Black Friday is just weeks away, and the pressure is real. Missing even one critical step could result in losing thousands of dollars in sales. Hence, we’ve created this ultimate Black Friday checklist for 2025, built from the strategies top e-commerce stores have used successfully over the years.
With this guide, you can remove uncertainty and prepare with confidence for the biggest shopping event of the year.
Inside, you’ll find actionable BFCM strategies, proven e-commerce Black Friday tips, and a complete step-by-step Black Friday e-commerce checklist designed to help e-commerce stores maximize their BFCM sales in 2025.
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Why is this Black Friday Checklist all you need?
The holiday shopping season starts with Black Friday, as 45% begin their shopping then. Therefore, you ought to be fully prepared to get ahead of the competition and grab customer attention.
This list we have here isn’t generic. It’s a tested framework used by successful e-commerce stores that consistently outperform their competition during BFCM.
Every item on this 2025 updated Cyber Monday & Black Friday checklist addresses real challenges you face as a store owner. From technical website issues to inventory mishaps, we’ve covered the problems that can sink your sales.
As a result, you get actionable ecommerce Black Friday tips, not just vague suggestions. Thus, ticking checkboxes with this comprehensive list is all you need to increase your sales and conversion during BFCM sales.
24 Step Black Friday Checklist in 2025 for E-commerce Stores
Pre-Black Friday Preparation Checklist
1. Review last year’s sales performance & insights
Start by diving deep into your previous Black Friday data. Look at which products sold best, at what time customers shopped most, and where your traffic came from.
For example, check your email marketing metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion metrics. This data becomes your foundation for planning 2025’s black friday email marketing strategy.
However, don’t look at just sales numbers. You must also analyze customer feedback, return rates, and support ticket volume to identify improvement areas.
2. Forecast 2025 BFCM trends and set goals
Set specific, measurable goals for this 2025 BFCM sale. Firstly, define your target revenue, conversion rate improvements, and new customer acquisition numbers.
Then, research current e-commerce trends like AI personalization or mobile shopping that are working well. These insights will help you allocate resources effectively.
Specifically, create realistic timelines for each goal. You can break down monthly targets into weekly milestones to track progress consistently.
3. Prepare your inventory for Black Friday sales
You can approximately calculate your expected demand based on last year’s data and current year expectations.
Thus, you can prepare a black friday inventory checklist by ordering extra stock for your best-selling items to avoid stockouts.
In addition, create a backup plan for popular items that might sell out. You can also set up automated low-stock alerts for critical products.
Thus, it prevents overselling and maintains customer satisfaction during high-traffic periods.
Black Friday Website Readiness Checklist
4. Run a Black Friday site speed check
Your website speed directly impacts conversions during high-traffic events like this. Therefore, for an ecommerce site optimization for black friday, test your site using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix.
Following that, focus on optimizing your webpage, like changing images or enabling browser caching, for every second of load time improvement can increase conversions by 7%.
Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to handle traffic spikes. Thus, you can prevent your site from crashing when thousands visit simultaneously.
5. Optimize your store for mobile shoppers
Over 69% of Black Friday traffic comes from mobile devices. Hence, ensure your mobile optimization for BFCM sales provides a seamless shopping experience.
Test your checkout process on different devices and browsers. Then, fix any layout issues, slow-loading, or hard-to-tap buttons.
You can also implement mobile-specific features like thumb-friendly navigation, simplified forms, and one-tap checkout options for returning customers.
6. Streamline your Black Friday checkout process
You can reduce checkout abandonment by simplifying the process of adding to cart, checkout, and payment.
Firstly, offer guest checkout options and minimize required form fields.
Then, display trust badges, security certificates, and customer reviews near checkout buttons. Thus, you can build confidence during the purchase decision.
Related Reading: 12 Major Reasons for Cart Abandonment + Proven Fixes to Reduce Lost Sales
7. Secure and back up your store data before BFCM
It is important to create complete site backups for Black Friday, including customer data and product information. Consequently, store these backups in multiple secure locations.
Plan for potential security threats by implementing rate limiting and monitoring suspicious activity during peak traffic periods.
8. Improve your Black Friday website SEO
Optimize your product pages with SEO for Black Friday / Cyber Monday and compelling meta descriptions. Thus, improving organic traffic during the shopping season.
You can create dedicated Black Friday landing pages targeting specific keywords like “best black friday marketing strategies” and “black friday email campaign plan“.
