Black Friday is the Superbowl of ecommerce. It’s the biggest shopping event where online sales skyrocket each year. For print-on-demand and digital products sellers, Black Friday presents a golden opportunity to boost revenue and attract new customers. The key is preparation.
This ultimate checklist will guide you through every step, from planning your product designs to prepping your marketing, so you can crush your Black Friday goals. Whether you run a print-on-demand shop or sell digital products, these tips will help you maximize sales (without losing your sanity) during the holiday rush.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Start Planning Early and Strategically
Don’t wait until November
Begin your Black Friday preparations weeks or even months in advance. Shoppers are hunting for deals earlier every year. In fact, online sales in the two weeks leading up to Black Friday grew by 45% in 2024 compared to the prior year.
Create a detailed timeline for your Black Friday campaign. Mark down key dates for designing new products, updating listings, and launching promotions. Planning ahead ensures you can launch deals early and capture those eager early-bird shoppers.
Leverage data from last year’s sales
Identify your best-selling products and trending niches using sales reports or analytics. Double down on these winners for Black Friday. If you use MyDesigns analytics dashboard you can quickly see which designs or listings have performed best over time.. Let past data guide what to promote and how much inventory to prepare. For new sellers without past data, research broader trends. For example, personalized gifts and holiday-themed items are consistently popular during Q4.
Coordinate with your suppliers or fulfillment partners
If you rely on a print-on-demand fulfillment service, reach out early to confirm they can handle the volume. Ask about any holiday order deadlines or shipping cutoff dates so you can communicate them to customers. This is especially important for ensuring delivery by Christmas. By planning logistics now, you’ll avoid unpleasant surprises later.
The bottom line: start early. You’ll thank yourself when the Black Friday chaos hits.
Polish Your Product Catalog and Designs
Black Friday is the perfect time to put your best products forward. Go through your catalog and make sure your offerings are optimized for the holiday rush. Retire any slow sellers or outdated designs that clutter your shop. Focus on products with proven appeal, and freshen up your lineup with new, exciting designs to catch shoppers’ attention.
Create new holiday-ready designs
Shoppers love seasonal and gift-worthy products during Black Friday. Consider designing products with festive themes (think winter, Christmas, New Year) or trending niches in your market.
If creativity is a bottleneck, leverage AI tools like MyDesigns Dream AI to generate unique artwork from simple prompts. You can quickly produce variations of a design or test new ideas in bulk, saving tons of time. For a deeper dive, check out our guide on AI image generation models to spark your creativity.
Once you have new graphics, use the Canvas editor to refine and customize them. This drag-and-drop design tool lets you add text, tweak colors, and create print files or templates easily.
By building up a library of fresh designs now, you’ll have plenty of eye-catching products to offer when Black Friday arrives.
Offer something exclusive
Give shoppers a reason to choose your store by providing products they can’t get elsewhere. Perhaps it’s a limited-edition print or a Black Friday exclusive design only available that weekend. Scarcity and exclusivity drive urgency to buy.
You can also create special edition bundles to add value and attract larger purchases. For example, offer a “Holiday Gift Bundle” that groups together complementary products at a discounted price. If you sell digital goods, design curated packs, such as a set of digital art prints or SVG files, at an exclusive Black Friday rate.
Check out this guide on how to sell digital product bundles on Etsy using MyDesigns and AI.
Prepare for personalization
Personalized products like T-shirts, mugs, or wall art featuring a customer’s name are in high demand during the holiday season.
To prepare, set up editable template files in MyDesigns Canvas and create sample listings that clearly showcase personalization options. With the Product Personalization features, you can save designs with text placeholders and update each order with customer details in seconds.
Having this workflow ready ensures you can deliver custom orders quickly and efficiently. Shoppers love unique, one-of-a-kind gifts, so highlight personalization in your listings. Consider waiving any extra fees during Black Friday to make the offer even more enticing.
Optimize Your Listings for Search and Conversion
With droves of shoppers flooding online marketplaces on Black Friday, visibility is everything. Take time to polish your product listings so they rank well in search results and convert browsers into buyers.
Optimize titles, tags and descriptions
Start with your titles, tags, and descriptions. These should be rich in relevant keywords that holiday shoppers might use. For example, include phrases like “gift for him”, “Christmas shirt”, or “Black Friday deal” if appropriate for your product.
