this “Golden Quarter”. We will guide you through how to provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers, covering everything from the technical aspects such as what to update and optimise in your online store, and inventory management to awareness marketing tips and how to maximise your conversions—covering everything you need to know to be fully prepared for the holiday rush.
When is Black Friday this year? Friday the 29th of November, 2024. This means you have a limited amount of time to prepare. Don’t stress though, our checklist has got you covered!
Countdown to Black Friday
What’s included in this checklist:
Website Performance Tips: How to keep your site fast, mobile-friendly, and ready for higher-than-usual traffic
Security Enhancements: How to protect your customers’ data with safeguards and secure checkouts
Tracking & Insights Setup: What you need to gather actionable data for informed decision-making
Inventory and Fulfilment Readiness: What you can do to manage or avoid dreaded stockouts and fulfilment delays
Marketing Strategies and Tips that Drive Conversions: Ways you can engage your audience through email, SMS, and promotions for better results
Let’s dive into the steps to help you make this Black Friday your most successful yet!
Download Our Black Friday Readiness Checklist
Website Performance Optimisation
When it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, speed and reliability are everything. Your customers will expect a fast, responsive and seamless browsing experience, even a few seconds of delay can mean the difference between a sale or cart abandonment. Make the most of your chance to make a first impression that counts with fast load times, easy to use navigation and a frictionless checkout process.
Website Health Audit
Run a Full Website Health Check
Start by assessing your site’s performance. Test page load speeds, check for any errors, and fix broken links that could disrupt the shopping experience. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can quickly show where your site may need some help. And don’t forget about mobile users! Recent data suggests that 73% of Australians shop online using their phones, so make sure your mobile experience is just as good as the desktop version.
Pro-Tip: Optimise your images before uploading them to the site to make sure they don’t take longer to load than is absolutely necessary. TinyJPG is a great free tool for this, but it is always better to adjust the dimensions of the image first. If you have an Apple computer this process is suuuper easy, just open the image in Preview and in the top bar click on ‘Tools’ and select ‘Adjust Size…’. Remember to always have a backup of the original image before you do this step!
Refine Your Checkout Process
Every additional step in your checkout process risks losing a customer. Simplify it if possible — enable guest checkout, reduce the number of required fields, and make it easy for shoppers to navigate back and forth without losing items in their cart. Now is also the time to add alternative payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay if you haven’t already, giving customers fast, familiar options that can make the purchase process just that little bit easier (no more getting up and grabbing your wallet and second-guessing your decision on the way).Improve Your Site Speed
A slow site is a dead site during Black Friday. Compress high-resolution images, reduce unnecessary JavaScript, and consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to serve assets faster. If you’re on Shopify, WooCommerce, or a similar platform, review any unused plugins or apps — every extra load can slow things down, so aim for lean, efficient code. Keep in mind that if you are not experienced with this it is best to engage a web developer to help. Pay particular attention to any JavaScript that is part of critical website functionality, the last thing you want is for the add to cart button to be broken. When in doubt, get professional help.Enable Google Merchant Center for Visibility
Setting up your products in Google Merchant Center will allow you to benefit from their free listings option (and run paid ads if you have the budget for it), which can give you an extra boost in visibility, showing your products in Google’s ‘Shopping’ tab. Check that your product data, images, and descriptions are up-to-date, and be sure your shipping, return, and contact details are accurate to avoid disapprovals or delays in getting your products approved.
The Mobile Experience
Check your mobile setup thoroughly. How easy is it to navigate, add to cart, or check out on a small screen? Fix any issues with layout, check that all buttons and forms are easily clickable, and confirm that important details like product descriptions, prices, and discounts are visible and easy to read. This is also a good time to test cross-device functionality to make sure shoppers have a smooth experience if they're switching from phone to desktop or vice versa.
