Cyber Week 2024 preparation: Key insights and best practices for retail success

Cyber Week 2024 preparation: Key insights and best practices for retail success

The holiday season is upon us, and there’s no bigger event in the retail and overall consumer engagement world than Cyber Week, which includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With the pressure to maximize sales during this time, it's vital that businesses prepare  to deliver high-quality, personalized customer experiences. Recently, we hosted a 2024 Cyber Week preparation webinar featuring experts from Twilio, Shopify, and Klaviyo to discuss best practices for succeeding during this peak shopping period.

Being able to talk with some of our best-in-class engagement customers about Cyber Week was a treat, which is why we summarized some of the key insights, digital engagement tips, and strategic investments that we uncovered during this webinar. To dive deeper, make sure to watch the full webinar and get all the actionable details straight from the experts.

Key trends and insights from Cyber Week 2023

During the webinar, the panelists emphasized the sheer scale of communication that happens during Cyber Week, showcasing how leading platforms like Twilio, Shopify, and Klaviyo support massive volumes of interactions. Last year, Twilio alone handled 68 billion emails and messages, while Klaviyo's users sent over 11.6 million messages per minute during peak times, generating nearly $60 million of Klaviyo-attributed value per hour.

Shopify, which powers over 10% of total US ecommerce, saw 61 million consumers globally purchase from Shopify-powered brands during Cyber Week 2023. These impressive numbers underscore the importance of robust communication strategies during this time.

Cyber Week best practices for success

Given the scale of volumes sent during Cyber Week, preparation is the key to success. Here are some best practices to consider:

1. Start preparing early

Cyber Week success hinges on year-round preparation. As Kiersti Esparza from Klaviyo put it, "Preparation for the next Cyber Week will begin the day after this one ends." To make sure you’re ready, start planning your strategies, campaigns, and operational processes as early as possible.

2. Ensure deliverability

Deliverability is crucial for Cyber Week. High message volumes make deliverability issues even riskier, with the potential to get on spam block lists or have messages throttled. Ensure you’re only sending to engaged customers who have given explicit consent to receive your communications. Chris Borgia from Shopify highlighted the importance of maintaining list hygiene and validating lists using tools like SendGrid's email validation API.

3. Segment audiences

Personalization is key to driving success. Last Cyber Week, nearly 47% of purchases made by Klaviyo customers came from repeat buyers. Leveraging segmentation and targeting based on customer behavior—such as order frequency, average spend, or engagement metrics—can help boost repeat purchases and strengthen customer loyalty. Targeting the right audience with tailored messages across preferred channels ensures your campaigns are relevant and engaging.

4. Maintain compliance and monitor metrics

Compliance requirements have evolved, and best practices are now necessary standards. To avoid block lists and penalties, keep your complaint rates below 0.1%, and for messaging (e.g., SMS), always obtain documented consent. Shopify emphasized using metrics like delivery rate, open rate, and conversion rates to gauge performance. The key is not just the volume of messages sent, but how effective those messages are in driving action.

Overcoming challenges: Stability, deliverability, and customer expectations

The webinar also covered common challenges during Cyber Week, such as platform stability, deliverability issues, and the heightened expectations from consumers. Both Klaviyo and Shopify stressed the importance of "observability," or constant monitoring of systems and communication metrics to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Chris Borgia from Shopify noted that while Cyber Week deliverability concerns are similar to any other time of year, the stakes are much higher. With more at risk, there is less room for error. Therefore, businesses need to consistently monitor performance metrics like inbox placement and complaint rates to mitigate issues before they escalate.

The importance of multi-channel strategies

Another major point discussed was the power of using multi-channel communication strategies. At least 75% of consumers are open to receiving texts from brands they care about, and 91% of consumers expect brands to communicate using their preferred channels. This highlights a significant opportunity for retailers to boost satisfaction, increase brand loyalty, and ultimately drive more conversions by using channels such as email, SMS, and push notifications in an integrated manner.

Top recommendations for Cyber Week success

• Focus on quality over quantity: As tempting as it is to increase message volume during Cyber Week, the panelists reiterated that success lies in how effective your communication is—not just how much of it you send. Less can often be more if messages are personalized and relevant.

• Monitor engagement: Keep an eye on engagement metrics, like click-through rates, open rates, and conversion rates. These metrics indicate whether your messages are reaching and resonating with your audience.

• Compliance is non-negotiable: Following compliance regulations is critical regardless of the communication channel you are using. Make sure you have documented consent and are abiding by the relevant federal, regional, or provider’s compliance requirements.  

Prepare now for success during Cyber Week

Cyber Week is an unparalleled opportunity for retailers to maximize their revenue, but it requires detailed planning, preparation, and flawless execution. With rising consumer expectations and expanding communication channels, adopting best practices around deliverability, targeting, compliance, and customer engagement is more important than ever. 

To get the complete picture and prepare your business for success, don’t miss out on watching the full webinar recording. You’ll gain even more insights on how leading brands are preparing for Cyber Week and learn actionable strategies to help you crush your revenue goals.

Watch the full webinar and start planning for your most successful Cyber Week yet!