Don't leave your website in the dark this Black Friday

Savvy shoppers are no longer waiting for Boxing Day to arrive for the best deals. Eager consumers have bookmarked their favourite retailers’ websites with their wish lists for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, writes Tamara Oppen, Managing Director of GoDaddy Australia.

So, what does this mean for Aussie online businesses? Online shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are no longer just a North American frenzy. Blink, and you could jeopardise the opportunity to woo new customers and sustain brand loyalty. Last year in November Australian Bureau of Statistics reported a 13.2 per cen year-on-year increase in local retail turnover, showing that Australians are keen to make purchases online and are interested in great offers.

So, how prepared is your website to leverage this year’s Black Friday online shopping extravaganza? Can your website meet the surge in traffic demand with the right hosting plan? Is your online store updated with your products and services with an easy purchase path? And importantly, is your website and customer information safe from cyber threats?

Try these tips to get your website is in top shape for Black Friday and future online shopping events

Recreate the same in-store buzz and excitement online

Here are a few things to consider when optimising your website for online sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

What’s it like to step into your (online) store?

Shopping in-store is an immersive experience. There’s music, prominent sale-signs and people fast-emptying racks in a frenzy. This is harder to replicate online. Pushing sales too forcibly risks people exiting your website or abandoning their cart. Pushing too lightly could mean risking the opportunity altogether.

One thing you can do to prepare is to look at your website from your customer’s point of view. Are you promoting Black Friday sales enough with catchy banners and graphics on your homepage? Are your products and services easy to find on your website? Can customers easily and quickly complete a purchase? Does your online store offer a variety of payment and shipping options? You want your website to create a positive shopping experience to entice customers to keep coming back for more.

Can your hosting plan handle the demand and increased traffic?

Many entrepreneurs start with a basic hosting plan, but as their business grows, the plan becomes outdated, and the website can’t handle increased traffic. Come Black Friday (or whenever you decide to launch your sale), if your website cannot cope with the demand, it’ll frustrate buyers and can cost your business, brand and reputation dearly. If you’re unsure if your website’s hosting plan is ready, your hosting provider will be able to help. It’s worth the call.

Get ahead by testing all aspects of your site. You can get a better grasp of your customers by looking into your online analytics. It’ll provide valuable insights into which pages and products are popular.

And importantly, stay two-steps ahead of cyber attacks

Black Friday and the upcoming holiday season can be a lucrative opportunity for cybercriminals. They’re targeting everyone from unsuspecting individuals, smaller businesses, and larger companies alike. According to a recent research study by GoDaddy, many Australian small businesses are unprepared for a cybersecurity threat or attack on their website. The stats are pretty alarming — two in three reported that they have no security protections on their website, and only 15% of respondents said they know how to deal with an attack.

In Australia, we are more aware of some of the more common types of cyber security risks like malware, phishing and ransomware. However, less than half of businesses surveyed said there are aware of other major threats such as DDoS attacks, SQL injection and man in the middle.

Fortunately, there are many affordable website security tools like GoDaddy Website Security which safeguards your business and customers from the most common security threats, including SSL Certificates and continuous monitoring security services. Remember, your website is the centre of your business, and it deserves the attention to be protected.

Cheers to a successful Black Friday

Online shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday have always delivered some of the year’s hottest deals. Make the online shopping experience on your website easy and enjoyable for your customers to keep them coming back. Prevent your site from crashing by checking your hosting plan and check what cyber security protections you have in place. Remember, it’s never too early to start planning and preparing for this mega event. We wish you all the best!

Want more? Get the latest coronavirus news and updates straight to your inbox! Follow Kochie’s Business Builders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.