Make use of AI-powered assistants that can suggest high-ranking keywords and craft compelling copy, saving you the hassle of writing each listing from scratch. At MyDesigns, Vision AI and Phraser AI help generate SEO-friendly titles and descriptions in bulk.
For more tips on boosting your shop’s search ranking, see our post on improving your Etsy shop SEO.
Create high-quality mockups
Next, ensure your product photos and mockups are top-notch. Shoppers make split-second decisions based on visuals, so your images need to shine. Use clear, high-resolution images that show the product in use or styled in a gift setting.
If you have access to a mockup generator, create lifestyle mockups that resonate with your target audience – for example, a model wearing your printed hoodie by a cozy fireplace, or your art print framed on a wall. These details help customers imagine the product as a gift or part of their life.
For more ideas, see our guide on how to create custom PSD mockups for MyDesigns.
Also, adding extra images to show close-ups or different angles can significantly improve conversion rates.
Fine-tune for conversion
Black Friday shoppers are often in a hurry, so make it easy for them to buy from you. Keep your descriptions concise and focused on benefits (“super soft fabric”, “instant download”, “limited time sale”). Use bullet points to list key features.
Clearly state any discounts or deals in the first line of your description (and even on an image if possible) – for example, “🖤 Black Friday Sale: 30% off today only! 🖤”. Showing the original price vs. sale price prominently can create a sense of value.
Additionally, double-check that your listings have accurate information on shipping times, sizing, or file formats (for digital products). Many holiday customers scan for these details to ensure gifts will arrive on time.
By providing clear, thorough info and appealing visuals, you’ll convert more clicks into sales.
Explore our top conversion rate optimization strategies for e-commerce to boost conversion and implement the ones that fit your shop.
Plan Irresistible Black Friday Deals
Competition is fierce on Black Friday. Buyers are hunting for the best deals. Crafting compelling offers is crucial to draw shoppers to your print-on-demand store.
Here are some proven Black Friday promotion ideas to consider:
- Generous Discounts: The simplest approach is a straight discount (e.g. 20–30% off everything). Make it a significant cut that feels special for Black Friday. If margins are tight, apply the discount to select high-margin items or bundles.
- Free Shipping: High shipping costs are cart killers. Offering free shipping (even if just on Black Friday weekend) can dramatically increase conversion – nearly half of shoppers are influenced by free shipping offers. You can set a minimum order amount if needed (e.g. “Free shipping on orders over $50”) to protect your profits.
- BOGO or Bulk Deals: Encourage larger orders with a Buy One, Get One deal or tiered pricing (e.g. “Buy 2, get 1 free” or “Save 30% when you buy 3 or more”). This not only boosts sales volume but also helps move more inventory.
- Exclusive Products: As mentioned earlier, launch a Black Friday exclusive item or bundle. For instance, create a limited-run design available only during the BFCM weekend. Collectors and fans will feel urgency to grab it before it’s gone.
- Gift-With-Purchase: Everyone loves a bonus. Offer a small freebie when customers spend above a certain amount. It could be a free digital download, a sticker, or an accessory that complements your product. For example, “Free holiday SVG pack when you purchase 2 or more shirts.”
- Flash Sales & Doorbusters: Consider timing some deals to create excitement. Maybe for just the first hour of Black Friday, you offer an extra 10% off, or you have a “Midnight Madness” sale Thanksgiving night. Flash deals can drive shoppers to act fast.
Plan out these offers in advance and prepare the necessary coupon codes or sale settings in each platform. If you sell on multiple channels (Etsy, Shopify, Amazon, etc.), ensure your deals are consistent (and active) across all of them.
MyDesigns Bulk Publish and Shops & Integrations features let you update listings and prices in one go, so you can roll out your Black Friday discounts to all storefronts without manually editing each listing.
Whichever promotions you choose, hype them up in your marketing (more on that next) so customers know about your amazing deals.
Ramp Up Your Marketing and Promotions
Even the best deals won’t matter if no one knows about them. Black Friday success comes from getting the word out far and wide. In the weeks leading up to the big day, execute a multi-channel marketing plan to build anticipation and drive traffic to your shop.
