How to Prepare for Black Friday: A Complete Checklist 

Key highlights 

• Know how to prepare for Black Friday by using the ultimate Black Friday checklist to optimize planning and performance.
• Learn how to convert more online shoppers and increase projected sales with strategic messaging and offers.
• Understand how to strengthen sales channels and ensure a seamless customer journey across every touchpoint.
• Explore analytics tools to track results in real time and improve decisions during peak shopping hours.
• Uncover how reliable hosting from Bluehost supports site scalability and better performance throughout Black Friday.

The holiday shopping season is almost here and Black Friday is the biggest stage your brand will ever stand on. This is when shoppers go all-in on the best Black Friday promotions and customers expect fast browsing, faster checkout and deals they simply can’t scroll past.

So, this is your moment to master how to get ready for Black Friday, not just to participate, but to dominate. With the right marketing strategies, you can inspire loyal buyers, spark excitement and pull in tons of new customers eager to shop.

Your online store is your power center where the place conversions happen. You must prepare a website for Black Friday that loads instantly, stays glitch-free under pressure and pairs perfectly with a reliable shipping company that delivers smiles right to the doorstep.

If you want to make this holiday season your highest-earning one yet, the time to plan is now. Let’s unlock the complete checklist to help you crush every goal and the competition.

TL;DR: Black Friday 2025 prep checklist 

• Start early (4–6 weeks ahead) and extend your sale window.   
• Optimize your site speed and mobile checkout.   
• Create irresistible bundles and limited-time offers.   
• Back up your site and stress test hosting performance.   
• Leverage Bluehost’s premium hosting services to handle peak traffic confidently.   

Black Friday 2025: The complete 25-step prep checklist 

Black Friday 2025 is right around the corner and preparing early can make all the difference.

With the right Black Friday marketing strategy, you can attract new customers, increase average order value and turn your online store into the ultimate shopping destination.

Here’s your step-by-step tabular guide to winning the holiday season: 

Prep step	Key benefit	How Bluehost helps
Begin early	More time for indexing & campaign visibility	Easy site setup + quick publishing using AI-powered WonderSuite
Make your site mobile-friendly	Better UX and higher mobile conversion (most shoppers use mobile)	Responsive WordPress themes for mobile optimization
Simplify checkout	Reduces cart abandonment and increases sales	WooCommerce 1- click checkout + secure payment processing
Test for traffic spikes	Prevents downtime and ensures smooth shopping experience	Scalable hosting + performance monitoring to handle heavy traffic
Schedule email campaigns early	Drives repeat visits and purchase intent with timely promotions	Professional email services + CreativeMail for email marketing
Backup your website & data	Prevents data loss and protects business continuity	Weekly website backups and multiple restore points, so you never lose progress

Along with these prep steps there are many more, which we will explore in detail: 

1. Begin early and plan a longer sales period

Don’t wait until the week of Black Friday to start. Begin building momentum at least 4–6 weeks in advance. Early teasers, email campaigns and social media countdowns keep your audience engaged and ready to buy when deals go live.

For example, Amazon and Walmart extend their Black Friday events for multiple weeks, driving consistent traffic and sales. You can follow a similar approach. Launch early-bird deals for subscribers or repeat customers, then roll out bigger offers closer to Black Friday. Longer campaigns give shoppers time to research, compare and ultimately choose your brand.

Pro tip: Create a content calendar covering teaser posts, influencer promotions and email reminders leading up to the big day.

2. Review last year’s performance

Before creating new campaigns, dig into last year’s data. Identify which products generated the most clicks, conversions and returns. Did customers respond better to flash sales, bundle deals or discount codes?

For instance, if your 2024 campaign showed a spike in sales for mid-range products but not premium ones, consider adjusting your price tiers or adding incentives like free shipping. Tools like Google Analytics, Shopify Analytics or WooCommerce Reports can help you evaluate performance metrics like traffic sources, average order value and bounce rates.

Pro tip: Create a simple spreadsheet comparing campaign performance by channel (email, social, ads) to focus your budget on what worked best.

3. Identify top products for promotion

Focus your energy on best-selling or high-margin products that attract attention and increase average order value. Limited-time deals on these items create urgency while ensuring profitability.

For example, if you sell skincare products, promote your top-rated moisturizer as part of a “Winter Glow Kit.” If you run a tech store, highlight popular items like noise-canceling headphones or smartwatches.

Pro tip: Use your CRM or eCommerce analytics to identify top 10 performers by sales or reviews and feature them in your main Black Friday collection page.

4. Create irresistible Black Friday offers

A basic discount won’t stand out when every competitor is slashing prices. Instead, craft value-driven bundles, freebies or tiered discounts that make customers feel they’re getting more for less.

