Black Friday 2016 For Mobile World

If it is November, then it is Black Friday. Black Friday is the last Friday in November when you are thinking about those amazing gifts that will bring joy for your dear ones in December. If not, you certainly are in that category of people who makes long, long, long lists since last Black Friday with things you want to buy, waiting for this specific day when they are cheaper. Either way, there are two sure facts: everybody knows what Black Friday is and all customers buy in one day more than they could imagine (or they could use in their entire lifetime) just because of the huge sales. If years ago, people were making long queues early in the morning, in cold, outside the store and they were fighting for products inside, now this battle became online and since last year mobile devices have a bigger impact for this event. If we take a look at some stats published by Techcrunch we realize that 35% of Black Friday purchases in 2015 where made via mobile. Moreover, AppAnnie revealed a study after Black Friday 2015 where it shows a list of retail apps that won last year with this occasion. In 2016, the competition is fierce for mobile shoppers that need to make the best deal using their phones and tablets but for marketers, too because they have to stand out of the crowd to attract customers.

Black Friday For Mobile Shoppers

If you want to enjoy more these days and to eliminate the stress of getting the best price for the most incredible products in the shortest amount of time we have some tips to turn all this craziness in a pleasant adventure.

1. Make your wishlist before the big day. Go to stores and analyze those products to be sure about their quality and their features. Check the store policies and be sure that you can return a product if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit you. Then wait to attack the sales from the comfort of your home.
2. Focus on mobile apps. A recent study published by Apptentive shows that 88% of consumers use retail mobile apps. This makes sense because apps are more customized and user friendly and they know what you are looking for before you press any button. Trust the evolution of technology and forget about the tiring mornings when you were waiting for stores to open their doors and after that you were struggling to reach other promotions. That’s history.
   

   Image Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/244134/

3. Show your fidelity for some brands. Many companies offer special promotions for loyal customers who use frequently their app. Opt for receiving push notifications and wait for those messages that will announce top sales for your favorite products.

1. If you still like to go to some specific stores for Black Friday choose those apps that can help you find the best route to get there or other apps that allow you to compare very fast, prices and characteristics of products. Test them before to be sure that they do what you want.
   

   Image Source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.retale.android&hl=en

2. Be careful for the shipping fee. There are a lot of retailers that offer free shipping. These benefits make you save time and money, which is the main target of using your mobile devices for Black Friday.

Black Friday For Mobile Marketing

In order to avoid the chaos in that short period of time and to handle better the entire process, follow our best practices to reach as many customers as possible.

1. Update your application. Prepare your app for this “holiday” and offer your users an unforgettable experience. Let images and layouts to tell the story of this event and don’t forget that your app should fit perfectly for all types of devices. Don’t wait for the big day to arrive. Start now to change your app’s interface as a promise of professionalism to your users and allow them to imagine what will happen for Black Friday. Keep in mind that mobile purchases are expected to hit 20 billion in the next period, as Apptentive
2. NO errors. It is great to change colors and images for this period but, this effort means nothing if your app will crush in that specific day. The time is limited and it is unacceptable to let users struggle to make their purchases or to view your offers. Should I say more? Test your app 100 times if need it to be sure that everything will go as planned.
3. Implement easy payment methods. All what users want in that day is to complete as fast as possible a transaction and to move on to the next one. If they need to remember their card number and all the personal information they will abandon the shopping cart in an instance. Allow people to use any fast payment services like Apple Pay or Android Pay and everything will go faster.
4. Messaging is the key. Use in – app messages and push notifications to announce your users about the improvements you made to your app and about the promotions for this occasion. It’s useless to make the best offers if nobody knows about them.

1. Use deep linking. If you spread the word about the huge advantage of using your app during Black Friday, be sure that users won’t get lost inside your app in that rush and allow them to land on the same page where they can find the promotion they are looking for.
2. Take advantages of mobile moments. This is the perfect period of the year not only for increasing your revenue, but for user acquisition and especially for user retention. Focus on attracting your customers offering an amazing experience overall and they will come back to your app after the Black Friday, too.

Final Thoughts

Over the last few years retailers began to start Black Friday earlier. So, it is almost Black Week than Black Friday. In case you are a shopper that dreams to buy whatever he wants with no restrictions be careful not to lose time with useless actions and prepare your techniques starting now. If you are a retailer this is the biggest reason to prepare your promotions and your app to achieve the success you are dreaming for. It is all about the strategy to turn this madness in an organized opportunity in terms of earnings.