Cyber Monday is one of the most anticipated holiday events. Every year, on the first Monday after Thanksgiving, brands worldwide host a 24-hour online shopping event featuring special deals and discounts.
Unlike Black Friday, which encourages people to shop at brick-and-mortar stores, Cyber Monday is all about getting the best online shopping deals. Even traditional retailers prepare special website-only discounts during this holiday.
If you don’t quite understand what the fuss is about, don’t worry. This article will explain why Cyber Monday is an event your retail business should not miss. Then, we’ll discuss how e-commerce outsourcing can help you prepare for the big day!
Why Is Cyber Monday a Big Deal for Retailers?
If you run a retail business, you already know that Black Friday is the year’s busiest shopping day. During this holiday, shoppers everywhere rush to their favorite stores hoping to get a great deal on various products, from clothes and accessories to gadgets and appliances.
However, the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the game for even the most enthusiastic Black Friday shoppers. Nowadays, people are less inclined to stand in line outside crowded stores and potentially expose themselves or their families to health risks.Â
As such, buyers turned to e-commerce platforms during the pandemic, with shoppers spending up to $9 billion in online sales on Black Friday and $10.8 billion on Cyber Monday. Online shopping gave consumers a more convenient and hassle-free way to make purchases, and Cyber Monday allowed shoppers to get great deals without leaving their homes.
The Accelerated Rise of Online Shopping in the “New Normal”
At the height of the pandemic, Cyber Monday set a record for digital shopping revenue in the United States. The holiday quickly became the biggest e-commerce event of all time, reaching $10.8 billion in sales. This figure represented a 15.1% increase in total revenue compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, sales from brick-and-mortar stores decreased by 23.9%.
Then, even as the pandemic started slowing down, people still showed a preference for Cyber Monday over Black Friday. In 2021, U.S. consumers spent $8.9 billion during Black Friday, which decreased from the previous year’s $9 billion revenue. In 2021’s Cyber Monday event, customers spent $10.7 billion, increasing from last year’s $9.2 billion.
How E-Commerce Outsourcing Helps Stores Prepare for Cyber Monday
Now that you understand how vital Cyber Monday is for retailers, let’s discuss how e-commerce outsourcing can empower your business during this holiday period.
1. Upgrade your e-commerce operations to meet the rise in consumer demand.
Last year, Cyber Monday sales beat Black Friday sales by over $1.8 billion. So, we know now that more buyers than ever are switching to digital shopping over traditional shopping. However, not all retailers are prepared for the growing demand for online sales. This is where an e-commerce outsourcing partner can be of service.
The right outsourcing provider understands that running an online store can be just as demanding as overseeing a physical location. Your ideal outsourced e-commerce partner can help you switch to digital without hassle or fuss. They can take on everything from website development to marketing.
Since outsourcing is more flexible and scalable than running an in-house team, you can easily adjust your e-commerce operations depending on fluctuations in customer demand.
2. Make an excellent first impression on new buyers through outsourced e-commerce marketing.
For many online shoppers, Cyber Monday may be the first time they’ll ever come across your brand. Make an indelible first impression on these new buyers by leveling up your e-commerce marketing strategy.Â
An e-commerce outsourcing provider can help you take advantage of the Cyber Monday rush when promoting your products. They may help you create eye-catching ads that showcase your best deals and discounts, write helpful information about your Cyber Monday sales, or utilize SEO to help new shoppers easily find your e-commerce site.
Read More: What Role Does Content Writing Play in Your E-Commerce Sales Funnel?
3. Ensure you can handle the demand through proper data entry and inventory management.
One of the retailers’ most significant challenges during Cyber Monday is ensuring enough supply to handle the increasing demand. If you don’t manage your inventory, you could turn away customers, lose revenue, and potentially damage your brand’s reputation.
Thankfully, you can prevent this situation with the help of an e-commerce outsourcing provider. They can handle the proper data entry and inventory management to keep your Cyber Monday sales running smoothly and efficiently.
4. Optimize your website to give customers a seamless and hassle-free online shopping experience.
In today’s day and age, about 20% of all retail shoppers make purchases online. As such, retailers must have a well-optimized and designed e-commerce site that is easy for users to navigate and provides an overall seamless shopping experience.
Consumers love digital shopping because of the comfort and convenience it provides. According to recent research, 80% of shoppers dislike online shopping brands with inconvenient return policies. Having an eye-pleasing and well-designed e-commerce website is also an advantage, with 38% of buyers saying they click away from unattractive websites.
The good news is that an e-commerce outsourcing partner can help you perfect your website design and development strategy. Your ideal provider will assist you in creating a visually appealing e-commerce site and focus on the end-to-end shopping experience, from optimizing the product page to handling the logistics of delivery.
5. Be prepared for an influx of buyer calls, chats, or emails by outsourcing e-commerce customer service.
Since Cyber Monday leads to an increase in sales, retailers should also expect a rise in demand for customer service. Research has found that 50% of U.S. shoppers say that, post-pandemic, customer service is a top factor influencing their decision to do business with a brand, and 30% say they would even be willing to pay more for exceptional service.
During the Cyber Monday rush, buyers will reach out to you through different channels, from phone to email to social media. It would help if you were prepared to handle all these customer queries and respond to each one effectively and promptly.
Thankfully, partnering with an e-commerce outsourcing company can help you take on the sudden and immediate surge in customer service demand. The right provider operates around the clock to ensure shoppers will always be able to reach you during the holiday rush and provides highly trained agents that can help your brand build long-lasting relationships with buyers.
Read More: 6 Ways Offshore Customer Service Outsourcing Provider Boosts E-Commerce Customer Lifetime Value
6. Expand your e-business to include international markets without fearing language barriers.
Although Cyber Monday was once seen as a primarily American holiday, more and more countries are adopting the event as their own. Nowadays, over 28 countries celebrate Cyber Monday, including retailers in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and the Netherlands.Â
Make the most of this opportunity and open your online business to new markets. The ideal e-commerce outsourcing provider can offer multilingual customer support, which can help you tap into international markets and share your brand message with potential customers from all over the globe.
Don’t let your Cyber Monday preparations overwhelm you
Are you getting ready for the Cyber Monday rush? Let SuperStaff be your e-commerce outsourcing partner as you begin your holiday sale preparations. We are a full-service BPO company offering comprehensive end-to-end solutions for retailers and e-businesses trying to stand out from the crowded digital market.
Whether you need help optimizing your e-commerce site or preparing your customer service team for an influx of calls, you can trust SuperStaff to assist you.Â
Reach out to us today, and let’s talk about how our e-commerce outsourcing solutions can elevate your growing brand!