Data-Backed Insights
Data is your best friend when it comes to preparing for Black Friday. With so much potential traffic and sales activity up for grabs, having a clear, data-driven plan lets you spot opportunities, anticipate trends, and understand customer behaviour in real-time. This way, you’re not guessing – you’re using insights to make strategic moves.
Here’s How to Set Up and Use Data Insights for Black Friday:
Audit Your Analytics Setup
Start by ensuring that key analytics tools like Google Analytics and Meta Pixel are fully integrated and set up correctly. These tools provide invaluable data on customer behaviour, traffic sources, and conversion rates – metrics that will guide your Black Friday strategy. Double-check that e-commerce tracking is enabled and that your goals are set up to track key actions like “Add to Cart” or “Complete Purchase.” Real-time reports will let you keep an eye on traffic spikes and pinpoint any high-traffic product pages during the sale.Use Google Trends for Research
Google Trends is a valuable tool for seeing what shoppers were looking for during past Black Fridays and how those interests have changed over time. Search for keywords related to your products to identify any trends, peaks, or seasonal interests. For example, if you sell electronics, look up terms like “best Black Friday tech deals” or “smart home Black Friday.” If certain products spiked last year, it’s a pretty solid indicator they may perform well again.
Pro Tip: Use Google Trends’ comparison feature to look at “Black Friday” vs. “Cyber Monday” trends. This can give you insights into how to tailor your messaging and promotions over the entire sales period.
Use Google Keyword Planner to Find High-Intent Keywords
To make sure your content and ads are optimised for search, take advantage of Google Keyword Planner. This free tool helps you discover what people are likely searching for around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which keywords have the highest search volume, and which are most competitive. Look for terms that align with your brand and products, and consider both broad terms like “Black Friday deals” as well as niche keywords that capture more specific intent, such as “Black Friday home decor discounts” or “Cyber Monday tech gifts.”
Tip for Targeting: Don’t limit yourself to just “Black Friday” keywords; target “Cyber Monday” and “holiday shopping” keywords as well. Many shoppers are already hunting for deals on both days, so covering all bases can help you reach them no matter where they land.
Set Up Custom Dashboards for Black Friday Insights
Create custom dashboards in Google Analytics to track your Black Friday metrics in one easy view. Include metrics like site speed, cart abandonment, traffic sources, and top-selling products. By setting up a dedicated dashboard, you can monitor real-time performance throughout the event and quickly identify opportunities or issues. For instance, if you notice a product page getting heavy traffic but low conversions, it could signal a need to adjust the offer, highlight discounts more clearly, or streamline the checkout process.Analyse Last Year’s Data for Product and Promotion Insights
If you’ve run Black Friday promotions before, take a look at last year’s data to identify what worked and where you can improve. Which products saw the most interest? Did certain deals drive more conversions than others? And were there specific traffic sources that brought in more engaged shoppers? By leveraging historical data, you can replicate successful tactics and refine those that fell short.
Bonus Tip: Compare year-over-year data on product sales and page traffic to see if any long-term trends stand out. This can inform not only Black Friday but also future holiday and peak sales events.
Embrace a Data-Driven Approach for the Holiday Season
Setting up your data tools and doing a bit of research now can set you miles ahead when Black Friday arrives. With a data-backed approach, you’re not only prepared for what’s coming – you’re primed to make the most of it by staying agile, spotting opportunities in real-time, and fine-tuning your strategy on the fly.
Security Enhancement
When it comes to Black Friday, security and trust is #1 for online shoppers, especially during major sales events. In the rush of holiday shopping, online security can make or break a sale, especially as shoppers look for the signs of a safe and reliable store. Security is something of particular concern for the Boomer generation, they are slowly coming to embrace online shopping but need to feel confident that their data is safe. A secure site reassures customers that they’re safe to shop with you, knowing their personal information and payment data is safe.
