When you hear the words “Black Friday,” what immediately pops into your mind? Sales. Giant sales. Sales with big savings and sweet deals make consumers flock to any business.
But did you know that Black Friday is more than just one big sales day? Black Friday is nearly a week of anticipation, discounts, and promotions. Black Friday and its increasingly popular sibling holiday, Cyber Monday, can span up to five days long, especially for businesses taking their cues from Amazon.
It’s a BIG deal, and it’s better to be prepared for it sooner rather than later.
Why Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are mostly seen as big sales events. While that’s true, they can offer your dealership more benefits than you might imagine.
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend is like the Super Bowl for retailers. Both brick-and-mortar and online retailers see a massive influx in sales during this time, even with prices at giant discounts. It’s become the most anticipated buying event among today’s consumers, especially among online shoppers.
Studies in early 2023 show that up to 43% of consumers in the U.S. prefer to shop online rather than in physical stores. Almost half of the nation’s consumer population has a stronger preference to shop online. A strong eCommerce presence is essential to driving profitability during this sales event.
Just Take a Look at the Numbers!
In 2022, merchants using RevolutionParts recorded impressive sales of $6,565,736 during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday events.
Of the total buyers on dealership sites, 52% were repeat patrons, and the remaining 48% were first-time purchasers.
A significant 61.3% of Black Friday transactions occurred on mobile devices, with 36.2% conducted on desktops. This underscores the crucial need for optimized websites for desktop and mobile use.
The rise in eCommerce sales during Black Friday weekend has only increased since then.
With more and more consumers choosing to make regular online purchases, having a strong eCommerce presence from the get-go is important to your dealership’s success.
5 Reasons to Start Planning Now
The right eCommerce strategy can make all the difference in the parts department; having a robust one for Black Friday is especially beneficial.
The eCommerce retail market gives you a few distinct advantages.
- Expand Your Reach: Attract nationwide parts shoppers and build a customer base beyond your local area.
- Provide Convenient 24/7 Shopping: Make it easy for customers to order from you anytime, anywhere.
- Stronger Marketing Capability: Increase your visibility with digital marketing tactics. A strong Black Friday marketing campaign can create a sense of urgency and improve your online sales.
- Diversify Revenue Streams: Sell across multiple channels to maximize your reach and expand your sales capabilities beyond the confines of your parts counter. You can streamline the shopping experience, attract customers, and boost sales more effectively.
- Maintain a Competitive Edge: Stand up against the competition and establish your online presence to draw in more leads.
- Boost in Parts Profits: Selling parts online and capturing those additional online sales during Cyber Weekend will increase profits in the parts department.
These three advantages can help you create and streamline your Black Friday strategy.
Reaching a customer base beyond your local area can help you increase sales, diversify your customer base, and maximize your revenue potential.
The benefits are clear, but preparing for it now may not be as evident. Here are the reasons why you need to start thinking about your Black Friday/Cyber Monday strategy now.
Parts Department Timeline for Preparing for Black Friday
You Need to Be Set Up For eCommerce ASAP
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are dominated by online retail. Your dealership might have an online presence, but your parts department may not be at the same level. If you don’t have the right eCommerce setup, you’re going to lose more money than you’ll make during Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
Why do you need to get set up for eCommerce now? Getting the right eCommerce solution in place isn’t instantaneous. You need to get set up in time for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, which means you need to start getting set up now.
To be ready, you need to:
- Get onboarded: This process can take up to 30 days to get up and running.
- Get your website ready: Once your web store is set up, you need to get it ready for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend.
- Get your inventory integrated: This part is simple, as your entire catalog can easily be added to your web store, Amazon, and eBay with the click of a button.
- Set up additional marketplaces to sell through: Selling on Amazon and eBay can help boost your sales.
Getting set up for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping holiday is easy. RevolutionParts can help you get onboarded, integrate your inventory, get set up with a high-quality web store, and help you navigate selling on additional digital marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. We can help you get set up in time for Black Friday/Cyber Monday so you can take advantage of the increased parts sales.
