Guest Blog: Is your site ready for 2020’s cyber weekend?

23 October 2020 by Guest

Mark Blackhurst, co-founder of Digital Next

This guest post was authored by Mark Blackhurst, co-Founder of Digital Next.  

Last year, we highlighted the importance of accelerating the speed of your website in preparation for a traffic surge over the peak period (Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the run-up to Christmas). We also touched on the importance of SEO, multi-channel marketing and offering plenty of discounts and special deals in order to drive conversions.  

As we look ahead to this season during a time of pandemic disruption, it’s important to acknowledge that this may be the most important cyber weekend for many years. With so much at stake, how can your eCommerce platform extract the most from these critical upcoming online events? 

SEO is not dead 

Your biggest competitive advantage can be gained in the organic search rankings. Ensuring your site is ranking for the right keywords gives you a head start on your competitors. Keep content fresh and optimised and over time you’ll gain a steady stream of traffic to your site. Working with a professional can be invaluable when it comes to building an SEO strategy that works not only for Black Friday, but all year round.   

Content is king 

Are all your products, descriptions and categories up to date? You‘ll want your website refreshed and ready by the time Black Friday (November 27th) and Cyber Monday (November 30th) arrive, so it might be time for a complete content audit. Carry out a walkthrough of your site and ensure customers are greeted by the very best you have to offer. Making the effort to view your pages as a customer sees them means you can assess their experience more accurately and fine-tune the journey for optimal success.  

Make the most of social media 

Don’t underestimate the importance of your social media presence. Take the time to build up content across your platforms as the cyber weekend approaches. Grow your base of followers and fans with a range of engaging posts including blog articles, videos, how-to guides, or consumer tips. It’s always worth investing your time and resources into producing content to entertain, inform or advise the consumer.  

If your budget allows, consider investing in social media advertising opportunities which give you the chance to ‘bump up’ your channels and accounts and gain more followers. You could also try some Google Ads outreach. Once you grow your social media presence, you’ll be in a better position to plug the deals and offers you have lined up for the cyber weekend. Remember that if you’re mailing or messaging customers directly, you should carefully follow General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines.  

Stay seasonally savvy 

The big appeal of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the opportunity for customers to bag themselves a bargain just in time for Christmas. Both the eCommerce world and the high street use this time to ramp up their offerings to appeal to shoppers searching for the perfect (pocket-friendly) gifts. The savvy online retailer will respond by putting their most gift-like offerings in prime positions. What’s the new ‘go-to gadget’ for 2020? What’s the must–have for mums and sisters, or dads and brothers? How can you present your products in a more gift-friendly way? These are all considerations that are essential if you want your product range to appeal to present buyers. For that added boost, offer enhanced delivery options, such as same day if possible. 

Put the pandemic in perspective 

The knock-on effects of the Covid-19 virus are still being felt around the world. If your business has been hit by lengthened shipping times, rising rates, or a disrupted supply chain, you can rest assured you’re not the only eCommerce platform in this position. What’s important is that you communicate any developments which will affect your customers as honestly and as clearly as possible. 

There’s lots to consider as we approach this year’s cyber weekend. Get your preparation right, and you could be looking at an end-of-year golden period.