You can build internal links between related products and promotional pages. Thus, your visitors can easily navigate, be engaged longer, and increase average order value.
Black Friday Marketing Checklist
9. Launch your Black Friday omnichannel campaign
Coordinating your messaging across your omnichannel marketing channels is important. With consistent branding and messaging, you can create a stronger campaign impact using marketing tools for Black Friday.
Firstly, start by creating a content calendar using Black Friday email campaign checklist that builds excitement weeks before Black Friday. For example, share sneak peeks, early access offers, and countdown campaigns.
Then, develop platform-specific content using an omnichannel marketing platform to save time and automate efforts.
As part of the Black Friday social media plan, ensure that you include banners, brochures, videos, posts, and other relevant content.
10. Set up retargeting ads for Black Friday & Cyber Monday
You can keep track of visitor data during black friday using website pop-ups and capture data. Then, using it, create custom audiences based on page visits, cart abandonment, and purchase history.
Following that, design compelling ad creatives that highlight your best deals and create urgency. Use dynamic product ads to show visitors items they viewed.
Thus, retargeting ads for Black Friday campaigns with different messaging for various audience segments can help increase conversion by 35%.
11. Build your referral and affiliate program for BFCM
Launch a referral program that rewards existing customers for bringing new buyers. You can offer attractive incentives like exclusive discounts or bonus rewards.
Furthermore, recruit affiliate partners who can exclusively promote your products to their audiences around Black Friday.
Track referral and affiliate performance using dedicated links and codes. Referral and affiliate program setup can help you identify your most valuable partners for future campaigns.
Related Reading: 15 Best Black Friday Marketing Strategies and Ideas for Ecommerce
Black Friday Discount & Sales Strategy Checklist
12. Plan compelling Black Friday discount strategies
Create a mix of discount types: percentage off, fixed amounts, buy-one-get-one offers, and free shipping thresholds. This appeals to different customer psychology.
You can also consider tiered discounts that encourage larger purchases. For example, “10% off $50, 15% off $100, 20% off $150” increases average order values.
Additionally, plan exclusive early access deals for VIP customers. Thus, rewarding loyalty while creating urgency for others to join your email list.
13. Add BFCM cross-selling and upselling offers
Before BFCM, identify complementary products that naturally pair together. Then, you can display these suggestions on product pages and during Black Friday checkout optimization.
Create bundles that offer better value than individual purchases. Use phrases like “Complete the look” or “Customers also bought” to encourage additions.
You can also cross-sell and upsell during BFCM with personalized recommendations based on browsing history and purchase patterns.
14. Create product bundling ideas for Black Friday sales
Around the holiday season sale, you can bundle slow-moving inventory with popular items to clear stock while maintaining profit margins. This strategy works especially well for seasonal products.
Hence, design Holiday gift guides for Black Friday that appeal to shoppers and package complementary items in attractive bundles that solve specific customer needs.
However, ensure you price bundles to show clear savings compared to individual purchases. Thus, highlighting the value proposition prominently on product pages.
15. Personalize shopping experiences for BFCM campaigns
Use customer data to show personalized product recommendations on your homepage and category pages. Thus, you can increase relevance and conversion rates.
Create a personalized shopping experience for BFCM sales through targeted emails based on purchase history, browsing behavior, and preferences.
Furthermore, implement dynamic content that changes based on customer segments.
16. Use countdown timers and urgency triggers for Black Friday
You can add countdown timers in addition to limited-time offers and flash sales. Thus, creating visual urgency elements increases conversions by up to 30%.
In addition, display real-time inventory levels with phrases like “Only 5 left in stock” to create scarcity. This motivates faster purchase decisions.
You can also use urgency language in your copy, like “Limited time,” “While supplies last,” and “Don’t miss out.” However, ensure these claims are genuine to maintain trust.
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Black Friday E-commerce Logistics Checklist
17. Double-check inventory & stock levels for Black Friday sales
Firstly, conduct physical inventory counts for all promotional items and reconcile your inventory system with actual stock to prevent overselling.
Following that, create safety stock buffers for your best-selling products. You can plan for 20-30% higher demand than your forecasts predict.
18. Set up Black Friday shipping and fulfillment readiness
You can negotiate special rates and guaranteed delivery times with shipping in charge. Then, display shipping rate changes clearly to customers in a promotion.
Create promotions highlighting reduced shipping costs that encourage larger orders while maintaining profitability.
