Black Friday is the name given to the day following Thanksgiving in the US, traditionally marking the start of the holiday shopping season worldwide. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year.
By Kevin Conway, global director of consumer brands for Savvis
Every year we hear about ecommerce sites melting down under the surge of Black Friday web traffic, leaving bargain hunters frustrated and retailers suffering from lost revenue. Yet many instances, these melt downs could have been prevented.
We’ve seen how brick-and-mortar shops pull out all the stops, using tinsel and holiday tunes to create a festive in-store experience. For e-retailers, the merry-making tactics are a little less glitzy – and typically buried deeply behind the scenes – but they’re equally important to promoting a successful shopping season.
Before the holidays swing into full gear, make sure you’ve got your user experience covered. Take a look at your web infrastructure and ask:
Does my website have the capacity to meet the season’s demand?
If you’ve been monitoring your traffic over the course of the year, you should have a rough idea of how much capacity you’ll need to accommodate spikes in site traffic. Ask your hosting provider if they can help you scale your servers up and down as needed.
Am I happy with how my site looks on a mobile device?
Forty-one per cent of smartphone owners will consider making their Christmas purchases from their mobile, according to the latest eCustomerServiceIndex. Mobile optimised sites and apps demonstrate you speak the language of your consumer, regardless of what format they prefer. Some service providers offer support for easily transforming your site to suit the mobile environment.
Is my site moving fast enough for my customers?
Ecommerce sites have but just a few seconds to keep shoppers on their page. Slow-loading or no-loading sites will drive shoppers to look elsewhere. Keep tabs on your site’s end-user experience with tools that monitor the networking, application and other variables impacting web performance.
Are my transactions secure?
Payment security is essential to maintaining your reputation, and consumers expect it as part of their overall online shopping experience. Double check with your hosting provider to ensure their data centers meet your rigorous standards.
The holidays provide a great chance to make a first impression with new customers or deepen engagement with existing customers. Don’t wait until it’s too late to ensure your e-commerce site is performing to the best of its abilities.
