If you’re an ecommerce storeowner, you don’t need me to tell you that Black Friday, and the official start of the holiday shopping season, is a week away. Most merchants are probably promoting their Black Friday sales and specials as I write this.
According to Research Firm iProspect, 57% of all shoppers in the US who plan to visit brick-and-mortar stores to do their holiday shopping also plan on checking the Facebook pages and Twitter profiles of their favorite retailers for holiday coupons and promotions.
Although the report didn’t mention which percentage of online shoppers plan to consult Facebook, I think it is safe to assume that the percentage of people who choose to shop online and plan on consulting Facebook is probably even higher than 57%. They’re already online, after all.
When shoppers visit your Facebook page and the front page of your website on the days leading up to (and during) Black Friday, what will they see? Next Friday marks the start of a season when online shoppers don’t just visit your website and social media profiles looking for deals and coupons—-they expect them. If they don’t see them, your potential customers will click away to one of your competitors who is offering deals and specials, and displaying them prominently.
One easy way to make sure that shoppers scanning your Facebook page for deals and coupons is to integrate your page with your ecommerce store. This allows you to advertise products and include a link back to your site where they can be purchased. Miva Merchant store owners can take advantage of our Social Commerce Integration service.
Don’t assume that now until the day after Thanksgiving is a dead time for sales and promotions on your store, though. Some retailers are already holding their “Black Friday” sales online and in stores, and USA Today reports that for many retailers, Thanksgiving evening is the new Black Friday. In other words, many retailers are making their sales available online and opening their doors at midnight or sooner, in order to give loyal shoppers a jump on seasonal savings.
In summary, make sure that your sales are easy to find-prominently displayed on your homepage and on your social media profiles, and are easy to find. Make use of social commerce, and if you have any Black Friday sales and promotions you’d like to share with the Miva Merchant community, leave a comment in the box below.