Q4 in e-commerce is known as the ‘golden quarter’ and is the peak trading period for most e-commerce clients. This is the most competitive period of the year. Customers shop earlier, buy faster, and expect seamless experiences across every touchpoint. Preparation is everything. This guide will help you plan, prime and optimise every channel to ensure your business is ready for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the festive season.
Strategy Checklist
- Plan early! Confirm your promotional calendar for October to December
- Identify key products and ensure stock levels are aligned with forecast demand
- Align pricing and promotional strategy with competitor activity (check you are price competitive ahead of peak trading period)
- Review the customer journey across all touchpoints, removing unnecessary friction or blockers that hinder the checkout process. (Complete a UX/ UI review ahead of peak trading season to see if there are any quick wins in terms of improving the customer experience on site ahead of the busiest time of year)
- Where possible, consider building alternative gifting options such as e-vouchers and gift wrapping
- Communicate the last order dates for Christmas early and consistently (the last recommended order date for Christmas delivery). Shipping providers like Royal Mail and DPD typically provide recommendations for each of their services. You can communicate these on your website, via the shipping section of the checkout, or via a delivery information page
Website Development & Hosting Checklist
- Stress test your website against increased traffic levels (increased traffic on your site can cause a number of issues, such as slow load times, crashes, and poor user experience)
- Confirm your hosting capacity with Outrank and request upgrades if necessary (consider a dedicated server instead of a shared one if traffic levels would warrant it)
- Test the checkout process across multiple devices and browsers to ensure there are no issues
- Validate SSL certificates and payment gateways
- Enable basket recovery functionality and wishlist features
- Ensure product information, delivery details, and returns policies are clear
- Review accessibility to make sure the site works for all customers
SEO Checklist
- Refresh metadata and structured data for seasonal campaigns
- Create and optimise Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas landing pages
- Build supporting content: gift guides, FAQs, trend posts
- Optimise for mobile performance and check core web vitals
- Review and update internal linking to support seasonal content
- Maintain evergreen content to capture long-term search traffic
Paid Search (PPC) Checklist
- Set budgets for paid ads for October to December, with peak weeks weighted with higher budgets
- Prepare seasonal ad copy variations in advance
- Use ad customisers for countdowns, prices, and stock availability
- Segment audiences for remarketing and customer reactivation
- Ensure conversion tracking is accurate across all campaigns
- Allow automated bidding strategies to learn ahead of peak season
- Bid on seasonal keywords with audience overlays for efficiency
Paid Social Checklist
- Update product catalogues for Meta, TikTok and Pinterest
- Confirm tracking pixels are installed and firing correctly
- Plan awareness campaigns in October to build retargeting pools
- Switch focus to conversion and retargeting campaigns from late October
- Use urgency messaging and last order dates in November and December
- Test multiple formats: reels, carousels, dynamic product ads
- Refresh creatives frequently to avoid ad fatigue
Organic Social Checklist
- Build a seasonal social media content calendar with a mix of promotional and brand storytelling
- Schedule posts in advance across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn
- Announce delivery cut-off dates clearly and repeatedly
- Engage followers with competitions, polls, and user-generated content
- Use stories, reels and live streaming for real-time engagement
- Maintain a rapid response to DMs and comments during peak
Email Marketing Checklist
- Segment your audience: eg VIPs, lapsed customers, new subscribers
- Personalise subject lines, product recommendations, and CTAs
- Set up automation: abandoned cart, browse recovery, win-back flows
- Use countdown timers for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and shipping deadlines
- Schedule email marketing campaigns for upcoming events and national days, awareness days, and sales, such as Halloween, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas
- Communicate delivery deadlines in every festive campaign
- Test subject lines, send times and creative to maximise CTR
Advisory Areas (Managed In-house or with Third Parties)
Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO):
While Outrank does not provide CRO services, here are some valuable tips for you to consider either with us or your website provider:
- Simplifying the checkout process (reduce steps where possible)
- Adding urgency messaging (low stock, countdowns)
- Testing upsells such as gift wrapping or vouchers
- Using trust signals to encourage more purchases (reviews, delivery guarantees)
Affiliate Marketing:
If affiliate marketing is part of your strategy, ensure:
- Commission structures are reviewed and competitive
- Affiliates receive seasonal creatives and landing pages early
- Key partners are engaged well before Black Friday
Marketplaces:
If selling via Amazon, eBay or others, prepare by:
- Optimising titles, descriptions, and imagery
- Reviewing fulfilment to meet delivery promises
- Using promoted listings and marketplace advertising
- Confirming stock and international shipping readiness
Get in Touch
Your Outrank team is here to support you. Contact your Account Manager to ensure your Q4 campaigns and platforms are fully prepared.