Black Friday is coming, and that means one thing for savvy shoppers everywhere: big sales and Christmas shopping head starts. As your customers gear up to snag the best deals, there are common Shopify discount options which can be used with your marketing objectives to increase your offering and give your customers not only a good deal, but one that keeps them beyond the sales period.

In this guide, we'll decode some of the most common Black Friday sales jargon to help you pick the best sales strategy for your business with confidence, whether you have a custom Shopify theme or an off-the-shelf version.

Common Types of Black Friday Sales

1. Flash Sales

Flash sales are limited-time promotions that offer significant discounts on specific products or categories. They're designed to create a sense of urgency, encouraging shoppers to make quick decisions.

How to Position Them: You can Show off your ‘Flash Sale’ by making content updates to your home and category pages. Create banners or pop-ups on your site, make timed announcements on social media or send out email campaigns to your newsletter lists. Flash sales typically have a countdown timer to indicate how much time is left to grab the deal which, with the right piece of code, you can display across various marketing channels so none of your customers miss it

Store Tip: Create alerts or notifications to let your customers be the first in line when a flash sale goes live. You can use Shopify apps or update your theme when these go live. Also, keep in mind that purchasing more expensive products, even while on sale, may require more deliberation by your customers before they buy.

2. Doorbusters

Doorbusters are exceptionally low-priced deals offered to entice shoppers onto your online store. They're called "doorbusters" because they're meant to draw customers in, beating down your door for exclusive sales.

How to Position Them: Retailers often advertise doorbusters prominently in Black Friday promotions, potentially on the home page or on Google and Facebook ads.

3. Early Bird Specials

Early bird specials are discounts or promotions offered to customers who shop during the early hours of Black Friday. These incentives reward those who rise and shine to kickstart their shopping. They could also be offered exclusively to groups who may have subscribed to your email database - the incentive being early access to sales.

How to Position Them: Set out specific time frames in your Black Friday advertisements. Use them as an enticement to join mailing lists so you can develop your database alongside leveraging sales

Store Tip: Your customers are going to be overwhelmed with messaging and emails from countless stores and competitors. Fear of missing out is a powerful driver, so getting your deals primed early, and making your customers feel exclusive and special ahead of other sales is important.

4. BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free)

BOGOF deals offer customers a free item when they purchase another item at full price. An item could also be offered at a discounted rate while purchasing another.

How to Position Them: Creating clear product labels in collection pages can clearly identify and push these products, helping them stand out. Flash or banner tags that sit on product tiles and are visible to customers shopping collections are also a great way to draw attention.

5. Stackable Coupons

Stackable coupons are discounts that can be combined with other promotions or coupons for additional savings, for example a Black Friday deal with a 10% off new customer newsletter signup. This can lead to significant price reductions, especially on high-ticket items. On the flip side, if you don’t offer stackable discounts, it’s important to let customers know up front. Nothing can affect cart abandonment more than unexpected charges at the checkout stage.

How to Position Them: Specify whether coupons are stackable or if they can only be used individually - transparency is key. You can create coupon codes and discounts based on things like value or percentages in Shopify.

Store Tip: Be clear with discounts and how they can be applied - is it a discount code or is it automatically applied? Is it only usable once per order or per customer? These are all elements that are good to highlight to customers.

Clear & Transparent Black Friday Discounting

At a time of the year where almost every store is offering exclusive deals, it’s important for customers to be able to quickly and trustingly understand what you are offering, and what they are saving. Clearly displaying your Black Friday messaging along with requirements such as minimum spend, maximum discount, stackable discounts,and delivery timeframes is imperative to building trust. Competitors may offer lower prices or more for a customer’s money, but if they don’t feel entirely comfortable buying then they won’t. Attention spans of consumers, particularly at this time with so much on offer, are limited, and it’s important to be eye-catching and transparent.

Standard Themes vs Custom Shopify Themes

Many standard themes from Shopify lack the flexibility to incorporate real seamless sale period integrations, such as rich theme customisation or product & collection page enhancement. A custom Shopify theme allows your store to be pliant to your changing seasonality, sales periods, and promotional areas.

Choosing a custom Shopify theme offers a tailored solution that aligns perfectly with your brand's unique identity and business goals. Unlike off-the-shelf themes, which may have limitations in terms of design flexibility and functionality, a custom theme allows you to have full control over the look and feel of your online store. It enables you to create a truly distinctive and memorable shopping experience for your customers, enhancing brand recognition and trust. Additionally, a custom theme can be optimised for performance and tailored to meet specific requirements, ensuring seamless integration with your existing systems and third-party apps. With a custom Shopify theme, you have the ability to stand out in a crowded online marketplace, providing a user experience that is both intuitive and visually appealing, ultimately driving higher conversions and customer satisfaction. This makes a custom Shopify theme a wonderful asset in future Black Friday promotional periods.

Contact Mucky Puddle For Shopify Custom Themes & Digital Marketing Support

Now that you're armed with the knowledge of these Black Friday terms, you'll be better equipped to navigate the shopping frenzy with confidence. Remember to plan ahead, set a budget, and keep an eye on the types of special offers your customers are looking for. If you require assistance in creating campaign sale periods, our digital marketing team has experience in managing countless campaigns across all seasons. Contact us today to discuss custom Shopify themes or digital marketing for your next project.