It happens in multiple places, too: in-store and curbside. On traditional ecommerce storefronts and on social media shops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, the entire month of November\u2014and December\u2014are ripe for sales. And purchases are made from a web of platforms both in-store, online, and somewhere in the middle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how to pull off a successful Black Friday ecommerce strategy in 2025. Keep a close eye on Tip #4, where we\u2019ll show you a way to supercharge sales with user-generated content (UGC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Prepare for Black Friday: 7 Powerful Tips for Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you launch your first ad or schedule an email, your Black Friday ecommerce strategy begins with preparation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal is to forecast the inventory you\u2019ll need and plan aggressive\u2014but profitable\u2014offers for your shoppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A successful holiday shopping season hinges on laying the groundwork. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow these 7 straightforward steps and you\u2019ll be ready to boost sales this Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Forecast Your Inventory Needs <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your ecommerce store can\u2019t sell what it doesn\u2019t have. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial to forecast product demand based on: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Historical sales data for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the rest of the holiday season<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Product-specific trends\u2014aka, finding out what\u2019s popular right now in your industry<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Studying real demand signals from any pre-orders or waitlists you\u2019ve got on file<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You can use tools like Inventory Planner<\/a>, Shopify<\/a>, or third-party logistics (3PL) dashboards to make sure you\u2019ll have enough stock. If you\u2019re a small business with limited warehousing space, partner with services like ShipBob<\/a> to fulfill orders as you sell products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider grouping your products (SKUs) into categories based on how well they typically sell\u2014high performers, mid-tier, and slow movers, for instance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will help you (a ton!) when you start planning the deals and discounts part of your Black Friday ecommerce strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Map the Logistics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Now is the time to make sure your shopping processes, fulfillment timelines, and return policies are crystal-clear and doable for your team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you usually see lots of foot traffic on Black Friday, how will your store keep up without testing customer patience and losing sales? How will you handle returns or exchanges from both online and in-store purchases? How fast can you ship and deliver items during peak volume? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Figure this out now and make a plan for your team to move through the shopping and fulfillment processes as smoothly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, take what you\u2019ve learned and prepare assets\u2014emails, newsletters, and banners for your website\u2014to share the information with your customers. Communicate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- How quickly things will or won\u2019t ship during the holiday season<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Order deadlines for items to arrive before key holidays (Christmas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Typical number of days in the shipping process for both standard and expedited shipping<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- When customers should inquire about their order (after 7 days, 10 days, 14 days, etc)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Use a fulfillment system that offers seamless tracking and automated order updates via email or SMS. Keeping your customers in-the-know will help you avoid the dreaded \u201cwhere\u2019s my order???!!!\u201d emails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But be ready to handle those, too. Your customer support team might need extra training\u2014or extra hands\u2014to deal with shipping questions, returns, and exchanges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again: now is the time to set the stage for Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday, and the rest of the holiday season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We spoke with Saj Munir, owner of Chorlton Fireworks<\/a>, a brick-and-mortar in Manchester, UK with an online store presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLast year\u2019s crowd control challenges [on Black Friday] taught us valuable lessons about physical retail management,\u201d says Munir. \u201cWe\u2019ve invested in better queue management systems and upgraded our in-store signage with QR codes for live stock updates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make waiting in line more exciting, Munir and the team are \u201cintroducing a \u2018Spin to Win\u2019 fireworks giveaway\u201d to gamify the Black Friday experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the core change is that the Chorlton Fireworks team is preparing to treat Black Friday as a local community event, not just a sales day. \u201cInstead of simply discounting products, we\u2019re creating an experience people anticipate year-round,\u201d says Munir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more you plan, practice, and prep your team and <\/em>customers for BFCM, the more smoothly your operations will flow come November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Audit Your Website and App Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot-of-pagespeed-insights-website-above-the-fold-desktop\"](\"https:\/\/www.foursixty.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-of-pagespeed-insights-website-above-the-fold-desktop-1024x529.