Black Friday has become one of the biggest shopping moments of the year in South Africa, and for many online stores it’s the busiest week they’ll have. It usually lands close to month-end payday, which means shoppers arrive ready to buy, and quick to leave if anything gets in the way.
Here’s the checklist we use with brands to get ready.
Six to eight weeks before
- Plan your offer. Decide what you’ll discount, by how much, and what you won’t discount. A clear, simple offer beats a complicated one.
- Check your margins. Include delivery, payment fees and returns. A deal that loses money on every order is not a strategy.
- Order stock early. Suppliers and couriers get busy in November. Know your lead times.
- Speed-test your store. Test it on a phone, on mobile data. If it’s slow on a normal day, it will be slower under Black Friday traffic.
Four weeks before
- Build your list. Start collecting emails and WhatsApp opt-ins with an early-access offer. People who sign up early are your warmest shoppers on the day.
- Prepare your pages. Create a Black Friday landing page, and update your best-selling product pages with clear photos, sizing, delivery times and reviews.
- Brief your courier. Confirm collection times, volume and cut-off dates. Ask what happens if they fall behind.
- Load-test. Ask your developer or host whether your store can handle several times its normal traffic, and fix what can’t.
The week before
- Place test orders. Card, instant EFT and buy now, pay later, on a phone. Check every email that follows.
- Schedule your emails and messages. Early access, launch, reminders and last chance. Keep them short and clear.
- Prepare your team. Who answers customer questions, and how fast? Save answers to the questions you’ll get most: delivery times, returns and stock.
- Freeze changes. No new apps, plugins or theme changes in the final week.
On the day
- Watch your store, not only your sales. Check speed, stock levels, payment success and error messages every few hours.
- Keep delivery promises honest. If delivery will take longer than usual, say so on the site. Surprises cause cancellations and complaints.
- Answer fast. A quick answer on WhatsApp or chat often saves a sale.
After Black Friday
- Thank your new customers. A short, genuine email after delivery starts the relationship properly.
- Ask for reviews. You’ll never have more recent buyers than now.
- Review the numbers. Which products, channels and messages worked? Write it down while it’s fresh, so next year starts ahead.
- Plan for December. Black Friday shoppers become festive-season shoppers. Keep the momentum going.
The one thing to get right
If you only do one thing, fix the leaks before the traffic arrives. Every problem in your store is multiplied on Black Friday. Our free CRO audit finds them in about two minutes, and our team can help you grow through the season.
