13 Last-Minute E-Commerce Tips for Cyber Week in 2023
Updated November 2023
How Does Cyber Week Relate to Your Business?
As the 2023 holiday season approaches, retailers and consumers brace for a market shaped by inflation concerns, changing shopping behaviors, and emerging technologies.
The impact of global economic conditions, the persistence of inflation, the rise of buy now, pay later options, and shoppers’ waiting for discounts will impact the 2023 holiday shopping.
2023 holiday shoppers will spend about as much as they did in 2022 but on fewer gifts. The total amount consumers say they plan to spend is up one percentage point from 2022 levels, while the total number of items they expect to purchase is down four percentage points from last year.
To help retailers and small business owners get the most out of a challenging holiday season, here are some last-minute e-commerce tips for Cyber Week to help you get the most out of your online presence.
In 2023, holiday spending is expected to reach record levels during November and December and will grow between 3% and 4% over 2022 to between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion.
National Retail Foundation
For many business owners, Cyber Week and the holiday shopping period can make the difference between a successful year-end or a year ending in red ink. Therefore, it is essential for business owners and product brands to make the most out of Cyber Week and the entire holiday shopping season.
Black Friday is expected to be the busiest U.S. holiday shopping day in 2023, with Super Saturday reclaiming the second spot on the list.
Sensormatic
What Can You Expect from Cyber Week?
Cyber Week, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday sales weekend marks the start of the holiday sales period.
Historically, about 37% of all U.S. holiday retail sales occur during this period. Still, only about 18% of consumers have said that they finish all their holiday shopping at this time.
U.S. holiday sales in 2023 are expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years, data from the National Retail Federation (NRF) showed, as Americans grappling with sticky inflation think twice before splurging this shopping season.
The leading retail industry group said holiday sales, including e-commerce and non-store sales, would rise between 3% and 4% to $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion during November and December. This compares with a 5.4% rise last year and a 12.7% jump in 2021.
79% of shoppers intend to make some online purchases during Cyber Week 2023—of which 48% plan to shop online exclusively. These intentions mirror how consumers behaved last year, with 48% of consumers purchasing goods online only in 2022.
However, while only 31% report they plan to shop in-store and online this year, 46% of shoppers augmented their digital purchases with physical shopping last year. High-percentage discounts and doorbusters may have played a role in driving more shoppers into stores last year, even if they didn’t initially intend to shop in person.
Why You Should Care About Cyber Week
In 2023, the holiday season is one day longer than in 2022; there are 30 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But holiday shoppers tend to get started early. This means marketers will have to work harder to keep shoppers focused. Here is how you can prepare your website for holiday shoppers.
And there are other considerations in 2023. Here are a few likely outcomes:
- 86% of consumers plan to buy something during Cyber Week 2023.
- Brands should create glitch-free online experiences, as 48% of shoppers will purchase online.
- Optimize online shopping for smartphones, as more than 50% of respondents reported using mobile devices to shop online.
- 56% of consumers will spend the same amount or less than Cyber Week 2022.
- Attract consumers with enticing shopping perks—high-percentage price savings and discounts influence where consumers shop.
- More than half of shoppers plan to purchase items—on sale—off their wishlist.
- Product reviews will likely influence 4 out of 5 millennials.
- Customers will use the following ways to search got deals and promotions: Brand and store websites; emails; loyalty programs and reward sites; deals and coupon sites; and word of mouth.
As shoppers move more toward browsing and buying on their mobile devices, they also spend less time giving brands a chance to make an impression. Now, more than ever, brands must ensure they deliver optimal shopping experiences to drive the results they want during the biggest shopping event of the year.
56% of consumers will spend the same amount or less than Cyber Week 2022.
Imact.com
Despite recent shifts in consumer behavior, Black Friday weekend will still be a critical time for many retailers to make up for the slower performance during the first half of 2023. My last-minute e-commerce tips for Cyber Week will help you stand out from the digital competition.