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn the four hours between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Black Friday 2024, online shoppers bought $11 million worth of products every minute. <\/em>The result? A record $10.8 billion in online sales\u2014more than twice what consumers spent in 2017, according to a December 2024 piece by NPR<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is exciting news for Black Friday 2025, but only if your ecommerce site is ready to handle the influx of shoppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Offering strategic deals is only part of the equation for Black Friday success. You\u2019ve also got to be able to navigate the traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s your pre-Black Friday 2025 tech CRO checklist<\/a>:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Do a speed test. <\/strong>Understand your web vitals <\/a>and test your website and app\u2019s load times using various tools like; Google pagespeed insights<\/a>, GTMetrix<\/a> or In-browser testing. Try to solve any functionality issues that are slowing things down. Aim for a mobile load time under 3 seconds, because anything lower than that can cause bounce rates to spike during Black Friday.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Load test your endpoints and website. <\/strong>How much traffic can your website and app handle? Find out with tools like Loader.io<\/a> or BlazeMeter<\/a>, which can simulate high-traffic loads and identify your site\u2019s potential weaknesses, especially on add-to-cart<\/a> and checkout.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Test your mobile design.<\/strong> Most holiday shoppers browse and buy on mobile devices. Make sure your app is optimized to the nth degree. Test your checkout process backwards and forwards. Remove any unnecessary steps that add friction to the checkout, like forced account creation, excessive form fields, or surprise fees at the end.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
4. Make Conversion-Focused Upgrades<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve got a riddle for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What not-so-secret tool can: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Increase conversion rates by 161%<\/a> when users interact with it<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Lift conversion rates by ~20% when they simply see <\/em>it as they\u2019re shopping<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Significantly increase shoppers\u2019 trust<\/a> in your brand and drive intent-to-buy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The answer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shoppable User-generated content, or Shoppable UGC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
UGC is anything your existing customers write, create, or post about your brand and products, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Reviews (both text-only and with media, like videos or photos)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Social media posts, including TikTok videos and Instagram Reels<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Photos<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Screenshots<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Q&A sections on product pages <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Podcasts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Most shoppers rely on unbiased information from their peers to make decisions about whether to buy from a brand. UGC is <\/em>that information, and you can elevate your BFCM 2025 strategy by weaving it into strategic areas on your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case in point? Foursixty\u2019s collaboration with Frankies Bikinis. The Frankies team wanted to add UGC to their website. They wanted to show shoppers exactly how other customers were already using (and loving) the swimwear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with homepage and Instashop galleries, the team here at Foursixty helped Frankies create product page galleries displaying high-performing posts and UGC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like this Instagram post of a woman wearing the Christa Denim Mini Dress<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
When shoppers visit a product page for a specific swimsuit set, they see Instagram posts of customers and models showing off those exact same bikinis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Foursixty, this Christa Mini Dress post appears just above the reviews section of the product page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As would-be customers dig into product reviews, they\u2019ll also see this IRL post from Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Hello, conversions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No, really. Point-of-sale galleries like this get 5x more engagement than even full-page galleries. They literally put shoppers in the shoes of other customers, bringing the shopping experience to life with real-world context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot-of-foursixty-above-the-fold-case-study-frankies-bikinis\"](\"https:\/\/www.foursixty.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-of-foursixty-above-the-fold-case-study-frankies-bikinis-1024x594.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nUltimately, Foursixty helped drive 19% of Frankies Bikinis orders after we implemented shoppable galleries and UGC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And 23% of Frankies Bikinis\u2019 total revenue came from Foursixty\u2019s changes, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
See more on the case study!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve helped brands like Pura Vida Bracelets, Skims, and Knix drive conversions with UGC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can do the same for your brand\u2014and in plenty of time for Black Friday 2025, too. Our skilled team got Frankies Bikinis up and running with shoppable UGC in just four hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reach out to our team<\/a> to see how Foursixty\u2019s shoppable content platform<\/strong> can put conversion-focused content on your most important web pages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider making additional upgrades to help drive conversion rates on your site, like: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Adding countdown timers for limited-time offers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Using pop-ups to deliver discount codes <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Putting product recommendations on every product detail page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
5. Plan Your Offer Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Sale](\"https:\/\/www.foursixty.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/99Y_adgmopav60o36-1024x1024.jpg\")