For instance, Bluehost is offering:

• 40% off Managed VPS plans
• 20% off Design & Marketing Services
• $2.99/month Yoast Premium coupon- 1 year

These types of offers directly increase trust, performance and visibility, turning holiday browsers into loyal customers who stay long after Black Friday ends.

Note: These offers are valid for the ongoing holiday season, for the latest pricings and offers visit Bluehost website.   

Pro tip: Test different offer formats through A/B testing in email subject lines or ad copy to find the most effective one before launch day.

5. Optimize product descriptions

Even the best discounts can flop if your product pages don’t convert. Refresh product descriptions with clear, benefit-driven language that emphasizes savings and urgency. Also, ensure that your SEO is Black Friday-ready by adding relevant keywords like “Black Friday deal,” “limited-time offer,” or “holiday sale” to your meta descriptions and titles.

For example:

“This ergonomic office chair originally $199, now $129 offers full lumbar support for all-day comfort. Rated 4.8★ by 2,000 happy customers.”

Pro tip: Use plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to optimize your pages for search engines and increase organic visibility during the sale season.

Also read: How To Write the Best eCommerce Product Description

6. Improve website SEO 

If customers cannot find your store in search results, you lose sales before they even begin. Strengthening SEO ahead of Black Friday helps you rank higher for seasonal keywords and capture intent-driven traffic.

For example: A fashion retailer updates category pages like “Women’s Jackets” to “Best Black Friday Deals on Women’s Jackets” using Yoast’s keyword guidance. Then they leverage Bluehost’s staging feature to test changes before publishing, ensuring pages load faster and rank quickly for seasonal searches.

Pro tip: Bluehost hosting plans give your website the performance backbone it needs with fast page loads, free SSL, reliable uptime and built-in tools that support strong search visibility. Pair that with Yoast SEO (available at a special Black Friday price of $2.99/mo for one year) to optimize metadata, improve content structure and implement technical SEO fixes with ease.

7. Make your site mobile-friendly

Most Black Friday shoppers browse on phones. A fast, mobile-optimized site helps you attract customers, keep them engaged and convert. Use responsive layouts, compress images (WebP/AVIF), lazy-load below-the-fold media and trim third-party scripts. Keep price, reviews and “Add to cart” above the fold on mobile for quick decisions.

For example,a boutique swaps a heavy hero video for WebP images, adds a sticky “Buy now” bar and sees smoother mobile checkouts.

Pro tip: Run Lighthouse and fix the top three issues first. Aim for LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) ≤ 2.5s, CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) ≤ 0.1 and INP (Interaction to Next Paint) ≤ 200ms before your paid ads ramp up.

Also read: Mobile Optimization in 2025 – Best Practices 

8. Simplify checkout

Reduce friction to cut abandonment and attract customers who are ready to buy. Offer guest checkout, upfront shipping/tax, address autocomplete and express wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Shop Pay). Remove nonessential fields and show trust signals near the pay button.

For instance, a home-decor store moves to a one-page checkout with express pay and fewer fields, leading to faster completions.

Pro tip: Pair a 3-email cart-recovery flow (1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours) with dynamic retargeting via paid ads to recover high-intent visitors.

9. Test for traffic spikes

Prepare for surges from email drops, influencers and paid ads. Load-test product pages and checkout (k6/JMeter) at 2× expected peak, then fix bottlenecks. Turn on CDN caching, enable object caching (e.g., Redis for WooCommerce) and pre-warm key pages before big drops.

For example, afashion label schedules its “doorbuster” release, pre-warms the cache and sets alerts for CPU, memory and 5xx errors to prevent downtime.

Pro tip: Freeze noncritical deployments 48 hours before launch. Keep a rollback plan and on-call rota so issues are resolved in minutes, not hours.

10. Backup your website and data

If something breaks, you need a fast restore to keep selling and continue to attract new and existing customers. Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, two media types, one offsite. Back up site files, database, orders, coupons and ESP lists/segments.

For example, before Black Friday, a store takes an on-demand snapshot, tests a full restore on staging and verifies logins, payments and shipping rules.

Pro tip: Set retention (nightly for 14 days, weekly for 8 weeks, monthly for 6 months) and document step-by-step restore instructions your whole team can use.

Also read: 5 WordPress Website Backup Methods to Protect Your Site

11. Set up referral and affiliate programs 

Launch a referral program with double-sided rewards and recruit partners through an affiliate network. Tie payouts to revenue, not clicks and share UTM-tagged assets that match your marketing campaign. Promote limited Black Friday promotions to partners so they pitch the right offer to your target audience when customers visit. Add small incentives like free gifts for referred orders to boost participation.

