It's no secret that Cyber Monday and Black Friday sales are some of the year's best sales. As the official retail kickoff to the holiday season, you'll find low prices, impressive deals, and tons of sales on some of the most wanted items.
Cyber Monday is the Internet's answer to Black Friday, and the two work together to save you a ton of money on gifts for others (and even yourself). However, you need to know how to prepare for Cyber Monday deals so you don't overspend or miss out on the best deals.
If you're looking to do a lot of online shopping this holiday season, here's what you need to do to prepare for a successful Cyber Monday.
Look at Last Year's Cyber Monday Sales
Online businesses don't repeat their sales from last year, but past sales ads can help you understand what Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to expect this year. Typically, clothing, electronics, and other hot items will have great deals each year.
Looking at previous sales can give you a rough estimate of the type of discount to expect on different items. For example, if a car seat went on sale last year for 40% off, the odds are its Cyber Monday price will be close to that discount.
You can use your favorite search engines to find copies of retail stores' sales papers from last year. With this information, you can start preparing a list of what items to watch as Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach.
Keep an Eye on Your Favorite Retailers' Social Media Posts
As Cyber Monday nears, many retailers will begin posting about their upcoming deals on social media. Many retailers even use their social media platforms to post about follower-exclusive deals or flash sales that are only available for a few hours on Cyber Monday.
X (or Twitter for those millennials and older generations) is a great place to learn about limited-time deals from your favorite retail stores. It's a good idea to create notifications for relevant hashtags for items you want to purchase and create a list with your favorite store's profiles for quick access to new posts.
Facebook can be an excellent place for relevant ads for a target audience. When you follow your favorite retailers there, you'll likely begin seeing advertisements for companies that sell similar items. You may even learn about a small business that can benefit from the added traffic on Cyber Monday.
This can also be a great way to get personalized deals, as many companies want new customers. Some of these paid ads may include a free gift with purchase or offer discounts to make potential customers happy.
Get Retail Newsletters in Your Email
Email marketing campaigns are some of the best ways to discover future sales. Many online stores will begin their email marketing for Cyber Monday a week before the sale itself to build up the hype. If you've purchased from a store before, they're looking for repeat business, and their email marketing campaign is the main way they try to get it. Plus, many email marketing campaigns offer exclusive deals to subscribers.
It only takes a few seconds to sign up for newsletters. If you're considering shopping at a particular store, sign up for their newsletters. You'll likely get emails that provide store hours for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals galore. Some may even offer free shipping on your next purchase through their emails, a bonus when shopping online.
Start Early
This goes for a variety of areas. Start your shopping list early as the holiday season approaches so that you know what to look for during the sales. Starting early will let you explore many options, customer questions, and negative or positive reviews on the items, and keep an eye out for the best deal on the item.
A great example of this is any hot electronic item. If someone on your list asks for a game console this holiday season, start looking now. Some retailers offer pre-Black Friday deals, extra bonuses, or other options to prevent customers from buying elsewhere. Do your research to know the best retailer to purchase each item from.
Prepare Your Payment
There are a couple of factors that go into preparing your payments for Cyber Monday deals. First, set a budget and then stick to it. Know how much you plan on spending on each person or each gift so you aren't surprised when you add up what you've spent. Holiday shopping can easily break the bank when you don't plan ahead.
Another great way to prepare your payment is to save your credit card information on the websites you know you want to shop. It's common to experience slower site speed due to traffic spikes, and popular items can sell out fast. Having your card information ready is a good way to fight against this common struggle.
If you don't want to save your information on a website, get your Apple Pay or Google Pay ready to go. This is a safer way to have your credit cards ready each time you check out. Put your card info into your digital wallet now to ensure you're ready to go.
Compare Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals
Some stores will offer the same sales both online and in-store to their loyal customers, while other shops will have in-store-only promotions. Keep an eye out for exclusive deals on the items you want to buy, and make sure you read the fine print on when they're available. Retailers are looking to boost sales throughout the shopping holiday, so they may have special offers that are only on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
A great Cyber Monday is even better when accompanied by a successful Black Friday. Keep your eyes open for deals throughout the weekend to make sure you get the best price on what you're looking for.
Use Comrade for Extra Savings
If you're shopping on Cyber Monday, you're clearly looking to save some money. Why not save even more by using Comrade during your online shopping? Comrade gives you Attention Cash Back, which is money paid to you simply for checking out an advertisement, even if you don't make a sale.
While you're looking for deals on Best Buy, Walmart, or other websites, check out your targeted ads through Comrade. Our browser extension will offer customers relevant product recommendations while preparing for Cyber Monday deals and the rest of the holiday shopping season. Earn money simply by visiting your recommended ads and save even more than you thought possible.
Final Thoughts
Cyber Monday promotions are constantly evolving, making what was once only a day into a huge shopping holiday. Preparing for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions will help you find the best online sales. In a world where Cyber Monday shoppers are looking for the best deals, every online store is looking for customer loyalty.
Know what stores you want to shop at to see what they're offering existing customers and new customers this holiday season. Through email marketing campaigns, sales ads, and sponsored search results through search engine optimization, you'll have plenty of sales to choose from. Don't get overwhelmed by the great deals. Prepare early, shop around, and stick to your plan for a successful Cyber Monday.