Cyber Monday is quickly approaching, and it’s safe to say that 2017 is going to be another groundbreaking year for eCommerce store owners.
There’s just one small question you should be asking yourself (as an eCommerce store owner): “Am I ready for Cyber Monday?”
If you don’t feel completely prepared, don’t worry! The truth is, most eCommerce businesses can never totally prepare for the tidal wave that washes over us during the holidays.
That’s where we come in! Let’s talk about how you can better prepare yourself for Cyber Monday, in just a few short days.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
This may in fact be the most crucial part for your eCommerce store on Cyber Monday.
Considering the fact that last year 48% of Cyber Monday’s profits came from mobile users, it’s safe to say that you need to up your mobile-friendly game.
![]()
In order to figure out if your website is mobile-friendly, you can use this tool (provided by Google).
![]()
If your website is not mobile-friendly, ask yourself these questions:
- Are your clickable elements easily tappable?
- Are your images still crisp?
- Are your pop-up buttons optimized for small/touch screen devices?
If you answered “No” to any of these questions, we suggest fixing these issues. Check out this article from RetailNext to see what else you can do to make your site mobile-friendly!
After your website is 100% mobile friendly, you can move on to the next crucial step...
Figure out your Cyber Monday deals
After all, you can’t go into Cyber Monday without knowing what deals you’re going to offer your customers!
Some of the top selling items of 2017 were:
- Wood frame sunglasses
- Waterproof phone cases
- Bluetooth speakers
- Coconut oil
- Phone power banks
- 3D printers
- Drones
- Fitness trackers
- E-cigarettes
- Leggings
If you offer one or more items from the list above, put a deal on it. It’s also a good idea to polish your deal off with free shipping.
![]()
As you can see from the image above, 83-88% of customers are more inclined to buy an item if it comes with free shipping.
If you can’t bring yourself to give your customers an awesome deal and free shipping, we suggest going with the next best thing: one-day shipping.
After you’ve found your highest-selling items, it’s time to...
Showcase deals on social channels
Creating a solid ad for your Cyber Monday deals is crucial for both you and your customers. Here’s the best part: there are tons of ways to broadcast your deals!
The first and most obvious way to showcase your Cyber Monday deals is through social media marketing.
![]()
Carters created a fun ad letting their customers know that they could save 25% off of their entire order with a unique code.
While social media marketing ads are the most popular (and sometimes, most effective) choice, you can also broadcast your deals by:
- Email marketing
- Blog/Forum Marketing
- PPC Marketing
Whichever route you decide to take, be sure to let your customers know this is a one day only sale.
Using scarcity like this will light a fire under their butt and make ‘em buy! To learn more about marketing your ads, check out this article.
Final tips to get ready for Cyber Monday
With those crucial steps out of the way, you may be wondering what else needs to be done to ensure you’re ready for one of the most popular shopping days of the year.
Here are two more minor changes that’ll help boost your sales:
- Optimize your “deal” products. Add the words “Limited time,” “In High Demand,” and “Best Selling” to your product descriptions. This will instill urgency to your customers and leave them thinking “Oh, crap! I should get this before it’s completely sold out!”
- Optimize your checkout process. Do you allow PayPal as a form of payment on your website right now? If not, we highly suggest you add it for Cyber Monday. With more payment options, you’re giving your customers more opportunities to give you their money.
Now you have all the quick tips you need to optimize your store like the last minute person you are! Good luck on Cyber Monday...
And happy shopping!
If you enjoyed this article, please take a minute to share it with your friends!
Comments (5)
Peter Vrakatselis on 8:30 25 Nov
Hi, This is the first November & December period that I will be selling. Been on Ebay only since January of this year. So far (in November anyway) my sales have picked up a lot. In fact I've sold more than the previous 2 months before. I sell a variety of items like electronics, DVD's & toys and have been a bronze powerseller for over 4 months. Not bad for my first year. Because of the pick up in sales I can expand the range (& the business) and hopefully buy from more from your sites directory. So If sales are supposed to pick up over the Christmas period, bring it on :)Alice Delore on 20:34 25 Nov
@xtraenter ,That's fantastic news!
I'm SO impressed that you have become a PowerSeller in your first year!
Well done you for reinvesting profits back into your business and expanding your product range - next stop, Silver PowerSeller Status!
Keep in touch, and all the best for the next couple of weeks :)
Colette - TopCat2x2 Wood on 20:57 25 Nov
Hi Alice – a definite hallelujah and an amen. I sell handcrafted wooden watches and decided not to wait until November to begin holiday selling. I had my large holiday order into my supplier by the beginning of September and prepared some holiday discounts and offered a wide selection of watch model listings for the start of October. So far October and November have both been high sales with November starting to inch out ahead. I’m glad I started early. Sales have been great and buyers delighted. Happy Holidays Colette – TopCat2x2Alice Delore on 21:59 25 Nov
@TopCat2x2,Well aren't you organized? :)
Well done for getting your supplier order done back in September - it's a great way to make sure you have everything sorted for when people start to think about gift-buying.
Your handcrafted wooden watches sound really interesting, definitely a great gift idea!
Happy Holidays to you too, and good luck for the next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas :)
kelly on 0:22 2 Dec
i need help finding a site a saw on facebook it was an american site i think and it said it was like ebay i was on my phone at the time and clicked on the link but it never saved in my history it was sumet like www.pound something or other and when a clicked on it they were selling like i pads cameras and christmas toys and it was in dollars and cents have any of you heard of it please