The dreaded…Q4.
With so many holidays on the horizon, you might be feeling a tad overwhelmed even thinking about the months ahead.
But it doesn't have to be as scary as it seems.
Here at DMT, we’ve spent the past eight years conquering the Q4 period. As well as mastering our own strategy, we’ve also helped a huge number of eCommerce brands. Last year alone, we achieved a record-breaking Black Friday, with our clients making over £2.5 million in a single day.
Our secret? Well, it wouldn’t be a secret if we told you.
Just kidding, we’re here to help!
If you want this kind of success over Q4, then keep scrolling as we reveal five ways to prepare your eCommerce brand for the most hectic shopping season of the year…
Plan Your Marketing Calendar & Upcoming Sales
Q4 isn’t just about one holiday that lasts a few days. It’s a season filled with all sorts of exciting days. From the fun Halloween week to the chaotic Black Friday weekend, it’s important that you carefully consider every key date.
Before you start planning your calendar and sales strategy, ask yourself questions such as:
- What do you want to achieve this season? Determine your goals and create a strategic plan on how you will get there.
- What are your USPs? Why should people buy YOUR products over your competitors?
- What went wrong last year? How can you learn from your mistakes?
- What promotions will you offer? How can you make these sound more exciting than the standard discounts?
Fine-Tune Your Abandon Cart Flows
If you’ve been in the industry for a while, you probably know that almost 70% of shoppers abandon their carts. This can be down to a number of reasons, such as delivery fees, a complex checkout process, or limited payment methods. As an eCommerce brand, the most important thing to remember is that there are always ways to retarget those who have shown interest in your products but haven’t yet made that purchase.
A simple solution is to optimise your abandoned cart flows. This can be done by revisiting subject lines, offering exclusive discount codes, and testing send times. All of which our expert email marketing team have mastered 😉
Get Creative & Stand Out
BFCM is, without a doubt, the most competitive weekend for eCommerce brands. When it comes to standing out, creativity is key. If you’re offering the same deals as your competitors, then unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that shoppers will choose your brand over another. Try to think outside the box and consider additional offers such as free products, complimentary gift wrapping, or even BOGOF.
Your designs and ad copy should also stand out. If you really want to make users stop scrolling, we recommend working with professional designers (just saying... our team at DMT have been known to whip up some of the coolest ads out there 😏).
Make Website Improvements
Did you know that 53% of visitors will leave a site if the page doesn't load within three seconds? Crazy, we know.
What’s even more shocking is that 42% will also leave if it’s not easy to use and navigate. This means that making regular improvements to your website is crucial, especially coming up to Q4.
Some examples of bad UX include:
- Cluttered pages
- Fonts that are difficult to read
- No search bar
- Too many pop-ups or ads
- Broken links
Think about cleaning up your website’s code, optimising imagery and making the user journey as simple as possible. If you aren’t able to complete these checks yourself, you should really reach out to a skilled web developer!
Use Last Year’s Data to Create Your Black Friday Strategy
The best way to create your Black Friday strategy is by looking at past events and analysing trends within the data.
We recommend breaking down shopping behaviours throughout the week leading up to, during and after Black Friday. This way, you’ll have all the right tools to create a winning strategy!
Consider the times and days that people have bought something, as well as where the sales came from. For example, according to Shopify, 73% of sales during BFCM 2022 were made on mobile. Data like this highlights the importance of optimising your website for a smooth mobile shopping experience.