Here’s How to Ensure Your Site is Secure for Black Friday:
Check That Your Site Uses HTTPS Across All Pages
Confirm that your website uses HTTPS for secure browsing (that little padlock icon next to the website address). This SSL certification is essential for any e-commerce store and builds confidence as customers go through the checkout process. If you haven’t already upgraded to HTTPS, this should be your first priority. HTTPS is the standard for secure websites, encrypting data to protect sensitive information, including customer payment details. Preventing anyone from stealing or intercepting the data on your website and also signals to visitors that your site is trustworthy; most browsers display a padlock icon to indicate a secure connection. As a bonus, HTTPS is a known ranking factor for search engines, giving you a small SEO boost that can help your store stand out in search results. Not to mention that having a secure website will avoid the warnings that many browsers have to prevent users from accessing dangerous websites.Implement PCI Compliance for Payment Security
Handling credit card payments? Make sure your store follows the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). PCI compliance is required for protecting payment information, requiring secure storage, transmission, and processing of cardholder data. If you’re using a major e-commerce platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce, they offer built-in PCI compliance, giving you a head start. However, it’s still important to double-check that you’re following best practices, like not storing sensitive card data on your servers. If you haven’t already, display any relevant security badges that can help provide assurance to customers that their information is safe.Use Trusted Payment Gateways
Payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal simplify transactions and add an extra layer of security. These providers comply with stringent security standards, encrypting customer information so you don’t have to manage it directly. By using a secure payment gateway, you’re protecting customer data and showing buyers you take security seriously.Set Up Fraud Detection Tools
During Black Friday, high traffic can also attract increased fraud attempts. Protect your store by setting up fraud detection and prevention tools to monitor suspicious activity, like high order volumes from a single IP or mismatched billing and shipping addresses. Many e-commerce platforms offer built-in fraud detection tools, or you can use third-party services that specialise in spotting potentially fraudulent behaviour.Add Security Badges to Boost Customer Confidence
Security badges such as “Verified by Visa,” “SSL Secure,” and your payment processor’s logo can be surprisingly powerful trust signals for shoppers. These badges serve as a visual reminder that your site takes security seriously, which can reduce hesitations at checkout. Place these badges strategically – such as near the “Buy Now” button or in the footer of your website – to reinforce confidence just as customers are making purchase decisions.Regularly Update Plugins and Software
Running outdated plugins or software can create security vulnerabilities that hackers may exploit. Check that your e-commerce platform, plugins, and any third-party software are updated to the latest versions before Black Friday. Even better, schedule regular updates throughout the holiday season so your site is always protected against the latest threats.
A Secure Site is a Trustworthy Site
A solid security setup prevents issues and builds trust with every visitor. When shoppers feel secure on your site, they’re far more likely to follow through with purchases, knowing that their data is safe with you. Take the time to implement these security measures, and you’ll give customers the confidence to shop, knowing they’re in good hands.
Inventory & Fulfilment Management
There aren’t many things more frustrating for a customer than finding the perfect Black Friday deal, only to find out that it’s out of stock when you reach checkout. Effective inventory and fulfilment management helps you avoid disappointed customers and provides a smoother shopping experience that is more likely to keep people coming back. With the increased demand and higher-order volume during Black Friday, having a well-thought-out plan for inventory and fulfilment can make all the difference. The last thing you want is to have inventory updated each night and realise that you’ve oversold a product but 50 units!
Audit stock levels to ensure they are accurate and make any necessary adjustments.
Forecast demand based on past sales data and current trends to determine how much inventory you’ll need.
Order extra inventory for high-demand products to avoid stockouts during peak sales periods.
Stock up on packaging materials, including boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and any branded packaging supplies.
Prepare your fulfilment team: Make sure you have enough staff or hands-on support to handle the increased volume efficiently.
Consider outsourcing to a third-party fulfilment service if your team might be overwhelmed.
Set up a streamlined packing and shipping process to minimise delays and allow for timely order fulfilment.
