The biggest consumer event of the year is just around the corner. It’s controversial, can be scary, and one power outage could leave your customers in the dark. No, it’s not Halloween – we’re talking about Black Friday, which falls on 28th November this year.
In recent times, more and more brands have been making the choice to abstain from Black Friday entirely – Patagonia, IKEA, and REI to name a few. Whether this is for sustainability reasons or just a smart marketing move designed to tap into the consumer conscience, it begs the question: to Black Friday or not to Black Friday?
The case for Black Friday
It’s not hard to see why observing Black Friday is a good thing for business. In the run-up to Christmas, 60% of European shoppers are waiting to take advantage of the discounts available throughout the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period – with impulse buys and the rush of a “good deal” driving 34% of purchases. With shoppers already primed to buy on 28th November, dropping your prices by even 10% could be the difference between making a sale and an abandoned basket at checkout.
But capital isn’t the only thing your business could be cashing in on. The Black Friday buzz is real – and with more people searching for the best deals online, this is a great time to launch a clever or creative marketing campaign that lets your product or service stand out. So if you’ve been sitting on a golden idea that may not have gotten the exposure it deserved back in January, don’t be afraid to put it out there in the lead-up to Black Friday.
The case against Black Friday
It’s ironic that the very same reasons to get involved in Black Friday are also the factors why you might ignore it entirely. While many consumers will simply wait to purchase an item that’s been on their wish list when it’s discounted, the rise of TikTok Shop and social commerce platforms has increased the pressure to fall for spur-of-the-moment buys.
Not wanting to take advantage of consumers, brands like Deciem have opted to turn Black Friday into #Slowvember in the past – still offering good deals, but spreading them across the month to encourage deliberate purchases. In a sales-driven world where the bottom line is often the only thing that counts, leading with purpose can be a powerful choice that generates more buzz than Black Friday ever could.
Some brands may choose to lean away from November deals not simply for moral purposes, but practical ones. If your server isn’t powerful enough, the increased web traffic could leave your customers high and dry. This is exactly what happened with Boots last year, when shoppers browsing their 22,000 offers were placed indefinitely in a virtual holding queue after the website crashed. Maybe the major beauty retailer should have gone for a dedicated server…
Prepare for any Black Friday outcome with Fasthosts
Whether you choose to mark it or not, ensuring that your website is backed by powerful hosting is essential this Black Friday and beyond. Every business should expect an increase in web traffic as Christmas approaches – even if you typically rely on social commerce platforms, consumers are still less trusting of sites like TikTok Shop.
So, if you’re already noticing lag or high bounce rates, it could be a sign that your current web server isn’t up to snuff. Consider switching from a shared server to a dedicated one, or find a meet-in-the-middle option with a virtual private server. We’ve got the right solution for you here at Fasthosts.