For example, a DTC apparel brand offers 10% commission, a $10 referral bonus and a “friends get 20%” landing page tailored to black friday deals. Partners get copy, banners and a weekly leaderboard.

Pro tip: We at Bluehost also run a trusted affiliate program you can partner with to extend reach within your marketing campaign.

12. Schedule email campaigns early

Plan and automate a staggered send calendar so your marketing campaign hits inboxes before the rush. Warm up with teasers, then VIP early access, launch-day black friday deals, reminders and an extended-through-Cyber-Monday finale. Segment by recency, AOV and product interest to align with your black Friday marketing strategy and live Black Friday promotions.

For example:

• T-10 days: “Save the date” teaser
• T-3 days: VIP early access
• Launch day: Main drop + bundles
• T+12 hours: “Selling fast” proof
• Final day: “Last chance” + cart links

Pro tip: Take advantage of Bluehost’s professional email services: Powered by Titan with features like business auto-reply, advanced anti-spam/virus protection and sync across all devices. Pair it with your Black Friday campaigns to reinforce brand trust and ensure your messages land in inboxes, not spam.

13. Craft attention-grabbing subject lines

Clear > clever. Lead with value, time limits or social proof and pair with specific preheaders. Keep 35–45 characters, front-load the offer and avoid spammy punctuation. Use thematically grouped A/B tests tied to each marketing campaign.

Example subject lines:

• “Our black friday deals start now: Free gifts inside”
• “48-hour early access: exclusive deals for VIPs”
• “Last chance for massive discounts (ends midnight)”
• “Black Friday promotions: bundles that sell out fast”

Pro tip: Test two variables max (lead word + urgency). Mirror the subject headline on your landing page to preserve scent and reduce drop-off.

14. Refresh homepage with seasonal visuals

Make your Black Friday hub impossible to miss the moment customers visit. Swap your hero for a clean sale banner, add a countdown, surface top categories and link straight to bundles. Showcase exclusive deals, free gifts and shipping cutoffs to support your marketing campaign and black friday marketing ideas.

Example: A simplified homepage hero reads “Unwrap our black friday deals,” with two CTAs: “Shop doorbusters” and “Build a bundle.” Trust badges sit beneath.

Pro tip: We at Bluehost, make it easy with our AI Site Builder and WonderBlocks that let you create seasonal headers, announcement bars and promo sections in minutes. Perfect for fast iterations during Black Friday promotions!

15. Retarget past visitors and customers

Bring back high-intent shoppers with segmented retargeting across email, SMS and ads. Build audiences for cart abandoners, product viewers and lapsed buyers; cap frequency and exclude recent purchasers. Align creatives and offers with your broader black friday marketing strategy so every touchpoint feels like one cohesive marketing campaign.

Example: Dynamic product ads show the exact item viewed, plus a bundle alternative and deadline. Email/SMS echoes the same image, price and timer.

Pro tip: Start with shorter lookback windows (7–14 days) for urgency, then expand after peak. Rotate creatives every 48–72 hours to avoid fatigue.

16. Use chatbots to boost conversions 

Deploy intelligent chatbots to answer real-time queries, guide product discovery and reduce drop-offs during peak traffic. Configure tailored flows for FAQs, shipping info, return policies, gift recommendations and inventory alerts. Integrate with CRM and cart data to personalize every interaction.

For example: A chatbot detects exit intent → triggers a discount code for first-time buyers or offers a “Need help choosing?” product quiz. Pass qualified leads to live support instantly during rush hours.

Pro tip: Track chatbot-assisted conversions as a separate funnel metric. Continuously A/B test greetings, CTAs and recommendation logic to improve success rate.

17. Promote cross-sells and upsells 

Increase AOV by recommending complementary items at key decision moments—product page, cart and post-purchase. Use purchase history and browsing behavior to auto-generate relevant bundles and limited-time upgrades.

For example: When a customer adds shoes to cart → show matching accessories with a bundle-only discount and a “Frequently Bought Together” carousel. After purchase, trigger email with add-ons that enhance the original item.

Pro tip: Prioritize higher-margin and fast-moving SKUs. Avoid overwhelming buyers: limit to 3–5 highly relevant offers per page.

Also read: Upsell and Cross-sell Your WooCommerce Products

18. Plan holiday shipping strategy 

Set clear cut-off dates, provide multiple shipping speeds and proactively manage delays. Display transparent timelines on homepage, PDPs and checkout. Partner with reliable carriers and leverage local fulfillment nodes to reduce last-mile risks.

For example: Show badge “Order within 3 hours for guaranteed holiday delivery.” Offer buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) or curbside pickup to serve late shoppers.

