Use Limited-Time Offers & Countdown Timers for Black Friday Success

This is the last blog of our Black Friday series, which focuses on maximising your eCommerce site’s potential for one of the year’s biggest shopping events. We’ve covered tips to optimise your website to increase conversion.

Do you know the most powerful sales techniques for the holiday season?

Driving urgency amongst customers with limited-time offers or countdown timers. According to a survey, as much as 70% of online shoppers in the UK look for special offers. In countries like Ireland and Hungary, this value is even higher. 

Why is it important to instil urgency and excitement among website visitors?

Building a sense of urgency is a proven strategy for boosting conversions, especially during high-traffic shopping events like Black Friday sales. When customers feel they are missing out on a great deal, they’re likely to complete a purchase quickly. 

This is called playing with FOMO or the fear of missing out. It has a pivotal role in urging shoppers to make decisions to buy your products.  This paired with the anticipation and excitement that comes with Black Friday makes it even more successful.

You can use limited-time offers with countdown timers and flash sales to generate this urgency. Showing customers that time is running out, you create a heightened sense of pressure. This further compels them to take action before the offer gets sold out.

Do you know that retail giants like Amazon and Sephora are masters of this technique?

For example, Amazon’s “Lightning Deals” during Black Friday are paired with countdown timers. This encourages immediate action and prevents customers from abandoning their baskets.

Limited-time offers are especially effective during Black Friday because shoppers are in the mindset of hunting for the best deals.

What should you do?

Combine your deals with visually appealing banners and timers. The right content can help you turn browsing visitors into paying customers. You can make the most of the limited-time offers and countdown timers on Black Friday.

Here’s how you can implement them on your eCommerce site:

• Add countdown timers to multiple pages

Make sure your countdown timers are strategically placed on product pages, category pages, and others. These timers should highlight when the Black Friday deal expires. Use phrases like:

• Deal Ends in 2 Hours
• Hurry! Offer Ends Today at 5pm!

To take things further, you can use attention-grabbing colours like red or orange. This will ensure they stand out and compel shoppers to act quickly.

• Eye-catching banners and sliders are your best friend

It’s not only about showcasing the deals. A lot goes into how you display them to the customers. Small CTAs that are obscure may go unnoticed and fail to work in your favour. Rather use banners or sliders at the top of your site or across product listings. 

They can help you provide conspicuous deals. Banners can help you clearly communicate the time-sensitive nature of the deals, which works in your favour. 

• Run flash sales throughout Black Friday

Another effective strategy is to run flash sales at various points during the day. Flash sales means more excitement and engagement and encourages repeated visits on your site. 

You can promote different deals in the morning, afternoon, and evening. This will keep your audience connected and on the lookout for the next offer.

The sales season is much like the hunting season. Delivering the right amount of adventure is the key to keeping your customers entertained. Too much or too little, and you start losing potential customers.

• Implement multiple campaigns

Alongside website features like banners and timers, make use of email marketing and push notifications. Flash sales works well when combined with email and SMS campaigns. This helps to alert customers when a new flash sale is about to begin.

You can send reminders about expiring deals. This will bring more traffic back to your site and increase your chances of making sales.

Bottom line

Black Friday, on 29th November this year, is also a payday weekend. It’s time to put your pieces together and prepare for success. Key takeaways are:

• Optimising product pages
• Launching intuitive navigation
• Showcasing trust badges 
• Using countdown timers

The details can make a difference in converting Black Friday visitors into customers.

This is the final part of our Black Friday series. We hope the insights and tips have been useful to you. If you need assistance in making these changes or optimising your eCommerce website in time for Black Friday, our team is ready to help. 

Talk to us today to discuss how we can support your Black Friday preparations.

Don’t wait: Black Friday is just around the corner!