EXCLUSIVE: The most common Black Friday fails are…
A new survey reveals the most frequent ways operations fail during the annual Black Friday peak holiday shopping day period.
Thirty-percent of respondents have experienced checkout errors, major slowdowns, and/or complete site crashes during Black Friday operations, according to a survey of 220 business owners (primarily engaging in e-commerce) exclusively released to Chain Store Age by secure web hosting provider Liquid Web.
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The most commonly experienced of these Black Friday mishaps are checkout errors (18%), followed by major slowdowns (17%), and complete site crashes (4%). More than three-in-four (77%) respondents that have seen any of these issues have experienced them multiple times, and 13% that have experienced a website issue on Black Friday say it lasted an hour or more.
Black Friday concerns and preparations
The survey found that respondents are most worried about slow load times and checkout crashes on Black Friday. Close to half (46%) conduct website stress tests ahead of Black Friday, but only 9% run them through a full-scale traffic simulation.
In addition, 44% of respondents implement website or server upgrades in anticipation of Black Friday, with 23% doing so in September or October. Respondents are most likely to use third-party monitoring tools (24%) and third-party optimization services or consultants (20%) to prepare their site for Black Friday traffic surges.
Seven-in-10 (69%) respondents believe website speed is important for their expected Black Friday revenue. Three-in-10 begin planning for Black Friday in July or earlier, while 17% begin in August, 21% in September, 14% in October, and 5% wait until November. About one-in-three (32%) say they wish they started planning earlier.
Black Friday timing
Four-in-10 (39%) respondents see the first uptick in customer engagement related to Black Friday in October and 31% launch their paid ads for the event. The top Black Friday preparations respondents make by month are:
September
- Inventory planning.
- Building out marketing calendar.
- Budget allocations.
- Coordinating supply chain and vendor conversations.
- Evaluating past Black Friday performance data to inform new strategy.
October
- Customer acquisition efforts specifically aimed at Black Friday buyers.
- Begin paid media strategy.
November
- Reveal promotions and discount tiers.
Other findings
- Respondents are most likely to say email marketing is the most important channel for Black Friday promotions.
- More than half (56%) feel their Black Friday preparation aligns with consumer interest, while 14% feel ahead and 13% feel behind.
- Almost three-in-10 (28%) tailor their Black Friday promotions in real time based on competitor activity, inventory levels, and sales performance.
- Respondents say the top 3 important metrics when measuring Black Friday success are total revenue (70%), conversion rate (31%), and average order value (29%).
- Almost six-in-10 (57%) feel confident in their current Black Friday plan.
For this study, Liquid Web surveyed 220 business owners about their Black Friday planning and strategies. Among respondents, 90% run an e-commerce business. See more Liquid Web findings.