Consequently, prepare your fulfillment team for increased order volume. You can consider temporary staff or extended hours during peak periods.
19. Simplify handling of returns & exchanges during BFCM
Exclusively for BFCM deals, extend your return window. This reduces customer anxiety and encourages purchases during the busy season. You can create clear, easy-to-find return policies and processes.
Following that, prepare customer service scripts for common return scenarios. You can also train staff on handling increased volume while maintaining satisfaction levels.
20. Prepare customer support for Black Friday campaigns
Scale your customer support team to handle increased inquiries during Black Friday 2025.
Create FAQ sections addressing common Black Friday questions like shipping times, return policies, discount codes, and technical issues.
Set up automated chatbots for simple questions. Thus, you can free your human agents to handle complex issues that require personal attention.
Black Friday Analytics & Post-Sale Checklist
21. Set up Black Friday sales tracking (tools + KPIs)
Install black friday automation tools and configure e-commerce tracking for comprehensive sales data. Set up conversion goals for different customer actions.
Use BFCM analytics and tracking tools to understand how customers interact with your promotional pages.
You can create custom dashboards that display key metrics in real-time: traffic, conversions, revenue, and average order value.
22. Measure Black Friday ROI & conversion performance
Calculate the true ROI of your Black Friday campaigns by including all costs: advertising, discounts, fulfillment, and customer service.
Analyze which traffic sources provided the highest-value customers. Thus, focus future marketing budgets on channels that deliver profitable growth.
Then, track and maintain a list of customer lifetime value for Black Friday acquisitions.
23. Retain and retarget shoppers after BFCM sales
Create post-purchase email sequences that provide order updates, care instructions, and complementary product suggestions.
You can set up post-black Friday sales analysis campaigns targeting customers who didn’t purchase. For example, offer last-chance deals or alternative products.
In addition, launch loyalty programs or exclusive member benefits for new customers acquired during Black Friday. This encourages repeat purchases.
24. Create a holiday sales plan for future campaigns
Document what worked and what didn’t during this Black Friday. Create detailed reports for next year’s planning process.
Plan follow-up campaigns for Cyber Monday, holiday gift buying, and New Year promotions. Thus, you can maintain the momentum built during Black Friday 2025.
Build relationships with new customers through personalized follow-up campaigns. Thus, try to convert one-time buyers into long-term brand advocates.
Cut campaign stress in half with Retainful’s ready-to-use automation workflows for emails + SMS + WhatsApp.
Conclusion
This Black Friday e-commerce checklist gives you everything you need to succeed during the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
It begins with pre-Black Friday preparation, followed by a detailed checklist on how to get your store ready for Black Friday 2025.
Next, it covers strategies to nurture and retain customers throughout the holiday season.
In short, this BFCM e-commerce checklist isn’t just for now, but sets you up for long-term success.
Further Reading
- 50+ Irresistible Black Friday Email Subject Lines
- Black Friday Sales: Deal Ideas, Trends & Strategies
- 10 Proven Strategies to Increase Repeat Customers
- 5 Real-life Omnichannel Marketing Examples
Frequently Asked Question
A Black Friday checklist for an ecommerce store helps you stay organized and avoid last-minute mistakes. Ultimately, you can make sure your store is ready across inventory, website performance, marketing, logistics, and customer support. Thus, ensuring you don’t miss revenue opportunities during the Black Friday sales season.
You should start Ecommerce Black Friday and Cyber Monday preparation at the beginning of September. Ideally, at least 6–8 weeks before BFCM. Since many shoppers begin shopping for deals in October, early planning around inventory, discounts, and campaigns can help you stay ahead.
The top three priorities in the Black Friday Cyber Monday checklist must be Website readiness (speed, mobile optimization, checkout flow), Inventory planning (stock, fulfillment, and returns setup), and Marketing campaigns (email, SMS, social, retargeting).
If you’re a new e-commerce owner, focus on getting at least 50% of the BFCM checklist. This can include optimizing your site, preparing your inventory, and setting up 1 – 2 marketing campaigns (like email + SMS + WhatsApp). You can set up advanced steps like upselling, referral programs, and analytics tracking later.
Post-BFCM is just as important. Hence, follow our Holiday sales readiness checklist and analyze sales data, measure ROI, and retarget first-time buyers with loyalty offers. Thus, use the opportunity to turn seasonal shoppers into long-term customers by following the post-sale checklist steps.