Designed by Freepik<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a secret sauce to a successful Black Friday marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here it is: Focus on creating attractive offers that also carefully <\/em>protect your margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, doorbuster deals like big-ticket items at a 50% discount (or more) will lure buyers in. But at what cost to your business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, offer sales that toe the line between delivering value to shoppers and protecting your profits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember how we recommended sorting your SKUs into three categories: high performers, mid-tier items, and slow movers? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s where this organization gets really helpful. Assign a different sales percentage for each product category, like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- High performers\/bestsellers:<\/strong> Don\u2019t need deep discounts. Offering 10-15% off the list price is perfect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mid-tier items:<\/strong> These products could use a little help getting into your customers\u2019 hands at a faster rate during Black Friday. Offer a discount of 20-25% off and position these items as big-value purchases in your email marketing and landing page content. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Slow-movers\/overstock:<\/strong> Holidays are the ideal time to get these products moving. Mark them at a steep 30-50% off or bundle them with higher average order value (AOV) items. Shoppable posts and countdown timers can help give these items more clout. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
By following this structure, you\u2019ll avoid over-discounting your bestsellers, which would reduce your profits. You\u2019ll also protect your AOV, since shoppers will still buy higher-priced\/premium items\u2014it\u2019s the holidays, after all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, you\u2019ll clear out some of your slower inventory without hurting your margins across the whole cart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To maximize ROI<\/a><\/strong>, you can also try offering tiered promotions, like: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 10% off $50<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 20% off $100<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 30% off $150+<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Target frequently offers these types of rewards for its Target Circle\u2122 members\u2014not just on Black Friday. The $25 off $125 offer below<\/a> is a significant discount\u2014and one that\u2019s highly likely to make a person snap up (at least) $125 worth of goods from the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
6. Reward Loyal and New Customers With Special Deals <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
New customers love a personalized deal for handing over their email and phone information. Loyal customers appreciate getting custom discounts and perks in exchange for their continued support of a company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The days surrounding Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday are prime for sending out these offers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even better? Give these customers early access to Black Friday deals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is exactly what Saj Munir plans to do for Black Friday 2025 at Chorlton Fireworks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter analyzing last year\u2019s traffic patterns, we noticed significant customer activity starting in mid-November, well before Black Friday weekend,\u201d explains Munir. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis year, I\u2019m launching an exclusive \u2018Early Bang\u2019 VIP list in October, giving our most loyal customers early access to bundles and discounts.\u201d The goal, says Munir, is to capture that early momentum while rewarding customer loyalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what we recommend doing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Use cart abandonment and purchase history to segment your email list.<\/strong> You don\u2019t want to send the same discount to everyone. Instead, the focus is on customizing offers based on actual customer behavior. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Break your list into smaller groups:<\/strong>\n
- \n
- VIP customers with high lifetime value (LTV)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- First-time buyers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Recent shopping cart abandoners<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- New subscribers acquired pre-Black Friday<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Match your message and offer type to each segment:<\/strong>\n
- \n
- VIPs:<\/strong> Reward customer loyalty with early access to sales, higher-tier discounts, and exclusive deals<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- First-time buyers: <\/strong>Follow up that first purchase with a thank-you message and a discount code for future purchases<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cart abandoners:<\/strong> Send targeted reminders and notifications with product recommendations\u2014and small discounts to nudge them to checkout<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- New subscribers:<\/strong> Offer a personalized welcome discount or free gift<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Create a sense of urgency strategically throughout your holiday sales messaging. Give the offers a deadline. Apply countdown timers. Show \u201conly X left in stock\u201d messaging to help drive action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And don\u2019t forget about the power of UGC in your emails, too. With Foursixty\u2019s Klaviyo integration, you can embed shoppable UGC<\/strong><\/a> directly into your emails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This places conversion content<\/strong> <\/a>in a highly impactful place, since shoppers can see real customer photos or videos<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chances are, the weight of social proof will drive them past any hesitation to make a purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Set Up Your Black Friday Marketing Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your Black Friday marketing strategy should include paid ads<\/a>, SEO, influencer content, and affiliate partnerships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paid Ads<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