Create a Marketing Strategy
Getting your marketing right for Black Friday/Cyber Monday is crucial to your dealership’s success. Throwing a couple of ads online isn’t enough to keep up with the competition these days. You need to be on the radar of your current customers and your potential customers. You can’t do that without effective marketing tools and techniques.
Not sure where to start with your Black Friday/Cyber Monday marketing strategy? RevolutionParts can help steer you in the right direction. Through RevolutionParts’ marketing services, you can create and implement an effective digital marketing strategy that you can apply to big sales events or even just year-round.
How can RevolutionParts help you?
- Create and implement email marketing campaigns
- Improve PPC advertising
- Improve your website SEO to rank higher on search engines
Promotions Shouldn’t Until the Last Minute
Preparing for Black Friday/Cyber Monday doesn’t just require the right eCommerce solution. It also requires a great marketing strategy. Marketing can’t wait. You need to be promoting your Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales program as soon as possible. You’re too late if you wait until the week before your sale to promote it. You’re behind if you wait until the first week of November to start your promotions. Most companies start promoting their Black Friday/Cyber Monday promos as early as mid-October.
Your Competitors Have Already Started
All of your competitors are planning their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales strategy now. They’re testing their site speed, ensuring their ads are in place, and setting their budgets. This means that they already have a leg up on your dealership. If you want to stay on the same playing field as your competitors, you need to create and implement the right eCommerce strategy.
You’re already behind if your customers have difficulty purchasing your parts and accessories. If potential customers aren’t aware of the sales you are promoting for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, they’ll flock to your competitors instead because they know they’re having a sale. By planning now, you can help ensure those potential customers shop from you instead of going elsewhere.
Your Consumers Are Planning For It
Most consumers are conscious of their buying decisions and will put off purchasing in the fall until the Black Friday weekend because they know they may get the same product at a better deal. Black Friday and Cyber Monday dominate the online shopping sphere every fall as many consumers base their buying habits on what benefits them the most.
Your customers are already planning for these sales. They’re setting their own budgets. They’re already looking at their buying options and which retailers can offer them the best deals. This is your chance to meet your customer’s expectations and deliver them the best buying experience. Customers who purchase from you have a higher chance of becoming repeat customers and returning to your store for their future auto part needs.
The RevolutionParts Difference
Having the right eCommerce strategy in place for Black Friday Weekend is dependent on your specific goals and unique needs. Every parts department is different, which means a one-size-fits-all approach to eCommerce doesn’t work for everyone. That’s why RevolutionParts offers a variety of eCommerce approaches that can be tailored to fit your unique needs.
The RevolutionParts platform offers you a breadth of eCommerce tools and services that can be tailored to your specific Black Friday needs.
Through RevolutionParts, you can utilize:
Parts eCommerce Solution
RevolutionParts provides an eCommerce solution designed to meet the needs of your parts business by offering a website plugin so you can sell parts through your dealership website, a dedicated parts web store, and easy integrations with third-party marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
Parts Marketing Services
Our expert marketing team is ready to assist with every aspect of your Black Friday promotional efforts, from SEO optimization to targeted ads and email campaigns.
Superior Shipping and Fulfillment
With RP Shipping, enjoy preferential rates from leading carriers, the convenience of in-house label printing, and the assurance of shipping protection. Simplify your shipping processes so you can save time and money.
Streamlined Inventory Management
Prevent inventory errors and pile-ups with real-time inventory management software. Upload inventory and process orders from multiple selling channels, all from one convenient place.
Diverse Selling Channels
Enhance your sales potential by branching out into various selling channels. Integrate and list products on third-party platforms like Amazon and eBay to bolster your digital footprint.
Are You Ready? Don’t Wait!
The Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales surge can make or break your dealership’s sales goals. Without the proper preparation, strategy, and tools, you could sacrifice a major opportunity to increase your revenue. Start planning for your Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales strategy now and get the most out of the holiday season by getting set up with parts eCommerce as soon as possible. Talk to one of our parts eCommerce experts today to discuss how you can get your parts department online for Black Friday.
