Black Friday lands on Friday 27 November this year. That’s eight weeks from today, and it’s closer than it sounds.
Most Black Friday problems aren’t created in November. They’re created in October, by the things nobody got round to: the checkout that’s clunky on a phone, the stock that was ordered too late, the courier who was never briefed, the creative that was rushed on the Wednesday before. By the time the sale starts, it’s too late to fix any of them.
So here’s the countdown we use with brands: one focus a week, from now until launch. If you want the full list of what to tick off, our Black Friday checklist for South African online stores has it. This is the order to do it in.
Week 1 (28 Sep to 2 Oct): find what’s leaking
Before you spend a rand on ads, find out where your store is losing the sale. Black Friday traffic makes every leak bigger.
- Open your store on your phone, on mobile data, and buy something. Time it. Note every moment you hesitated.
- Check the basics: can shoppers find the search, see delivery costs before checkout, and pay the way they want to?
- Look at your analytics for the pages where people leave.
The quickest way to start is a free CRO audit: it checks your store against 125 checkpoints, plus Google’s speed test, and emails you a report with the top fixes.
Week 2 (5 to 9 Oct): plan the offer, then check the maths
Decide what you’ll discount, by how much, and what you won’t touch. One clear offer beats five complicated ones.
Then work out what each order really costs you: product, delivery, payment fees, packaging and the returns you’ll get. If a deal loses money on every order, it isn’t a deal. It’s a donation.
Week 3 (12 to 16 Oct): lock in stock
Suppliers get busy in November and lead times stretch. Order now for the products you’ll push, and decide what happens when something sells out: a waitlist, a back-in-stock alert, or a similar product you’ll point shoppers to.
Week 4 (19 to 23 Oct): sort delivery and returns
Talk to your courier now, not in the week of the sale. Confirm collection times, the volume you expect and their cut-off dates for delivery before the festive season.
Then make your promises clear on the site: delivery cost, delivery time and the returns policy, all shown before checkout. Surprise costs at checkout are one of the most common reasons shoppers leave.
Week 5 (26 to 30 Oct): make the creative
Shoot and design everything in one go: the homepage banner, product images for your hero products, social posts and stories, email designs and ad sizes. Make it look like your brand, not like everyone else’s red-and-black sale graphics.
Doing it now means you’re not briefing a designer at 10 at night in November.
Week 6 (2 to 6 Nov): build your early-access list
The people who sign up before the sale are your warmest shoppers on the day. Offer early access or a first look in exchange for an email address or a WhatsApp opt-in, and ask for clear permission when you do. POPIA applies to your sale list too.
Week 7 (9 to 13 Nov): pages and ads
Build your Black Friday landing page and update your best-selling product pages: sharp photos, sizing, delivery times and reviews.
Set up your campaigns now and test them with small budgets, so you know what works before the big spend. Retargeting (showing ads to people who’ve already visited your store) usually earns its keep in sale week.
Week 8 (16 to 20 Nov): test everything, then freeze
- Place real test orders on a phone: card, instant EFT and any buy now, pay later options you offer. Read every email that follows.
- Schedule your emails and messages: early access, launch, reminders and last chance.
- Brief your team on who answers questions, and how fast.
- Then freeze the site. No new plugins, apps or theme changes until the sale is over.
Launch week (23 to 27 Nov): run it, watch it
Send early access first, then open the sale. On the day, watch the store as closely as the sales: speed, stock, payment success and error messages. Answer questions quickly; a fast reply on WhatsApp often saves an order.
And keep your promises honest. If delivery will take longer than usual, say so.
Start this week
Eight weeks is enough time to fix the leaks, get the offer right and walk into Black Friday calm. It isn’t enough time to do all of it in the last two.
Week 1 starts today: run a free CRO audit and find what’s leaking. If you’d rather talk it through, book a 15 minute call and we’ll help you plan your countdown.
