Prepared retailers this Black Friday could win the battle for Christmas sales

Research from Fresh Relevance into online traffic prior to Black Friday suggests that traffic falls back slightly as shoppers delay purchases with the expectation of lower prices. This, therefore, is a good time for retailers to start drumming up interest ahead of the day through their communications. In fact, there is a number of aspects to Black Friday preparation that retailers must remember, if Black Friday is to be a successful, commercial event that cultivates shopper relationships.

1. Don’t forget who the customer is because prices have been discounted

When website traffic is tailing off in the run up to Black Friday, retailers should use customer databases to send targeted communications based on advanced insights. These insights could stem from previous shopping habits, the amount of money the customer usually spends, or what they have previously abandoned in their basket. Once these insights have been gathered, retailers are able to segment their database and send targeted communications that direct customers online to browse items that may be included within their Black Friday sale. If customers start to plan their purchases before the event, it’s highly likely that the store will be at the front of their mind, increasing the likelihood that they’ll return to finalise their purchase, or look for alternative offers. The browsing history collected in the run up to Black Friday, and on the day itself, can pave the way for extremely useful insights that can be leveraged throughout the whole of December.

2. Black Friday is for cultivating customers, not driving them away

Christmas is the busiest time of year for retailers, and with many shoppers starting their festive planning on Black Friday, it’s vital that increasing customer loyalty is a key focus for retailers before they enter the month of December. Black Friday should therefore be seen as an opportunity to attract new customers, increasing the amount of people on the database that can then receive Christmas communications. It’s also a time to strengthen relationships currently in place. To do this, retailer’s should consider a ‘pre-Black Friday’ communications programme that asks new customers to register details, or allows the most loyal customers to have exclusive access to the sale. Both of these are examples of how retailers can increase excitement and build momentum at a time when research has shown that online traffic decreases.

3. Cross-channel optimisation is fundamental

Integrating a cross-channel marketing approach is vital for retailers looking to ensure a seamless experience for the customer this year. A bad experience is likely to result in the customer heading to a competitor who has undertaken the necessary preparations to ensure that it’s an efficient process. Tools are available, such as Teradata’s Digital Marketing Center, which allow marketers to leverage individualised insights to create intimate customer relationships across all digital channels including email, mobile, social and web. This ensures that the message being delivered is consistent, and available for consumers across every touchpoint including email, social media and mobile.

For those retailers that are focusing on mobile strategy and have apps, it’s also a great time to be promoting these in the run up to Black Friday with a ‘quick and easy’ shopping experience message. Those with more sophisticated communications strategy will then be able to capture their customer’s attention both on the day, and remind them that they’re still there after the event has finished, by implementing the use of push notifications and disrupting their behaviour patterns on their phone to drive engagement with the brand.

At Teradata, we looked at the communications to date for the top 50 online retailers (by turnover) to analyse what the expectations are for Black Friday this year. Of those that have email newsletters, it appears that the main theme is currently centred around a ‘daily discount’ message as opposed to emails that are directly referring to the one day that is Black Friday, and the merits or incentives of shopping with them. From a business perspective, this largely makes sense, to extend the window of opportunity for attracting customers. However, with new research being released by Savvy that suggests nearly half (41 per cent) of shoppers are planning on getting involved with Black Friday this year. It would seem that retailers who aren’t referencing Black Friday itself within communications could be missing out on driving engagement with customers who have already bought into the day.

Ultimately, retailers must ensure they are fully prepared for Black Friday. Customers are ready to spend and many use the day as a starting point for their Christmas shopping. Retailers should be mirroring this shopper behaviour to maximise sales this Christmas, and those that use individualised insights to shape communications will be far more likely to succeed. With Black Friday gaining awareness in the UK, retailers need to up their game in communicating the benefits of why they should be chosen by customers as the destination to purchase goods. Thinking in this way is not only crucial in securing share of pound on the day itself, it’s also vital for gaining new customers, strengthening relationships and monitoring behavioural data for future communications.