10 Black Friday Tips to Prepare Your Fashion Marketplace in 2022 [+Best Practices]

With Black Friday just around the corner, marketplaces are getting ready for another year of exceptional sales. If you run an online fashion marketplace, Black Friday could be the most lucrative day this year for you.  Effective fashion marketplace management is crucial to navigate the complexities of seasonal sales and ensure that your strategies align with customer expectations. Not only do many people shop on Black Friday, but they also spend a lot of money. The average adult spent $430 during Black Friday in 2021. On that same day, US consumers spend $8.9$ billion online. The overall spending of consumers increases due to the fact they cannot help but take advantage of the discounts they’re being offered. To make the most out of Black Friday this year, you must start planning as soon as possible, including leveraging a product tagging solution for retailers to enhance product discoverability.

If you haven’t started yet, there’s no run to panic, we’re here to help!

10 Tips How to Prepare Your Online Marketplace for Black Friday 2022 [+Best Practices]

Whether you’re an expert or an amateur in this event, you will need all the tips you can get to maximize your sales. This article will showcase 10 ideas on how you can prepare your fashion eCommerce marketplace for Black Friday, so make sure you stick around. 

1. Plan Your Offers

Black Friday isn’t just plastering “15% off everything” across your website. Instead, you should carefully plan on exactly which products you’re going to offer discounts on. Always be aware of what’s in your inventory, so if a certain product sells out you can push other items. 

2. Improve Site Search

Once you improve your on-site search functionality, your customers won’t face any issues trying to find products on your website. According to statistics, 43% of visitors on retail websites go directly to the search bar. A proper site search functionality will provide your visitors with instant and accurate search results which will help them with their buying decision. In addition, you will get analytics that will aid you in understanding trends and customer behaviors better. 

Suggested read: Product Discovery: A Practical Guide for Ecommerce‍

For example, About You has a great structure for its product catalog that contains rich metadata. This means that each of their products contains titles, tags, and product descriptions, making them incredibly easy to find through the search function.

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3. Don’t Forget About Your VIP Customers

When you launch your Black Friday campaign, make sure your VIPs still feel special. Keep some offers and promotions aside to give exclusively to your most loyal customers. To achieve this, you can use personalized discount accounts, so the discount is available only to a specific recipient.

4. Optimize for Mobile Users

According to the latest statistics, 59.4% of all web traffic comes through mobile devices. So, mobile optimization should be a non-negotiable for your fashion marketplace. If your mobile experience isn’t top-notch, chances are, your visitors will turn to your competitors. You will ensure mobile shopping success by offering one-click purchases and improving your site's speed and navigation. 

5. Create Gift Guides 

Gift guides are a great way for fashion marketplaces to showcase product suggestions during seasonal sales, holidays, and events like Black Friday. If you’re wondering what is a gift guide, don’t sweat it, we’ve got you covered. Gift guides are a digital collection of the top products of a brand that would make great presents. Gift guides aim to help visitors better navigate buying decisions during an increasingly busy time. 

A great example of this is Goop, which is a lifestyle brand that creates gift guides based on the type of person the present is for, such as the lover, the host, or the traveler. 

6. Be Ready for Returns

The average eCommerce return rate is between 20% to 30%. So, no matter how amazing your product is, it’s very likely you’ll experience some returns, especially during high-traffic events like Black Friday. Ensure a good returns policy and put it up on your websites for visitors to see. 

7. Create an Influencer Campaign

Creating an influencer campaign for Black Friday can help you boost your brand, reach out directly to your audience, and increase sales. Influencer marketing is an effective tool for those who want to quickly build trust and increase brand reach.  

8. Include Similar Recommendations

Have you ever bought a product at a local store based on the recommendation of a sales rep or the owner? Has a family member or friend ever recommended an item that led you to purchase it? As an online fashion marketplace, however, you won’t have to wait for someone else to recommend products to your customers, because you can do it yourself. Similar recommendations are an efficient way to introduce shoppers to new items on Black Friday. 

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Suggested read: How Product Recommendations Can Improve the Relevance of Your Online Offering‍

For example, Urban Outfitters has a great “You May Also Like” section which is fueled by customer behavior, such as browsing history and interest. 

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9. Take Advantage of Reviews

Before making a purchase, online shoppers do their research and gather information about the product they want to buy.  Reading experiences by other customers and assessing ratings is a part of the buying decision. Ask customers for feedback, and make sure you have a response strategy to handle all reviews, including positive and negative ones. 

10. Create Catchy Graphics

Create appealing visuals and implement them on your website, social media content, newsletters, and ads you have. Having pleasing and high-quality images will build your marketplace’s credibility. Make the promotion of your Black Friday deals stand among the crowd as well. 

Final Words

Starting early, preparing well, and planning are essential to a successful Black Friday. If it’s your first Black Friday, remember to treat it as a learning opportunity. During the biggest shopping event of the year, you’ll experience huge peaks in interest from visitors searching for deals, which makes you should do everything in your power to take advantage of the high volumes of search traffic. Many well-known retailers are successfully incorporating new technologies such as machine learning, AI, and AI solutions for fashion resale, along with a description generator for better effectiveness.

If you need additional help, see how you can use Pixyle in multiple manners and create an easily navigable experience for your customers.

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