10 tips for your online shop

The first step focuses on answering the following questions: Which products should be particularly highlighted? Which should be discounted? What kind of campaigns could be offered? It is obviously a good idea to push those products that sell the best. However, campaigns with articles that have enjoyed an upwards trend in online sales as a result of the coronavirus pandemic can also be worthwhile. It is therefore a good idea to perform an analysis of sales data here. Stock levels can also be checked, which helps prevent bottlenecks if a large number of orders are placed.

Timely planning of promotions is also critical. Shoppers typically start researching the best deals early on, but at the latest by the start of November. So it is a good idea to already start publishing landing pages, banner materials, social media ads and similar at this time. This is a good opportunity to get shoppers in the mood for the event and also to stand out from all the other offers. It is advisable to keep a close eye on the competition here and adapt your own offers as and when necessary.

The content of the campaigns is just as important as the timing in order to prevent any misunderstandings. It is, for example, important to make sure that discount conditions and return policies are clearly defined. This also serves to boost trust and confidence in your online shop. When creating advertising banners and social media ads, it is vital to note that the term "Black Friday" is a protected trade mark. As such, it must not be used in text ads, as this could lead to a written warning. However, this gives you plenty of scope to use other terms and get creative with your own brand names.

Before customers start bombarding your online shop, it is important to ensure that your website/servers are ready to handle the massive increase in traffic. Long loading times should be avoided at all costs. It is also important to prepare for the worst. What is the plan if the website goes offline at any point? Can the developer be contacted at short notice? Last year, the busiest periods in online shops were observed in the afternoon between 1:00 and 7:00 pm. It is therefore a good idea to check the functionality of the website regularly during this time. In addition, it is important to allow customers to purchase products on all of their devices. Last year, almost 50 percent of articles sold in Germany were purchased using a smartphone. Apps are also becoming increasingly popular, so it is important to ensure a wide selection of shopping channels again this year. Checks can also be performed in advance to determine whether the online shop is intuitive to use on all devices.

Keeping a close eye on operations during the sales process is vital, including monitoring stock quantities. A product should be removed from sale early on if it is sold out. After all, real bargains can sell out fast on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So what is the best approach when a product is already sold out, but continues to appear in search results - for example on Google? It is a good idea to offer disappointed users a discount by way of an apology and then satisfy them by suggesting alternative products.

The checkout process is the key step before the final purchase of items and one of the main reasons why customers might abandon a shopping basket. There are online shops where as many as four out of every five prospective customers cancel a transaction during this process. The reasons for this are varied and include both usability and the conditions in place. The selection of payment methods on offer is also a key factor for shoppers. Offering the right mix of the most popular payment methods in your online shop helps significantly reduce the number of abandoned shopping baskets. One in three online purchases is aborted because the desired payment method is not available. It is therefore the task of any shop operator to offer the right selection of payment methods. With the all-in-one package from Unzer, you can integrate all common payment types both quickly and easily. This helps you attract more shoppers, prevent abandoned shopping baskets and increase your conversion rate during checkout.

However, abandoned shopping baskets can also be caused by the shipping options being too slow or a lack of trust in the shipping company used. In addition, processes that simply take too long to complete can also lead to users giving up and shopping elsewhere. Asking shoppers to enter data is another common reason for abandoned shopping baskets. Having to fill out (extensive) online forms is often seen as annoying here. As an online shop operator, it is therefore important to consider very carefully how much data is required from customers. Allowing new customers to shop as guests can help in this regard. As suppliers are already being stretched due to the coronavirus pandemic, inventory decisions should be reached in good time. How quickly can the warehouse be restocked if items sell out quickly? How many products should be ordered in advance from suppliers? In light of the shipping delays during the coronavirus pandemic, it is advisable to prepare for this well in advance. Measures should also be implemented to ensure that sufficient personnel are available to send out the high level of anticipated orders on time. Good organisation of the fulfilment department can be really helpful here. The most popular products should be quickly and easily accessible. In addition, orders can for example be prioritised by customer, shipping requirements or product type. Regular and clear communication with fulfilment and shipping personnel is also crucial in order to avoid mistakes and guarantee smooth procedures.

If customers get stuck or have a question during the order process, but are unable to get help in a fast and convenient way, they may simply give up on their purchase. Contact options should therefore be placed in a clearly visible location. The best approach is to offer a tool that allows an immediate response. This could be a live chat option or clear inclusion of a telephone number.

The annual shopping event not only offers opportunities for several days of strong sales, but also to acquire new customers and keep existing customers loyal. It is then possible to send a polite request by e-mail to review the product purchased or (assuming consent was given for this during the order process) to send out a newsletter to stick in your shoppers' memory.

The campaigns held during Black Week are also a useful source of information that can be incorporated in your online shop. As soon as the event is over, the goal should be to evaluate the measures implemented and their success. What worked well? Where is there still room for improvement? Beyond the scope of discount campaigns, what else can still be improved in the online shop? Returns may also need to be processed.