Pro tip: Launch a “Shipping Status Hub” for real-time updates. Incentivize early shopping with free/discounted shipping tiers to spread demand across the season.

19. Optimize order and fulfillment workflows 

Increase fulfillment throughput with automation, multi-warehouse routing and smart batching. Ensure inventory accuracy and implement barcode scanning to reduce holiday chaos. Streamline returns handling, customers judge your brand on how you respond post-sale.

For example: Auto-assign orders to nearest warehouse or store with stock. Use automated packing suggestions to lower errors and speed up dispatch.

Pro tip: Create priority flags for high-value orders, guaranteed-delivery purchases and VIP loyalty customers. Run “peak day stress tests” on your ops stack before November hits.

20. Expand to international customers 

Tap new revenue streams by targeting regions with strong seasonal demand. Localize prices, currency, language and payment methods. Ship via global logistics networks and provide duties/tax estimates upfront for transparency.

For example: Detect a UK shopper → display GBP pricing, Klarna/PayPal checkout and UK-specific holiday messaging. Offer express international lanes for key markets.

Pro tip: Use geo-targeted ads and localized product feeds. Prioritize countries with high buying intent and manageable shipping SLAs—then scale.

21. Prepare contingency plans 

Anticipate peak-day challenges such as website downtime, inventory mismatches and carrier delays. Create fallback workflows, backup servers and alternative fulfillment routes. Document escalation trees so teams can react fast without waiting for approvals.

For example: If traffic exceeds thresholds, auto-enable queue system and switch to cached product pages. If a best-seller sells out, instantly trigger “Notify Me” and promote substitute SKUs.

Pro tip: Run simulation drills (holiday war games) with cross-functional teams including tech, marketing, support and logistics to validate readiness and response speed.

22. Reward loyal customers 

Give your highest-value buyers VIP treatment with exclusive previews, early access, bonus loyalty points and members-only bundles. Personalize offers based on past purchases and engagement behavior.

For example: Send Priority Access emails 24 hours before the public launch, with free gift-wrapping and extended returns for loyalty members.

Pro tip: Highlight loyalty benefits across channels. A small perk like fast-track checkout can significantly increase repeat purchase rate during the rush.

23. Provide prompt and personal customer support 

Deliver responsive human support to reduce friction and protect brand trust during high-stakes moments. Offer multichannel availability including live chat, WhatsApp, social DMs and phone. Use macros, sentiment detection and real-time order lookup to speed resolution.

For example: An agent sees cart value and loyalty status, then prioritizes outreach with proactive help on size, delivery timing or promotions.

Pro tip: Extend support hours during peak weeks. Track first-response time and resolution time hourly, not just daily, to catch issues early.

24. Offer easy and hassle-free returns 

Make returns policy visible, simplified and customer-friendly. Enable self-serve initiation, prepaid labels and instant refunds or store credits for faster closure. Promote Free and Easy Returns badges at key touchpoints to build buying confidence.

For example: On the returns page, auto-generate pickup requests for major cities and allow drop-offs at partner locations.

Pro tip: Analyze returns data proactively. Identify recurring product issues such as sizing variance or unclear photos and fix them before large volumes hit.

25. Monitor analytics and adjust 

Track performance in real time across traffic, inventory levels and customer sentiment. Use dashboards to compare against hourly targets and trigger instant campaign changes including bids, budgets, creatives or offers.

For example: Spot spike in mobile bounce at checkout and immediately simplify form fields or roll out fast wallet payments.

Pro tip: Use Bluehost’s built-in analytics dashboard alongside Google Analytics to track campaign performance and load trends in real-time.

This Black Friday, choose hosting that can handle the heat! Bluehost keeps your site fast, secure and always online. This will give you more uptime, more conversions and a smoother experience for every visitor. Explore Bluehost hosting plans!

Final thoughts 

Black Friday isn’t just a sale, it’s a showdown. So many businesses compete for attention and the ones that prepare early stand out. A strong Black Friday checklist covers everything from site speed to inventory, helping brands capture both new and seasonal shoppers without losing customers before the cart even loads.

Track customer behavior, roll out smart discount codes and keep your checkout page lightning fast to boost sales. Don’t forget timely follow up email campaigns that bring back high-intent visitors who need just a little nudge.

Your target audience loves perks, so treat VIP customers right and make shopping seamless for returning customers. Use Google Analytics to see what works, because successful Black Friday marketing efforts are driven by data, not guesswork.

Get ready to turn browsers into buyers and chaos into your biggest win of the year! Power your online store and scale effortlessly with Bluehost that keeps your site fast and reliable, even on the busiest Black Friday.

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