Shopify BFCM and Halloween Checklist 2024

The holiday season is the most anticipated shopping period of the year. Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are the stars of this retail show on Shopify and Shopify Plus. Whether you’re a seasoned ecommerce veteran or embarking on your first holiday season, early preparation is important. 

With the shopping periods experiencing strong YoY growth, it's essential to be ready for increased site traffic and heightened advertising competition. Our Shopify BFCM 2024 checklist will guide you through effectively preparing for Shopify BFCM and Halloween by focusing on customer engagement and optimizing back-end systems.

Shopify BFCM and Halloween Checklist 2024

Prepare your Shopify store for a successful sales season with our 2024 Shopify BFCM and Halloween checklist. It is designed to help you attract more customers and boost your revenue. Let’s get started:

Also Read: How To Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate With Discounts?

1. Start Planning Early

Shopify BFCM and Halloween may be marked as a single day on the calendar, but in reality, the shopping season starts much earlier. Shoppers begin searching for deals weeks, if not months, before the actual day. By planning your marketing efforts early, you can capture the attention of these eager buyers ahead of your competitors.

Start by crafting engaging marketing campaigns, setting budgets for paid ads, and identifying your most profitable sales channels. Decide on which discounts to offer and begin building anticipation among your existing customers by offering early access to special deals. It can boost customer loyalty and ensure that your base is primed for the big day.

2. Create a Counter-Narrative

Why wait until Black Friday and Halloween? With a strategic "anti-BFCM and Halloween" campaign in the weeks leading up to the day, you can encourage early shopping. Highlight the benefits of avoiding the last-minute rush and securing the best deals ahead of time. Offer ever-changing specials to keep your customers engaged and eager to shop.

This approach spreads your revenue over a longer period by reducing pressure on a single day and also allows you to avoid excessive discounts by capturing early sales.

3. Target Ideal Markets

Instead of generic advertising, focus on profitable segments of your target market and customize your messaging to resonate with their specific needs and desires. For example, if your store sells health foods, create distinct campaigns for your protein bars, gluten-free snacks, and all-natural products.

By speaking directly to each customer segment's unique needs, you’ll see a boost in engagement and sales.

4. Feature Select Products

Rather than offering a blanket discount on all products, which can erode profit margins, select key products to feature with substantial discounts. These deals can draw customers in, and you can then use upselling strategies like product bundles, gift cards, and free shipping offers to increase the AOV.

PRO TIP: Consider creating dedicated landing pages with PageFly Landing Page Builder for your Black Friday deals to make them easy to find and more enticing to shoppers.

Also Read: Difference between coupon code or discount code.

5. Diversify Marketing Channels

Effective Shopify BFCM and Halloween marketing uses multiple channels to maximize reach and impact. Consider using:

• Email to start your campaigns early and get ahead of the inbox rush.
• SMS to send timely reminders and special offers.
• Google Ads to use both display and shopping ads to capture attention.
• Social Media to engage with your audience on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.
• Direct Mail and Online Video for targeted outreach.
• Create optimized landing pages for each channel and track the traffic and conversions they generate.

6. Prepare Follow-Up Marketing Plans

Shopify BFCM and Halloween shoppers may be one-time visitors. However, you can convert them into loyal customers with the right follow-up strategy. Develop a series of thoughtful follow-up emails, starting with a warm welcome and progressing to segmented offers based on their purchase behavior.

This ongoing engagement will keep your brand top-of-mind and encourage repeat business long after the holiday season ends.

7. Use Abandoned Cart Emails

Abandoned cart emails are a proven method to recover lost sales, especially during high-traffic periods like Shopify BFCM and Halloween. Tools like Uppush Abandoned Cart Email to automate these emails by offering incentives like discount codes to nudge customers back to complete their purchases.

With the Shopify Coupon Discount on Cart app, you can display available discounts right on the cart page. You can further entice customers to follow through with their purchase.

8. Eye-Catching Visuals

High-quality visuals are essential for grabbing attention and driving sales. Ensure your product pages and landing pages feature clear, high-resolution images that make your products irresistible.

9. Website Speed

A slow website is a surefire way to lose potential customers. In fact, 90% of customers will abandon a site if it takes too long to load. Use tools like Tapita and Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas for improvement.

Consider using a CDN like SpeedSize, which serves your site’s files from high-speed, geographically-distributed data centers, speeding up load times and reducing bandwidth strain.

10. Sync Inventory

During Shopify BFCM and Halloween, keeping track of your inventory is important. Use tools like syncX to automate inventory management and ensure your product availability is accurately reflected on your site. 

11. Simplify Checkout Process

Your checkout process should be as streamlined as possible to prevent cart abandonment. Remove unnecessary fields, minimize distractions, and offer multiple payment options. Implementing guest checkout is another effective way to speed up the process.

Also Read: What is MS- Discount Coupon on Cart?

12. Prepare for Increased Order Volume

Ensure your suppliers and logistics partners are ready to handle the surge in orders. If necessary, place orders for raw materials or finished products early to avoid delays. If you work with a 3PL, consider moving inventory to warehouses closer to your key markets to speed up delivery times.

Offering faster shipping options can be a dealmaker during the holiday season. In fact, 19% of cart abandonments occur due to slow delivery times. Highlight expedited shipping options on your site to capture these sales.

13. Data for Future Marketing

Gathering customer data during the checkout process is essential for follow-up marketing. Offer the option to opt-in for email and SMS communications. However, make it clear that phone numbers are optional to avoid deterring customers from completing their purchase.

14. Conversion Tracking

Tracking customer behavior during BFCM and Halloween season on Shopify is crucial for understanding what’s working and what’s not. Tools like Elevar Conversion Tracking allow you to connect with multiple ad platforms and monitor your ecommerce conversion rate.

15. Secure Website

Security should always be a priority, especially during high-traffic periods like Shopify BFCM and Halloween. Ensure your site has a valid SSL certificate and consider using a security plugin like NoSpy for additional protection against hacking attempts.

16. Mobile Compatibility

With mobile shopping on the rise, your ecommerce site must be optimized for all devices. Use tools like Fire AMP to check how your site displays on different devices and browsers. Focus on the platforms most commonly used by your audience, as identified through Google Analytics.

17. Test Website Functions

Before the holiday rush, thoroughly test your site’s navigation, add-to-cart buttons, and checkout process. Update any plugins and address any issues to ensure a smooth shopping experience for your customers.

18. Schedule Sales and Coupons

Avoid last-minute stress by setting up your sales and coupons in advance. With tools like Shopify Coupon Discount on Cart, you can automate the activation and expiration of discounts, ensuring your promotions run seamlessly.

Highlight your Shopify BFCM and Halloween deals across your site with banners, pop-ups, and menu items to make them impossible to miss.

19. Optimize Customer Service

As sales ramp up, so too will customer inquiries. Consider offering multiple customer support channels, including AI chatbots, to handle common questions. A well-organized FAQ page and live chat support can also enhance the customer experience.

Are You Ready?