Start with your email list
Email marketing consistently delivers strong results for Black Friday, and our guide on email marketing for digital products covers the basics if you’re just getting started.
Send an initial announcement to let your subscribers know you’ll be having a sale—tease some deals or new products coming. As Black Friday approaches, send reminder emails such as a “sneak peek” of upcoming discounts, a countdown (“24 hours until our biggest sale of the year!”), and of course the launch email when your sale goes live.
Make your subject lines catchy and highlight urgency or big savings. Also, consider segmenting your list and offering VIP subscribers early access to the sale as a perk.
Create Black Friday content on social media
Hit social media hard as well. Share engaging posts about your Black Friday sale on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and wherever your audience hangs out. Use eye-catching graphics (you can repurpose those product images or create promo banners in Canvas) and relevant hashtags (#BlackFriday, #BFCM, #BlackFridaySale, etc.).
You could also create short video teasers or use Instagram Stories/Reels to showcase products that will be on sale. Encourage your followers to share or tag friends (maybe incentivize this with a small giveaway or contest leading up to Black Friday).
Additionally, If you’re on TikTok, now’s the time to leverage it. TikTok is quickly becoming a powerful shopping platform, driving hundreds of millions in U.S. sales on Black Friday 2024.
If you’re looking for inspiration, our guide on how to go viral on TikTok breaks down actionable strategies to grow your reach through short-form video content.
Use paid advertising
Don’t forget paid advertising if it’s within your budget. Even a modest ad campaign on Facebook or Instagram targeted to your niche can bring a surge of traffic during BFCM. Many ad platforms let you run time-sensitive ads that emphasize urgency and limited-time sales. On Etsy or Amazon, you can also use their internal promoted listings to make sure your products surface for relevant searches.
The key to marketing is being everywhere your customers are. Omnichannel communication is crucial, with over 71% of consumers wanting brands to engage them across multiple channels such as email, social media, and SMS. Consider adding text alerts for your sale or posting in relevant forums and communities to expand your reach.
The more touchpoints, the better your chances of catching shoppers’ attention. Just be sure to keep your messaging consistent and on-brand across all channels. By blanketing the digital world with your Black Friday promotions, you’ll drive a wave of eager buyers straight to your listings.
Optimize for Mobile Shoppers
Mobile commerce is king during Black Friday. Most shoppers will be browsing and buying on their phones, so your store needs to deliver a seamless mobile experience.
Before the big day, test everything on a smartphone: your website’s loading speed, navigation, product pages, and checkout process.
Ensure your site is mobile-friendly
If you have your own website (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.), use a responsive theme and optimize images so pages load fast on cellular networks. Check that text is readable without pinching to zoom and buttons are easy to tap. Simplify menus and reduce any pop-ups that could frustrate mobile users. It can help to think “mobile-first”. Design your Black Friday landing page or banner with a vertical phone screen in mind.
If you’re selling via marketplaces like Etsy, fortunately their infrastructure is mobile-optimized, but you still control your listing content. So, format descriptions in short paragraphs or bullet points (to avoid endless scrolling) and put the most important info at the top.
Streamline the checkout
The more steps it takes to buy, the more likely a mobile shopper will abandon their cart. Enable express payment options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, or Shop Pay. These allow customers to check out with a few taps, using saved info.
Offering “buy now, pay later” options can also give sales a lift. Reports show that nearly 80% of BNPL purchases on Black Friday were made via mobile devices, highlighting how much shoppers value flexible payments. If possible, integrate a BNPL service or, at minimum, ensure your credit card forms work smoothly on smartphones.
Finally, test your checkout by doing a trial purchase from your own phone. Look for hiccups like clunky required fields or formatting errors in the mobile view. Every extra second or unnecessary click increases the risk of cart abandonment. By making the mobile purchase process fast and frictionless, you’ll capture more impulse buys from the on-the-go Black Friday crowd.
Get Your Operations and Fulfillment Ready
A spike in orders is great if you’re prepared to fulfill them. Avoid chaos by readying your operations ahead of Black Friday.
Begin with your inventory or production pipeline. If you keep physical stock (like blank T-shirts for printing), make sure you have plenty of the popular sizes/colors on hand. Stock up on packaging materials (boxes, mailers, labels) so you’re not scrambling when 100 orders roll in.
