Get ready for Black Friday: 4 tips to attract more shoppers

Follow these four surefire tips to get Black Friday right:

Tip 1: Take stock and display your promotions proudly

First, take a look at your inventory and make sure that you have enough stock to meet the expected demand. If you don’t have anything exciting or new, consider ordering items in that can draw shoppers in. If you have a physical store, showcase all your deals and promotions in the windows. Invest in promotional banners. Websites can make use of great banners, videos and alluring content.

Tip 2: Create ‘too good to miss out on’ deals

Next, start planning your promotions and deals. This is arguably the most important part of preparing for Black Friday. You need to offer something that will entice shoppers to visit your store or website. While many people will shop for Christmas gifts, they might also be looking to treat themselves or simply stock up on everyday items. Create offers that will be appealing to all your target markets.

Tip 3: Spread the word early

Start spreading the word about your Black Friday deals early. Use social media, email marketing, and other channels to let people know what you'll be offering on the big day. The more people you can reach, the better your chances of driving up sales. Let your loyal customers know about the deals first.

Tip 4: Prepare for chaos

On the day itself, make sure that your website or store is ready to handle anything that comes its way. From loads of new feet to an increase in online traffic. This means ensuring that everything is running smoothly and that customers can easily find what they're looking for. If you're selling online, group your deals under Black Friday on the navigation. User-experience is critical in store and online. Confused customers will abandon their carts and baskets midway through a shop. And the worst of it all is, whatever opinion they form about you, will be a lasting one.

Black Friday isn’t suitable for every shop. If you can afford to run massive promotions at this stage, don’t. Instead, use the time to focus on your shop’s Christmas strategy.