Black Friday, a pivotal date in the retail trading calendar, is just around the corner, which means mass traffic on websites and apps as thrifty users search for the best deals and discounts. As we saw in 2019, even the large corporations can fall victim to app crashes. Keep reading to find out our 3 tips on how you can prepare accordingly and beat the BFCM mayhem…
According to research from Business of Apps, globally there has been a sharp incline in app downloads in the first two quarters of 2020, with Q2’s total of nearly 38 billion app downloads representing a 9 billion increase on Q4 2019; an increase of 32%. Covid-19 has been the catalyst that has prompted this rise in downloads, with many relying on apps to facilitate social distancing, keep in contact with colleagues and to offer a break from reality with family and friends. Now, more so than ever, businesses should be utilising the commercial opportunities that such a valuable channel presents.
Online retail has seen significant growth in the last few years with many opting to get their Christmas shopping done digitally and save themselves venturing out into the throngs of frugal shoppers. However, with this year’s current climate, cybershopping is predicted to see a significant surge with the lockdown restrictions making this the only viable option for many individuals.
According to Finder: ‘Across the UK shoppers are expected to spend an estimated £6 billion on Black Friday this year.’
Tips for Black Friday through to Cyber Monday…
- UX: 2020 is the year of user experience. Limited functionality can be disastrous for businesses in the era of the ‘digital native’, particularly in the lead up to BFCM as every UX decision is magnified. Keep page load time to a minimum by reducing the data needed for display, optimise images to keep file size down and ensure that the set-up is easy to navigate for a stress-free shopping experience.
- Testing: Don’t neglect user-testing, to analyse site performance and capacity and gain a fresh, unbiased perspective. Testing is also vital to assess if you need to make any adjustments to the server and to pinpoint any coding errors. In turn, this will improve conversion rates and overall ROI!
- Servers: This year BFCM traffic is expected to hit a historic record. With this in mind, you should prepare thoroughly for traffic spikes, whether that’s with a more efficient server, optimising your site/ app functionality or using caching to speed up the sales process.