For purely print-on-demand or dropship setups, coordinate with your supplier on expected volumes. Sometimes POD companies have longer production times during the holiday rush; knowing this, you might adjust your processing times on listings to set proper expectations.
Centralize your order management
When sales are flying, you’ll save a ton of time if all orders funnel into one dashboard. MyDesigns helps by aggregating orders from multiple marketplaces into a single Order Management interface. You can view, sort, and process orders in bulk, instead of juggling Etsy, Shopify, and Amazon separately.
Take advantage of such tools to streamline your workflow. Use features like automated order routing or integrations with fulfillment services if available. The goal is to minimize manual steps so you can keep up with the volume.
Create a quick fulfillment process
If you offer personalized products, prepare for a quick fulfillment process. For example, if selling custom text prints, have your templates ready and consider creating a few default designs you can tweak. MyDesigns Canvas allows you to open a saved design template and edit the name/phrase for each order, then generate a print-ready file on the spot. Practice this process so you can fulfill custom orders quickly and accurately during the rush.
Also, set up some automation where possible, e.g. automatically send order confirmation emails and shipping notifications to keep customers informed (most ecommerce platforms do this, but double-check your settings).
Lastly, double-check your shipping settings and rates. If you promise free shipping or expedited options during Black Friday, make sure they are correctly configured for all products.
Print shipping labels in batches whenever possible to save time. It also helps to process orders in waves. For example, plan to dispatch all orders placed by Friday noon on the same day.
The faster you ship, the happier your holiday customers will be, which means better reviews and potentially repeat business for Christmas. Being operationally prepared ensures that once the orders flood in, you can focus on quality and speed rather than putting out fires.
Deliver Top-Notch Customer Service
Amid the Black Friday frenzy, don’t overlook customer experience. Quick, friendly support can make or break your reputation and build long-term loyalty.
Set clear expectations upfront. Update your FAQ or shipping policy to reflect holiday changes, and clearly post last order dates for Christmas delivery. Also, make your return and exchange policy easy to find.Consider extending returns for gift buyers.
During the sale, respond to messages quickly. Even a short, confident reply can secure a purchase. If possible, monitor email and shop messages closely or use live chat and chatbots to cover common questions at all hours.
Reward loyal customers as well. Offer repeat buyers early access or a special discount, and follow up with thank-you notes after the sale. Small gestures turn one-time shoppers into repeat fans, leading to positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals.
Monitor Performance and Adapt in Real Time
Amid the Black Friday frenzy, don’t overlook customer experience. Quick, friendly support can make or break your reputation and build long-term loyalty.
Set clear expectations
Update your FAQ or shipping policy to reflect holiday changes, and clearly post last order dates for Christmas delivery. Also, make your return and exchange policy easy to find. Consider offering extended holiday returns if you can, since many buyers are shopping for gifts. Being upfront about policies prevents misunderstandings and keeps customers happy, a best practice for POD sellers preparing for BFCM.
Respond quickly
During the sale, respond to messages quickly. Even a short, confident reply can secure a purchase. If possible, monitor email and shop messages closely or use live chat and chatbots to cover common questions at all hours. Holiday shoppers often browse at odd times, so automated support can ensure they aren’t left waiting.
Reward loyal customers
Offer repeat buyers early access or a special discount, and follow up with thank-you notes after the sale. Small gestures can turn one-time shoppers into repeat fans, leading to positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals.
Stay on top of the action
Once your Black Friday sale is live, stay on top of the action. Treat it like a mission control scenario – keep an eye on what’s selling, how your site is performing, and any hiccups that arise. By monitoring closely, you can make quick adjustments to maximize your results.
Monitor your sales analytics
Identify which products are flying off the virtual shelves and which are lagging. If one design is hugely popular, you might promote it harder (for example, feature it at the top of your site or send a quick social post: “Wow, our XYZ T-shirt is almost sold out!”).
If an item isn’t selling at all, consider if there’s an issue – is the price not competitive? Is the thumbnail unattractive? You could swap in a different product to feature if something clearly isn’t resonating.