Do a Full Inventory Check and Forecast Demand
Start with an honest assessment of your inventory levels. Take into account last year’s Black Friday data and any recent shopping trends to forecast demand as accurately as possible. Identify your bestsellers and seasonal items that are likely to attract high interest, and consider ordering extra stock to cover increased demand. Running out of popular items can mean missed sales opportunities, so it’s better to slightly overestimate than run short.
Pro Tip: If you have limited quantities of certain items, create a sense of exclusivity by marketing them as “limited stock” or “final sale”. This can drive urgency, FOMO and exclusivity while helping manage customer expectations.
Make Sure You Have Enough Packaging and Supplies
Increased sales also mean you’ll need more packaging materials and supplies than usual. Stock up on boxes, bubble wrap, tape, and any branded packaging materials you might need to have smooth fulfilment. Double-check that your packing setup can handle a higher volume without compromising on quality. Running low on supplies mid-sale is a preventable roadblock that can slow down the fulfilment process and frustrate customers.
Line Up Extra Hands for Fulfilment Support
If your business typically handles fulfilment in-house, consider whether your current team can handle the increased volume or if you’ll need temporary staff. Packing and shipping orders quickly are key during Black Friday to meet customer expectations for timely deliveries. If hiring additional staff isn’t possible, look into third-party fulfilment centres or logistics providers that can help streamline your shipping process and manage the surge in demand.
Pro Tip: Many fulfilment centres offer scalable services for peak periods, allowing you to increase capacity without making a permanent change to your workflow.
Set Realistic Shipping Timelines
Avoid over-promising and under-delivering. As Black Friday nears, clearly communicate realistic shipping timelines on your product pages, checkout, and email confirmations. Customers will appreciate transparency, especially if they’re buying gifts that need to arrive by specific dates. Offering multiple shipping options (e.g., standard, expedited) can also help meet various customer needs without straining your fulfilment resources.
Plan for Potential Supply Chain Delays
With the holiday season comes increased pressure on supply chains, and delays can be common. If you rely on suppliers, stay in close contact with them and have a backup plan in place in case of unexpected delays. Identify alternative suppliers or look into expedited shipping options for incoming stock to be sure you can keep up with customer demand. By planning for potential disruptions, you’ll be better equipped to handle challenges and maintain a steady flow of products.
Automate Stock Alerts for High-Demand Items
If possible, set up automated alerts for inventory levels on high-demand products. Many e-commerce platforms allow you to enable “low-stock alerts” so you can monitor inventory in real-time. This way, you can restock (if possible) before items run out or, if stock is limited, update your website to reflect “low stock” or “limited availability.” Automated stock alerts help you stay proactive and avoid last-minute scrambles.
Black Friday Marketing Strategies & Tips
As you start to prepare and get ready for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, take the time to look into all the details that can improve your sales and keep customers happy. Beyond the mission-critical parts, like inventory and website performance, focus on any strategic marketing plans and make sure your website is optimised for conversions, these tweaks will help you make the most of the sale period.
Email and SMS Marketing
To make sure that your Black Friday sale is a success it is important to get the word out, and take advantage of email and SMS marketing – these can be some of the more powerful tactics for raising awareness.
Here are some tips for how to set up campaigns to generate excitement and help drive higher conversions:
Build the Anticipation Early
Start your email and SMS campaigns well before the sale rolls around. Tease your offers with taglines like “Something BIG is coming…” or “Exclusive Black Friday Deals”. Use your email list and any previous customer data to segment your audiences and, if you can, send personalised messages. If you are able to leverage your customers' purchase history try to include that information in your targeting (just make sure that you have disclosed how you use customer data in your privacy policy!).
Tap Into a Sense of Urgency
Sales are all about limited-time offers, make the most of that sense of urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out). Tweak your abandoned cart email flows specifically for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. You may want to shorten the time between emails and use messaging that communicates the urgency, try subject lines like “Don’t miss out – X% discount is ending soon!” or “Only X hours left to save BIG”. Limited-time discounts and countdowns can be great ways to keep your potential customers engaged and nurture them towards a sale and completing their purchase.
