Maximize Your E-Commerce Potential This Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday, an international e-commerce sales event held the Monday following Thanksgiving, offers small business owners the perfect opportunity to boost sales by showcasing their wares and attracting customers using holiday discounts and promotions. Every year, the consumer-centric holiday — which was established by a 2005 National Retail Federation campaign to promote online shopping — continues to grow, with global Cyber Monday online sales reaching $46.2 billion in 2022.

Here are seven ways you can market your e-commerce shop for Cyber Monday.

[Read more: A Guide to Adding E-Commerce to Your Brick-and-Mortar Business]

Launch a holiday-specific landing page

Let customers browse your on-sale products and services in one central place by creating a holiday-specific landing page dedicated to your Cyber Monday sale. Creating a holiday-specific landing page can focus consumers’ attention and help them to easily browse your offerings, leading to less cart abandonment and increased revenue.

The landing page should list pertinent information, such as the time frame and parameters of your sale, and it should showcase only the items that are on sale. Displaying products that are not a part of the sale, even if they are relevant or bestseller items, can leave customers feeling confused and misled.

Extend discounts

Offering extended discounts beyond Cyber Monday allows businesses to serve customers who may have forgotten about, or not had a budget for, your sale during the holiday craze. By not limiting your sales to a 24-hour event, you can capitalize on the holiday buzz and consumers’ desire to shop through extended promotions, propelling your business above the competition.

Plus, for B2B e-commerce businesses, extending your Cyber Monday sale into normal business hours post-holidays can ensure your customers are back in the office and looking to buy.

Add a countdown timer to your website

Create excitement and build anticipation among your customer base by putting a countdown timer on your website, ideally in a highly visible location such as your website’s banner or home page. Showing customers how much time is left until your Cyber Monday sale starts can emphasize the event’s magnitude and attract consumers' attention. Be sure to hyperlink the timer to your Cyber Monday–specific landing page where customers can learn more about the sale and what’s included.

You can also use a second countdown to demonstrate the time remaining in the sale, which can put more pressure on consumers to make a purchase, leading to more sales closing.

Bundle products or services

Improve your conversion rates and get customers to purchase a variety of products by offering bundles. When you bundle your products or services at a discounted price, you encourage consumers to purchase, since savvy shoppers are always seeking deals, especially during a Cyber Monday event, and tend to value bundles more than purchasing each item separately.

Bundling can also be an effective way to upsell your products or services to customers who may not normally have purchased them, as it exposes consumers to new products and lets them try items or services they weren’t previously in the market for.

Partner with influencers

Building partnerships with influencers helps increase brand awareness and market your products to relevant audiences cleverly and creatively. Influencers come equipped with large, hungry audiences who can be persuaded into purchasing products by sharing social media reviews, blog posts, on-camera demonstrations, and unboxings, or by offering exclusive promotional discounts. However, this tactic is only effective if your business partners with a relevant influencer who holds a stake in your industry or market and shares similar values as your company.

[Read more: Marketing Your E-Commerce Business in the Digital Age]

Offer free shipping

Stand out among competitors by offering free shipping, in some form, to your customers on Cyber Monday. Incentivizing customers via free shipping options — whether shipping is free with any purchase or for purchases over a certain value — can make the difference between a consumer purchasing from a big box retailer or supporting local businesses.

For businesses that already offer free shipping above a purchase price, consider participating by temporarily lowering that amount or removing the threshold altogether.

Ensure your business is listed on shopping sites

Help your products or services stand out to relevant audiences by getting your business listed on popular shopping sites, from coupon websites like Groupon, Rakuten, and RetailMeNot to price comparison websites like Google Shopping. Not only will these websites help to promote your offerings, but businesses can also partner up with, or submit their promotions to, these companies to be featured, increasing visibility for consumers and ensuring that you promote your wares to the right audiences.

[Read more: How to Decide if Your E-Commerce Business Should Open a Physical Location]

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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