Last-Minute E-Commerce Tips for Cyber Week
1 – Be Mobile-First
Mobile readiness is not only one of my e-commerce tips for Cyber Week but also a simple necessity for online stores in 2023. According to Adobe, more than half of online spending (51.2%) will be on mobile devices in 2023. That would be a significant increase from 44.88% last holiday season.
The analytics firm says mobile spending will hit a record of $113 billion this holiday season, up 13.7% year over year. Mobile holiday spending is projected to be highest on Thanksgiving and Christmas, when consumers are most likely to be spending time with friends and family, Adobe says.
By 2025, retail m-commerce sales should more than double, to reach $728.28 billion, and account for 44.2% of retail ecommerce sales in the US.
Shopify
During the 2022 holiday shopping season, 47% of online sales came through smartphones (up from 43% in 2021). Christmas Day (December 25) set a new mobile record, driving the majority of online sales at 61% (up from 58%), as did Cyber Week, where 51% of sales came through smartphones (up from 46%).
With the forecasted increase in mobile conversions, optimizing your website for mobile shopping and leveraging mobile messaging to engage customers will arguably be the most vital strategy for retailers in 2023.
2 – Tune up your Website
Maximize page load speed and performance for your website. If your website or online store loads slowly, online consumers will not hesitate to move on. Likewise, ensure that navigation is fluid and intuitive, especially on pages with sales or discounts. It’s also a good idea to double-check product descriptions and internal links to ensure they’re current.
Finally, check with your provider to ensure your servers can handle an increased load during Cyber Week and the holiday season.
3 – Enhance Your E-Commerce Shopping Experience
Out of all the last-minute e-commerce tips for Cyber Week, this is likely the most crucial as e-commerce UX design is essential to conversions. Everything should focus on turning website visitors into consumers and boosting holiday sales.
E-commerce sales will grow between 10.3% to 12.8% year-over-year during the 2023-2024 holiday season. This will likely result in e-commerce holiday sales reaching between $278 billion and $284 billion this season..
RIS News
Another critical conversion arena for retailers to focus on is cross-selling and upselling. The holidays are the perfect time for this as shoppers are ready to spend, and the fewer stores they need to visit, the better for them.
4 – Provide a Great User Experience
Cyber Week shoppers are already going through a lot. Therefore, it is essential to provide them with the best possible user experience. Better UX includes making it easy for online shoppers to notice your special offers.
A site-wide discount, a tantalizing sale on a big-ticket item, or a markdown for an entire category are all simple and easy to understand. Having a straightforward offer will also make it easier to promote your business through advertising and social media.
5 – Make Shopping Easy
The easier it is for online consumers to make a purchase, the more likely they will. Primarily during Cyber Week, you must focus on maximizing your e-commerce conversions. Create gift guides and highlight your holiday deals on your landing pages to make it simple for your customers to find gifts.
Many shoppers already have a specific budget in mind, so you should segregate your gift guides and deals into categories by price. Another of my last-minute e-commerce tips for Cyber Week is to upsell your customers by adding complementary products alongside purchased items to make one-stop shopping effortless.
6 – Emphasize Customer Service
Customer service will be paramount during Cyber Week. Shoppers will be looking to make decisions quickly. They know the clock is ticking to complete their shopping lists before the sale ends or product inventory runs out. Monitor all your channels and respond promptly to customer questions about the product, shipping, and return policies.
Consider automation, like chatbots, to streamline your communication even further. Watch out for any negative reviews or complaints and respond immediately if any arise. The holiday shopping season is a great time to impress your customers and keep them coming after the holiday season.
7 – Create a Cyber Week Exclusive, One-Day Deal
Next on my list of last-minute e-commerce tips are exclusive deals and how to promote them. Offering a measly 15 percent off to shoppers during Cyber Week will not do the trick. During the busy holiday season, all of your competitors will offer amazing deals. To stand out, you’ve got to create a cyber-exclusive, one-day sale that’s too good for consumers to pass up.
