How to prepare your Shopify store for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BCFM) 2024

Get your Shopify store BFCM-ready:

Boost performance
Manage inventory/shipping
Streamline checkout
Plan marketing
Upgrade support
Leverage Shopify tools
Post-BFCM strategy

Why it matters: Shopify stores made $9.3 billion during BFCM 2023 – up 24% from 2022.

Quick checklist:

Speed up site
Stock bestsellers
Offer free shipping
Create BFCM pages
Smart discounts

Task	Impact
Site speed	Retains customers
Stock management	Prevents stockouts
Free shipping	Meets expectations
BFCM pages	Boosts SEO/sales
Smart discounts	Balances profit/appeal

Start now to maximize BFCM success.

1. Boost Store Performance

Make your Shopify store BFCM-ready:

1.1. Analyze Past BFCM Data

Check previous BFCM performance:

Top sellers
Peak shopping times
Traffic volume

Use insights for 2024 planning.

1.2. Speed Up Your Site

Fast sites sell more. Shopify says:

"A one-second delay in site speed could cost a store with an average order value of $60 and 5,000 daily visitors approximately $9,000 a day."

To boost speed:

Compress images
Remove unused apps
Choose a fast theme

1.3. Test for High Traffic

Ensure your site can handle BFCM crowds. Shopify stores made $9.3 billion during BFCM 2023.

Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check speed. Aim for 2-4 second load times.

1.4. Optimize for Mobile

72% of BFCM 2023 Shopify sales were mobile. To improve:

Use mobile-friendly themes
Make buttons tap-friendly
Simplify forms

2. Manage Inventory and Shipping

Handle BFCM 2024 order surges:

2.1. Predict Bestsellers

Use past BFCM data to spot trends. Shopify’s reporting tools show last year’s hot items.

2.2. Stock Up on Popular Items

Set up low-stock alerts in Shopify. Reorder fast when needed.

"Set up back-in-stock alerts to notify customers when items are available again."

2.3. Streamline Order Processing

Speed up order handling:

Group similar orders
Keep bestsellers accessible
Use Shopify’s Timeline for team updates

2.4. Prepare for Shipping Issues

Be ready for delays:

Warn customers upfront
Use Shopify Shipping (up to 88% off)
Print labels from Shopify dashboard

62% of shoppers expect free shipping in under 3 days.

3. Streamline Checkout

Boost BFCM 2024 sales with smooth checkout:

3.1. Simplify Checkout Steps

Aim for one-page checkout. Use autofill for addresses and payments.

"The average cart abandonment rate for e-commerce retailers is 69.82%, meaning only three in 10 shoppers who add an item to their cart will complete their purchase."

To reduce abandonment:

Allow guest checkout
Use Google auto-address
Minimize form fields

3.2. One-Click Buying for Returning Customers

S’wheat saw great results:

"S’wheat implemented a one-click checkout system using Shop Pay, leading to a 1.72 times increase in conversions compared to other checkout methods."

3.3. Offer Multiple Payment Options

Include credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. 19% abandon carts due to limited payment choices.

Payment Provider	Transaction Fee
PayPal	2.99% + $0.30
Stripe	2.9% + $0.30
Amazon Pay	2.99% + $0.30

3.4. Add Buy Now, Pay Later

Let customers split payments. Nice Laundry offers four interest-free installments.

4. Plan BFCM Marketing

Boost BFCM 2024 sales:

4.1. Create a Sale Schedule

Start mid-October with teasers:

Time	Action
Mid-October	Early-bird codes
Early November	Pre-BFCM page launch
Week before BFCM	Ramp up social media
BFCM weekend	Main sales
Post-BFCM	Last-chance deals

4.2. Design Attractive Offers

Create eye-catching deals:

Deep discounts on popular items
Bundles
Free shipping thresholds
Gifts with purchase

56% of US shoppers bought pre-Thanksgiving in 2023.

4.3. Build BFCM-Specific Pages

Include:

Clear headlines
Product images
Discount details
Countdown timers
Customer reviews

Use Shopify’s tools for urgency.

4.4. Plan Email Campaigns

BFCM is the busiest email day (116.5 million campaigns).

Quick plan:

Send "warm-up" emails
Launch main offers (9-11 AM best)
Follow up with abandoners

"To leverage the increased traffic and give your business a huge revenue boost, you also need to craft the perfect Black Friday email to get your customers to buy."

Use Klaviyo to set up and test automation early.

5. Upgrade Customer Support

Handle BFCM inquiries:

5.1. Expand Support Team

Use this formula:

Total Support Reps Needed = Total Monthly Tickets / (Tickets/Reps/Month)

Hire temps or train existing staff.

5.2. Implement 24/7 Chatbots

AI chatbots handle common questions:

Company	Result
Elkjøp	80% higher customer satisfaction
Thon Hotels	Reduced human support load

5.3. Create BFCM FAQ Page

Include:

Shipping times
Return policy
Sale duration
Product availability

Add categories and search.

"Research suggests most consumers prefer to find information without contacting a customer service team, with as many as 90% of people preferring using a website knowledge base to find the answers they need."

5.4. Clear Return Policy

Build trust with clear rules:

Return window
Condition requirements
Refund/exchange options
Return process

6. Leverage Shopify Tools

Boost BFCM sales:

6.1. Use Shopify Analytics

Track key metrics:

Metric	Importance
Total sales	Overall performance
Total orders	Customer demand
Conversion rate	Site effectiveness
Average order value	Customer spending
Top products	Inventory planning

Compare over time to set BFCM goals.

6.2. Add Urgency Elements

Use countdown timers and stock alerts:

Show deal end times
Display stock levels
Encourage quick buys

CXL found timers can boost conversions by 9%.

6.3. Tackle Cart Abandonment

Average rate: 69.57%. Strategy:

Automated email reminders
Facebook Messenger follow-ups (5.8% CTR)
SMS reminders (5.4% CTR)
Upfront shipping costs

"Recovering even 5%-6% of abandoned carts can lead to substantial revenue generation", notes a Shopify expert.

6.4. Consider Shopify Plus

For high-volume BFCM:

Higher transaction capacity
Advanced automation
Custom checkout

Shopify merchants made $7.5 billion in BFCM 2022 sales.

7. Post-BFCM Strategy

Keep momentum after BFCM:

7.1. Convert One-Time Buyers

Turn shoppers into fans:

Send personalized thank-you emails
Offer next-order discounts
Share brand story

"Increasing customer retention by just 5% can lead to a 25% to 95% increase in profit", reports a study by Bain & Company.

7.2. Analyze BFCM Results

Check key metrics:

Metric	Importance
Total sales	Overall success
Best-sellers	Stock planning
Traffic sources	Marketing effectiveness
Conversion rate	Site performance

Use insights for next BFCM and year-round improvements.

7.3. Clear Excess Stock

Handle leftovers:

Create bundles
Offer tiered discounts
Run post-BFCM sales

Altitude Sports extended Cyber Monday deals with up to 40% off, plus member savings.

7.4. Smooth Returns Process

Make returns easy:

Clear policy
Offer exchanges
Get feedback

"Fast shipping and simple returns are two customer pain points", notes Shopify’s 2023 Future of Commerce report.

Conclusion

BFCM 2024 prep checklist:

Boost performance
Manage inventory/shipping
Streamline checkout
Plan marketing
Upgrade support
Use Shopify tools
Post-BFCM strategy

Shopify stores made $9.3 billion in BFCM 2023 (24% YoY growth). Start planning now.