Make your CTAs Count
Each of your email or SMS messages should include a single call to action (this is not the time to confuse your customers). Some good options for time-sensitive sales are; “Get Your Discount Now” or “Shop the Sale”. Your CTAs should stand out in some way and guide the recipients towards making a purchase, keep it direct and use action words.
Lighten the Load with Automation
Almost every eCommerce platform has some form of automation built in, so this is a great time to use these features (just don’t forget to test them first!). You could even take it one step further and segment your audience into different groups and test variations of subject lines, message lengths or email designs and colours to see which is the most effective. You may even want to include post-purchase flows to thank customers and offer a Cyber Monday discount code to drive repeat sales.
Example Email Sequence Template Flows:
Email #1 (Teaser, 1 week to go) — “Get ready for the biggest sale/event of the year!”
Email #2 (Sale announcement, the night before) — “Our Black Friday sale starts tomorrow”
Include a countdown if you have this feature available
Email #3 (Sale kickoff, morning of) — “Our Black Friday Sale is Live!”
Email #4 (Reminder, midway point) — “Don’t miss out, save now before it’s over”
Email #5 (Final call, in the last few hours) — “Final hours, save up to X%”
Optimising Your Website for Conversions
The last thing you want when you have an influx of traffic is a leaky funnel. With the increased traffic it is more important than ever to make sure that your website is primed for conversions. Make it as easy as possible for potential customers to find products, discount codes and checkout as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Highlight Sales Categories on Your Homepage
Make your biggest Black Friday offers front and centre. Organise your bestsellers or best deals into easy-to-navigate collections and feature them on your homepage. Use high-quality images or visuals and bold, clear text to grab attention immediately. (Avoid blurry text and images at all costs!)
Create Eye-Catching Banners
Design announcements or promotional banners to share your sale information, this could be discount percentages or any special codes shoppers will need. Place these banners at the top of your website, so they’re one of the first things visitors see. A countdown timer can also add urgency and excitement. Canva can be a really great option if you are looking for inspiration and want to have a professional-looking banner, make the most of their templates and customise it to fit your brand.
We’ve pulled some of the images available with the paid Canva subscription to show you what’s possible.
Update Your FAQs and Customer Support Tools
Help customers to help themselves. Update your FAQs to include any specific Black Friday details. Cover things like expected shipping times, returns policy changes, and if the discounts only apply to certain items, this can really help take the pressure off during the busiest period. If you use a live chat feature or chatbot, make sure it’s set up to handle common questions related to the sale. This can save your support team from getting overwhelmed and keep your customers happy.
Review and Refresh Your Returns Policy
Make sure your returns and exchange policy is easy to understand and up to date. Customers are more likely to purchase if they know how they can return or exchange items. An AusPost survey found that “nearly 76% of online shoppers read the website’s return policy before placing an order”, this really gives you an idea of how important this is to customers – and is not something that should be an afterthought. Be transparent about any special holiday return windows or exclusions and make sure this information is easy to access on your site. Setting clear expectations upfront can prevent complaints and issues further down the line, not to mention that this can help improve customer satisfaction (there is nothing worse than not knowing how or even if you can return something!).
Ready to Make This Black Friday Your Best Yet?
You’ve got the game plan, and now it’s time to put it into action. Preparing your e-commerce store for the holiday rush may seem like a daunting task, but remember: every bit of effort you invest now will pay off when those sales start rolling in. By optimising your website, planning out strategic marketing campaigns, and ensuring your fulfilment process is rock solid, you’re setting the stage for a smooth and successful Black Friday.
Download Our Black Friday Readiness Checklist
Need some extra support for your Black Friday strategy? From perfecting your email marketing, optimising your website for conversions, or setting up advanced data tracking, our team of digital marketing specialists is here to help. Reach out to discuss how we can improve your marketing and drive the results you’re dreaming of.