According to Kevin Heimlich, CEO and Founder of The Ad Firm<\/a>, a long lead time for paid ads is key.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cMany ecommerce brands wait until October or even November to start blasting Black Friday deals on social media,\u201d says Heimlich, but \u201cthat is too late\u2014many shoppers start their deal discovery on social media, well in advance of the actual sale dates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, \u201cBegin with \u2018warm-up\u2019 campaigns as early as late August or early September,\u201d says Heimlich. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese [ads] are about building brand awareness, teasing the idea of big upcoming sales, and most importantly, driving traffic to dedicated landing pages designed specifically for email and SMS list sign-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To give potential new subscribers an incentive to opt in, Heimlich recommends running contests or offering exclusive, early-bird access to subscribers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe also use this pre-Black Friday period to test different ad creatives and messaging,\u201d continues Heimlich. \u201cWe want to see what images, videos, and headlines resonate most with various audience segments.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another bonus of starting early is saving money on ad spend, says Heimlich. \u201cOne thing we noticed during Black Friday 2024 was that the competition for ad space on platforms like Meta and TikTok got even more intense and expensive closer to the actual Black Friday weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advertisers that jumped in too late saw much higher costs and lower return on ad spend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Heimlich, \u201cThis reinforced the need to front-load our audience-building and engagement efforts. We found that the earlier we started teasing and building our lists, the more cost-effective our actual Black Friday conversion campaigns became.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, at least two months before BFCM, start running ads on Meta, TikTok, Google Shopping, and Amazon (if relevant).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Build awareness with soft CTAs like \u201cBlack Friday deals coming soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Send this traffic to gift guides, early access landing pages, or VIP sign-up forms to grow your marketing list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once Black Friday\/Cyber Monday hits, use ad retargeting to put your deals in front of promising eyes: cart abandoners, product page viewers, and past buyers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rotate these ads every 1-2 days to keep viewers from getting tired of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For even more engagement, plug in high-performing UGC strategy<\/strong><\/a> assets, like customer posts praising your product on Instagram<\/strong>. With Foursixty, you can easily secure the rights to use customer content in your own ad creatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SEO Tips<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Throughout your product pages<\/a>, blogs, and sale collections, keep SEO in mind. Optimize with terms like: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- \u201cBlack Friday sales\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cHoliday deals under $50\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201c[Your niche] + gift guide\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Include schema markup to help search engines display rich results that include pricing and reviews. Remember, pages that rank well organically will also lower your dependence on paid ads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Affiliate and Influencer Marketing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
For affiliate and influencer marketing, recruit creators about when BFCM is about 6-8 weeks away. Instead of trying to wrangle the biggest influencers on TikTok<\/a>, focus your efforts on micro-influencers that can drive strong engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGive them a simple brief to follow: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Use the product<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Show results<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mention the offer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Include a clear CTA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Tools like Shopify Collabs<\/a> or Awin<\/a> can provide you with unique links or discount codes to give your influencers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Affiliate deals work best when you structure them with a flat fee + commission combination\u2014like $200 + 10% in commissions. Schedule your final influencer pushes to land just before or during your Black Friday drop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- First-time buyers: <\/strong>Follow up that first purchase with a thank-you message and a discount code for future purchases<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- VIPs:<\/strong> Reward customer loyalty with early access to sales, higher-tier discounts, and exclusive deals<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Break your list into smaller groups:<\/strong>\n
- Use cart abandonment and purchase history to segment your email list.<\/strong> You don\u2019t want to send the same discount to everyone. Instead, the focus is on customizing offers based on actual customer behavior. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mid-tier items:<\/strong> These products could use a little help getting into your customers\u2019 hands at a faster rate during Black Friday. Offer a discount of 20-25% off and position these items as big-value purchases in your email marketing and landing page content. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- High performers\/bestsellers:<\/strong> Don\u2019t need deep discounts. Offering 10-15% off the list price is perfect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Lift conversion rates by ~20% when they simply see <\/em>it as they\u2019re shopping<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Load test your endpoints and website. <\/strong>How much traffic can your website and app handle? Find out with tools like Loader.io<\/a> or BlazeMeter<\/a>, which can simulate high-traffic loads and identify your site\u2019s potential weaknesses, especially on add-to-cart<\/a> and checkout.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Do a speed test. <\/strong>Understand your web vitals <\/a>and test your website and app\u2019s load times using various tools like; Google pagespeed insights<\/a>, GTMetrix<\/a> or In-browser testing. Try to solve any functionality issues that are slowing things down. Aim for a mobile load time under 3 seconds, because anything lower than that can cause bounce rates to spike during Black Friday.<\/li>\n\n\n\n