Black Friday isn't just about posting a discount—it's about making sure your store is prepared to capture attention fast, convert mobile shoppers instantly, and reach the right customers without hurting deliverability.
This quick guide gives you the essential, often-overlooked steps ecommerce brands must take to maximize reach and revenue during the biggest sales week of the year.
1. Start Earlier (Ideally by November 10)
Most customers decide where they'll buy from long before Black Friday starts. If you begin promoting on November 25, you're already behind.
Why starting early works:
- Customers bookmark stores offering early access
- It builds anticipation and trust
- You "claim" mental real estate before the competition
What to do by Nov 10:
- Add Early Access announcement bar
- Start a VIP early-bird list
- Re-engage your 90-day engaged subscribers
- Send light, value-based emails to warm up deliverability
Early brands win the comparison game. Late brands get ignored.
2. Make a High-Value Offer (Up to 60% Off Works Best)
Small discounts don't stand out during Black Friday—customers expect meaningful savings.
What actually works:
- Up to 60% off (for select categories)
- BOGO or Buy 2 Get 1
- Tiered rewards: "Spend $150, Get $25 Off"
- Dollar-off deals for high-ticket products
- Bundles that increase AOV
Why deeper offers succeed:
Shoppers see hundreds of deals that weekend. If your offer isn't compelling, they'll simply choose a competitor who is.
3. Display Your Offer Everywhere on Your Website
Your customers land on your store from many places—ads, socials, direct traffic, abandoned carts. If your offer is only on the homepage, half your visitors never see it.
Add offer visibility to:
- Announcement bar (every page)
- Homepage hero banner
- Collection page headers
- Product page ribbons
- Cart drawer banner
- Checkout callout
- Mobile sticky CTA bar
Pro Tip: Add a countdown timer to your announcement bar—urgency increases conversions instantly.
4. Email Only Your Engaged Subscribers
The biggest Black Friday mistake?
Emailing everyone.
That destroys deliverability and sends your promos directly to spam.
Email these segments instead:
- Subscribers active in the last 1 year
- 90-day engaged audience
- 180-day warm audience (separately)
- VIP customers
- Repeat purchasers
- High openers & clickers
This dramatically increases inbox placement—and therefore revenue.
5. Avoid Image-Only Emails (They Go to Spam)
During Black Friday, email platforms tighten spam filters. Image-only or heavy-banner emails often go straight to Promotions or Spam.
Make your email more "inbox-friendly":
- 50–60% images
- 40–50% real text
- Strong headline + short supporting copy
- Alt text on all images
- At least one text hyperlink
This simple fix can improve reach by 30–50%.
6. Don't Forget the Essential High-Impact Fixes Most Brands Overlook
A. Speed Up Abandonment Flows
Don't wait an hour. During Black Friday, customers jump between tabs.
Set first email to 10–15 minutes, not hours later.
B. Make Mobile Your Priority
Over 70% of BFCM traffic is on phones.
Check:
- Button size
- Tap targets
- Font readability
- Image crop
- Page speed
- Simplified navigation
Small mobile friction = large revenue loss.
C. Add Return, Shipping & Trust Messaging Everywhere
Holiday shoppers hesitate more.
Display these on key pages:
- "Easy 30-day returns"
- "Fast delivery options"
- "Secure checkout"
- "Order now to receive by ___"
It reduces checkout anxiety and improves conversion rate.
D. Keep Support Highly Visible
Live chat, chatbots, or even a visible email/phone link reduces drop-offs—and increases buyer confidence.
E. Use Real Social Proof (Not Generic Star Ratings)
Customers trust:
- "4,300 sold this month"
- "Best-seller in healthcare facilities"
- Real customer photos
- Verified reviews
Authenticity sells.
Quick Black Friday Essentials Checklist
- Start promotions before Nov 10
- Offer meaningful discounts (up to 60% off)
- Display the offer across your entire website
- Email only engaged subscribers
- Don't send image-only emails
- Accelerate abandonment flows
- Optimize your mobile experience
- Add trust, shipping & return clarity
- Keep customer support visible
- Use countdown timers & urgency
- Show real social proof
These "quick essentials" are the difference between a store that participates in Black Friday and one that dominates it.