Track your traffic sources
If you notice a lot of visitors coming from a particular channel (say, TikTok or an email campaign), lean into that. Perhaps boost the TikTok post or resend an email to those who haven’t opened yet.
Keep an eye on inventory (or print capacity)
For POD sellers, “inventory” means ensuring your print provider isn’t overwhelmed. Check any notifications from your supplier. For instance, if certain products go out of stock or if production times increase, be ready to temporarily pause those listings or extend processing times to avoid overselling. It’s better to slightly slow down sales on an item (by increasing its price or pausing ads) than to sell what you can’t fulfill on time.
Be prepared with contingency plans
If your website were to go down due to high traffic (a good problem, but still a problem), have the contact info of your web host or developer handy for rapid support. If your payment gateway has an issue, ensure you have an alternative or at least a way to alert customers. For example, “We’re experiencing high demand. If you have trouble checking out, please try again in a few minutes”.
Rapid responses to any issues are critical during Black Friday’s limited window. By staying agile and attentive, you can squeeze the most out of the day and turn potential crises into opportunities to shine.
Follow Up and Carry the Momentum Forward
Surviving Black Friday is just the beginning – what you do after the big day can amplify your success.
First, take a deep breath and congratulate yourself on the sales you made! Then, dive into the post-sale tasks that will set you up for continued growth through the holiday season and beyond.
Swift fulfillment and gratitude
Make sure all Black Friday orders are processed and shipped as promised. If you’re able, ship ahead of schedule to delight customers. Include a thank you note in packages (or a thank-you email for digital deliveries) expressing your appreciation.
Happy customers are more likely to leave positive reviews, which can boost your credibility for future shoppers. You might even add a small coupon code in the package for a future purchase (e.g. “Here’s 15% off your next order as our thanks – valid in January!”) to encourage repeat business after the holidays.
Analyze and learn
Once the dust settles, review your results in detail. Identify top-selling products, the most effective marketing channels, and any operational bottlenecks. Take notes on what worked and what didn’t. This insight is gold for your next promotion. Maybe bundles outsold single items, or a last-minute TikTok drove a surge of sales. Use these lessons to refine your strategy.
If you need help analyzing the numbers, MyDesigns’ analytics can visualize sales across platforms and highlight trends.
Retarget and re-engage
Don’t let the relationship with new customers end at the sale. Add all the new customer emails you collected to your mailing list (if they opted in). Send a follow-up email a week or two after Black Friday – not just thanking them, but perhaps showcasing related products or suggesting they subscribe for future updates.
Many Black Friday shoppers will also be shopping in December, so this is a chance to convert them again for Christmas. Likewise, use Facebook Pixel or other retargeting tools to show ads to those who visited your site or added to cart but didn’t buy – perhaps a gentle reminder or a small “last chance” discount can win them over.
Turning one-time seasonal shoppers into repeat customers is how you truly grow your business long-term.
Carry the momentum into the rest of the holiday season
Cyber Monday is right on Black Friday’s heels, and the weeks before Christmas can still bring substantial sales. Apply what you learned and keep your store active and optimized. Maybe launch a smaller campaign for last-minute gift shoppers or promote digital products as instant gifts.
The energy and new traffic from Black Friday can fuel your shop’s success for weeks if you nurture it. In short, treat Black Friday not as a one-off event, but as the kickoff to an extended holiday sales period.
Conclusion
Black Friday can be both exhilarating and overwhelming for print-on-demand sellers. By following this ultimate checklist, you’ll set yourself up for a successful, stress-managed sale day.
We covered everything from early planning and design creation to marketing blitzes and customer service. The common thread is preparation and smart use of tools to save time.
Platforms like MyDesigns are built for this kind of scale and speed, letting you design, list, and fulfill in bulk so you can focus on strategy and creativity. When you streamline the busywork, you can truly capitalize on the biggest ecommerce day of the year.
Now it’s time to put this plan into action!
Start checking off those prep steps and get your shop in tip-top shape for the holiday rush. With the right prep, Black Friday can be your most profitable day – and a springboard to even better sales afterward.
If you haven’t already, consider signing up for MyDesigns to supercharge your print-on-demand business with AI and automation. Here’s to breaking sales records this Black Friday and beyond.
Good luck, and happy selling!
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