Are you ready for Black Friday 2023? 10 secrets to boost your sales

Are you ready for Black Friday 2023?
10 secrets to boost your sales

Τhis Black Friday too, we will be there for all businesses to help them turn the great challenge of the year into a big success.

We may be in the heart of fall, but the “temperature” in the retail world is already rising steadily in anticipation of the long-awaited shopping event: Black Friday it is!
In recent years, Black Friday has gained ground in our country too, turning the last Friday of November into the ultimate shopping event, for both consumers and businesses. The day with the most tempting offers of the whole year, however, apart from being a great opportunity, is also a huge challenge. The key lies in proper preparation, which is why we share with you 10 tips that will help you break your personal sales record and provide the ultimate experience for your customers.

#1 Get prepared in time

October isn’t over yet, and it may feel like it’s still early, though it’s a good idea to plan your promotions and marketing strategies now so you’ re ready for the increased traffic. It’s also important to let your customers know about your Black Friday deals early so they have time to decide on their purchases. Communicate with them through sms, promotional messages, viber and newsletters. However, always make sure you have their consent to send promotional material and avoid “spamming” them with too many messages.

#2 Black Friday that suits you best

Your business is unique, with different needs, and everything you see happening on Black Friday may not suit it. Choose a strategy that meets your goals, size, and needs, like discounts, 1+1 offers, free shipping, etc.

#3 Upgrade your POS

Transaction time is essential for your customer service and your POS is the ultimate tool and your most valuable ally. So, make sure it is operating at its total capacity. No worries: we take care of all Cardlink POS upgrades! You? Just make sure your POS is powered on, charged, and connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet during the nighttime hours to download the newest software available.

#4 Analyze data of previous Black Fridays

Look for the data from previous years, evaluate it, and make sure you incorporate it into your strategy this year. The free digital platform Cardlink apollo will help you achieve that. It’s a very useful tool, where you can easily and quickly find insights, reports, and detailed information of your transactions from previous years.

#5 Boost your e-shop

If you operate an e-shop, now is the best time to make improvements to enhance the user experience and maximize your daily and Black Friday sales.

Ensure that your website is speedy, user-friendly, and able to handle the increased transaction volume. For even better results, we advise you to create a dedicated landing page for Black Friday with the products on sale. If you don’t have an e-shop you can create one on your own, quickly and easily, through Cardlink e-grow. In case you just want to make sales by phone or through social media, without an e-shop, this can also be done by simply sending a link to your customer’s email via Cardlink’s Payment links.

#6 Optimize your customer service

Put on your greatest smile with a pleasant mood. In addition, the increased traffic in your business is expected to bring a wider number of inquiries from customers. That’s why it is useful to create a Frequently Asked Questions section that will be available both on your site and to your employees, so they can review it and be prepared for the traffic of the big day.

#7 Don’t forget the last mile

Black Friday may be one of the most demanding periods for any business but, in any case, you should remember that the customer journey before, during and after the purchase is very important and builds the reputation of your business. Therefore, pay attention to the last mile as well. Evaluate your product delivery methods early and make the necessary adjustments to ensure you are consistent in terms of delivery times. Customers appreciate the overall experience all the way to delivery.

#8 Get armed against fraud

It is crucial to always keep your eyes open for fraud to stay safe in the online world and protect both your business, and your customers. Watch out for fishing, shield your website so that it is secure and when it comes to online payments ensure, as mentioned above, that your POS is up to date with the current software version. Cardlink can certainly guarantee that its POS and online payment platform do have all security certificates and are in full compliance with international standards for payment protection eliminating any potential risk.

#9 Offer multiple payment options

Imagine that potential customers have reached the final stage of their purchase and, suddenly, they leave. What could possibly go wrong? Perhaps they quitted due to the limited payment options. It’s a good idea to offer a range of options to cater to the different preferences of your customers. And if you have an old-tech POS, it’s the perfect opportunity to upgrade your business with a cutting edge Cardlink Android POS, so you can conduct transactions with even higher speed, maximum security and with any payment method your customers opt for, whether it’s card, contactless, mobile, wallet or smartwatch. Also take into consideration whether you need an additional POS to handle the increased traffic, such as a wireless or a mini one that will save you from any hassle and make transactions easier.

#10 Never skip the review part

Smart businesses start planning even from the very end of Black Friday, the next one. So, it’s important to review your stock and evaluate what went well and what you could do better. The insights will be valuable, not only for the next Black Friday, but also for the Christmas season that is about to start.

Did you know that…

Now that you know all the ways to be more prepared than ever this Black Friday, it is time for some fun. Did you know that the institution of Black Friday originated in America somewhere in the 19th century? Since then, the day after “Thanksgiving” which always takes place on the last Thursday of November, Black Friday, was a day of celebration because it marked the first day of sales ahead of the Christmas season. In many cities, the celebrations ended with parades at the end of which… even Santa Claus showed up!

As for its weird name? It is said to have prevailed because at that time, in the accounting books, a negative balance sheet was marked in red ink while a positive balance sheet was marked in black ink. And since the beginning of the sales could only be a day of great profit for shopkeepers, it was called “Black Friday”.

What happens in Greece during Black Friday?

In Greece, this American custom first appeared in 2015 and quickly spread to every type of store and business. In fact, last year, Cardlink’s annual Black Friday survey revealed that the number of sales on that day increased, in some sectors, by 100% to 140%! And the top 5 favorite categories for consumers to shop on Black Friday included: apparel, home appliances, cosmetics, electronics/mobiles and toys. As for the e-commerce numbers, they were equally impressive with sales increasing up to 130% in the top categories. Take a look at all of last year’s market insights here.

Stay tuned as this year too, after the big retail event, Cardlink will analyze the data and publish the insights on this year’s market traffic.

Black Friday 2023 is expected to break all previous sales records. So be sure to prepare early! We will be by your side, at every stage of preparation to support you.
Good luck! May you rock your sales!