De Minimis Rule Ends: What Sellers Must Know and Do Before August 29
The U.S. will end the de minimis exemption—the rule that allowed packages under $800 to
Are you tired of seeing the same old “BFCM strategies for your WooCommerce store” posts? At CedCommerce, we are passionate about eCommerce, and we wanted to share some fresh and effective strategies that actually work. Instead of the usual insights for sellers, we’ve put together a curated list of proven strategies that our merchants have used to boost their BFCM sales over the years.
TL;DR – If you feel like this blog is Too Long and Don’t want to Read, here’s your WooCommerce cheatsheet to crush your 2024 BFCM sales goals:
- 1 Month Before: Build a multichannel presence (Amazon, social media), and start early promotions to avoid last-minute rushes.
- 3 Weeks Before: Sync inventory across platforms, and tease your deals through email and social media to create buzz.
- 2 Weeks Before: Optimize your website for speed and mobile shopping since most BFCM shoppers will use phones.
- 1 Week Before: Use flash sales and countdown timers to create urgency and drive conversions.
- BFCM Week: Stay agile by monitoring sales data and adjusting promotions in real time while ensuring customer service and fulfillment teams are prepared.
- Post-BFCM: Retarget customers, run follow-up campaigns, and analyze your success metrics to plan for future sales.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are the biggest sales days for eCommerce, bringing in a significant portion of annual revenue. This year, the BFCM sales numbers are expected to hit a record of $75 billion in the US alone. This means that your WooCommerce store needs some serious work before the big sales period kicks in.
One Month Before BFCM: Build a Solid Multichannel Foundation
1. Multichannel Integration
More than 73% of customers prefer to shop on more than one channel in the hopes of finding better deals. So, if you think that just selling from your WooCommerce store is enough, then you’re leaving a huge slice of that multichannel revenue pie on the shelf. Here’s what you can do to get things rolling within a month of the BFCM event:
- Choose your targeted marketplaces where your product categories can boom
- Choose a reliable integration provider that can help you connect WooCommerce to those marketplaces
- Integration, optimize, and start selling on multiple sales channels, awaiting more customers than ever before!
Like the sound of that? Check out the Multichannel for WooCommerce Integration, an innovative plugin that helps you sell on four leading marketplaces from a single integration.
2. Early Promotions & Partnerships
Nearly 30% of BFCM shoppers start their shopping even before November.
You must’ve already heard it. WooCommerce said it, we did, and almost every other key retail player, but did you actually start? Or how well can you drive conversions with just a month away from 2024 BFCM now? Here’s how:
- Collaborate and run joint campaigns with other brands to boost visibility while offering early bird discounts to your loyal customers.
- Doing this, helps you save more, drive better engagement, and make your customers feel special, also gives a unique position to your brand image.
Three Weeks Before BFCM: Optimize Inventory & Engage Customers
4. Real-Time Inventory Syncing
Syncing your WooCommerce store inventory across all platforms is crucial to avoiding stock outs during the busiest sales season. 48% of stores are planning to bulk up their inventory, and ensuring real-time syncing can prevent costly errors like overselling. Did we also mention that the Multichannel for WooCommerce integration comes up with incredible capabilities that help you stay on top of things (especially during the BFCM 2024 sales event)?
5. Tease BFCM Deals
Warm up your audience by teasing BFCM deals through email and social media. Personalized email campaigns are especially effective during this period, with nearly 29% of merchants citing email marketing as their most powerful tool. Use platforms like Klaviyo to segment your audience and send targeted teaser emails.
Two Weeks Before BFCM: Perfect Your Website for Speed & Mobile
6. Website Optimization
Site performance is everything during BFCM. A slow site can result in cart abandonment, and 37% of WooCommerce stores are working to improve site speed. Use tools like WP Rocket and Google PageSpeed Insights to ensure your website can handle the traffic surge.
7. Mobile Optimization
With 70% of BFCM purchases being made via mobile, ensuring a seamless mobile experience is essential. Simplify the mobile checkout process with one-click options and make sure your website is fully responsive.
8. VIP Early Access
Reward your loyal customers with early access to your BFCM deals. Brands like POPFLEX have used early access to drive significant revenue within the first hour of sales. Tools like Klaviyo allow you to create exclusive VIP segments for this purpose.
One Week Before BFCM: Create Urgency with Flash Sales & Social Media
9. Flash Sales & Countdown Timers
Nothing creates urgency like flash sales and countdown timers. Implementing these across your website and social media channels helps drive last-minute purchases. Use plugins like Beeketing to automate these elements.
10. Cross-Platform Promotions
Ensure your promotions are consistent across all platforms, from your WooCommerce store to Amazon and social media. Maintain consistent messaging, branding, and offers across all platforms, including your WooCommerce store, Amazon, and social media. This creates a cohesive customer experience, boosting engagement and driving higher sales.
Want ROI-driven ad campaigns that actually convert? Reach out to CedCommerce marketing experts.
BFCM Week: Stay Agile & Optimize in Real-Time
11. Monitor & Adjust Promotions
Agility is critical during BFCM week. Monitor your store performance in real-time, making quick adjustments based on live sales data. Tools like Google Analytics and Metorik offer insights into how your promotions are performing, allowing you to optimize on the go.
12. Customer Support & Fulfillment
Prepare your customer service team for the surge in inquiries. Use chatbots or automated FAQs to reduce the load, and ensure your fulfillment processes are ready for the influx of orders.
Having a reliable integration solution provider is crucial during busy retail events. Explore CedCommerce’s multichannel services, trusted by over 10K+ active WooCommerce sellers, and stay away from the BFCM panic.
Post-BFCM: Retain Customers & Analyze Your Success
13. Follow-Up Campaigns
After BFCM, don’t let the momentum fade. Send follow-up emails with additional deals or exclusive sneak peeks of future products to encourage repeat purchases. Retargeting previous customers with personalized messages can help re-engage shoppers.
14. Customer Retention Programs
Implement loyalty programs that reward customers for their BFCM purchases, keeping them engaged long-term. Programs like Smile.io offer point-based rewards to incentivize future purchases.
Analyze Your Campaign Success
Finally, evaluate the success of your BFCM campaign by analyzing key metrics like average order value (AOV), customer acquisition cost (CAC), and conversion rates. Use tools like Google Data Studio to visualize and assess performance.
Must Read: Navigating the post holiday season sales strategies
