60-Day Black Friday Checklist 2024
Get ready for Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) success with our 60-day checklist. Whether you're fine-tuning campaigns or optimizing product pages, this guide ensures you’re hitting the key deadlines for maximum sales. Start filling your funnel and building momentum to outperform last year’s results.
Key Deadlines for a successful BFCM
✅ October 1st: Finish 60-Day Plan
✅ October 20th: Launch Initial Campaigns Start Filling that Funnel
60-Day Black Friday Checklist
By October 1st
Your Top Priorities:
1. Analyse Last Year’s Performance ⭐
Set a baseline using Shopify’s reports. Navigate to Analytics > Reports, select the “Black Friday Cyber Monday” period, and review:
• Top Selling Products: Ensure the top-performing products from last year are in stock and consider promoting them again if they’re still relevant.
• Sales and Sessions by Traffic Source: Check which channels drove the most sales and traffic. Ensure these channels are still active and align with your 2024 strategy.
2. Launch Initial Campaigns ⭐ by October 20th
Now is the perfect time to kick off your top-of-the-funnel (TOF) campaigns to build awareness and attract potential customers before launching Black Friday campaigns. Blend AI will launch full-funnel campaigns for you in seconds.
3. Start Building Your Email List ⭐
Use pop-ups and incentives such as discounts or free shipping to start collecting as many emails as possible in the lead-up to Black Friday. These will be invaluable for retargeting down the line. Don’t forget this is essentially free retargeting.
4. Create your discounts, bundles and deals ⭐
Offer deals based on last year’s top-sellers. Use early discounts, bundles, and tiered offers to drive sales and maximise profits. Here are the 20 popular discount types for Black Friday.
Don’t Forget These Essentials:
✅ Spy on Competitors
Research your competitors’ tactics from last year. Plan to outdo them. Look for their ad strategies, product offerings, and any gaps you can exploit. Here you can see your competitor’s Facebook ads and Google ads.
✅ Plan Your Content
Develop content themes and timelines for ad creatives, emails and social posts leading up to Black Friday. Ensure your messaging is consistent and builds anticipation.
✅ Develop a Customer Support Plan
Ensure your team is ready to handle increased traffic and inquiries. Consider using Shopify Inbox or another live chat app to provide real-time assistance. This can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates by answering customer queries immediately.
✅ Evaluate Your Checkout Process
Simplify and test your checkout process. Any friction can cost you sales. Remove unnecessary steps and offer guest checkout to reduce cart abandonment.
✅ Audit Your Website’s Speed
Slow websites lose sales. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to ensure your site is fast. Aim for a load time of under 3 seconds and fix any bottlenecks.
✅ Display Reviews & Sync to Merchant Centre
Ensure reviews and testimonials are present on your site to boost credibility. Use tools like Judge.me to display authentic customer feedback prominently and sync with Google Merchant Centre so they appear with your product ads.
✅ Update Return Policies
Clear, customer-friendly return policies can reduce buyer hesitation. Make sure they are easily accessible and communicated during the checkout process.
✅ Launch Countdown Timers
Add countdown timers to your site. Create urgency and anticipation. Place them on product pages, banners, and in email campaigns to remind customers of the ticking clock. Here is a FREE countdown timer bar for Shopify stores.
✅ Optimise Product Pages
Update product descriptions, titles, and images for SEO and improved conversions. Every detail counts. Focus on benefits, not just features, and use high-quality images to showcase your products.
✅ Set Up Retargeting Campaigns
Begin creating retargeting ads for potential customers who visit but don’t convert. Use dynamic ads to remind them of products they viewed or left in their cart using tools like Blend AI and Pulse.