8 – Promote Your Cyber Week Special Offers
Part of the success of Cyber Week is that mobile consumers know online stores will be offering deals. Let your customers know you’re participating by prominently advertising your special offers. The more noticeable they are, the more critical they will seem to shoppers.
The most obvious and popular option is on your home page. Announcing the details of your Cyber Week deals here will tell your shoppers what they need to know. It also demonstrates that your business considers these deals essential and valuable. Pop-Ups are another option, but make sure not to annoy holiday consumers and drive them to shop from your competitors.
9 – Showcase Different Products on a Rotating Basis
You want to keep your brand at the top of shoppers’ minds, but they may find it challenging to keep their eyes on you with so many Cyber Week distractions. Accordingly, you have to entice users to keep returning to your site by showcasing different products and sales on a rotating basis.
Instead of announcing a site-wide sale, highlight the items shoppers can get deals on throughout the holiday period.
10 – Increase Buyer’s Sense of Urgency
OK, you’ve enticed users to visit your online store and check out your Cyber Week deals, but how do you get them to purchase once they’ve arrived? A perfect way to get shoppers to hit that “checkout” button fast is to increase the sense of urgency using countdowns. The scarcer an item, the more people will want to buy it from you.
11 – Create an Exclusive Newsletter Offer
If you want to boost sales this Cyber Week and get more subscribers, create a newsletter-exclusive offer. A special offer like this rewards your loyal subscribers. It makes them feel important, and at the same time, it helps you build an even bigger email list after the holidays. Here are some creative ideas for your holiday email marketing.
12 – Combat Cart Abandonment
According to Oberlo, the latest shopping cart abandonment rates show that in July 2023, 70.72% of all online shopping carts failed to make it to the checkout stage. That’s a ton of missed sales. Instead of letting all those shoppers leave your site without buying this Cyber Week, entice them to return to your online store and complete their orders.
Also, customized email reminders of items a shopper may have browsed but not purchased go a long way to maximize your sales.
13 – Fine-Tune Your Content Strategy
Modify your content strategy to reflect the season. Posting the right type of content at the right time can not only generate more traffic. It can also introduce your brand to new customers by helping them in their time of need. Keep in mind that these are challenging times. Be sure to explain how your products benefit consumers during the pandemic.
Considering that most people already have shopping on their minds, gift guides are another of my last-minute e-commerce tips. Many people across different demographics have difficulty deciding which gifts to buy for their friends and family. A well-written gift guide answers their questions, establishes your brand as an expert on the topic, and lets you promote your products.
Final Thoughts on Cyber Week
Cyber Monday may be the most critical day in the e-commerce industry, but don’t let that scare you. Your site doesn’t need to be perfect to make a good impression; it needs planning and preparation. It’s not too late the put the finishing touches on your site — follow my last-minute e-commerce tips. By Christmas Day, you will have had a successful and “green” holiday season. We are here to help!
Is Your E-Commerce Website Ready for Christmas?
Are you interested in selling your products online but unsure how to optimize your online store for eager holiday shoppers? Our professional eCommerce designers will be happy to help you with this. But first, look at our portfolio and read our case studies.
Then, if you believe we are a good fit for your eCommerce web design needs, reach out to us! We offer a full range of consulting and design solutions for businesses and product brands.
And if you are unsure how to avoid eCommerce mistakes before Christmas, let’s talk! We will listen to you, answer your questions, and help you prepare your online store for the holidays!
Is Your Website Ready for the Holidays?
What do you think of these tips? Do you have your own Cyber Week “traditions”? Are you preparing your website for holiday shoppers by adding new content or services? Is your online store all decked out for eager consumers? Do you have any other last-minute e-commerce tips for preparing your business website or online store for the upcoming holiday season?
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By Gregor Saita
Co-Founder / CXO
@gregorsaita
