Shopify Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is one of the biggest shopping events of the year - and for ecommerce businesses, it’s also one of the most competitive.

While there’s plenty of advice out there on what you should do to maximise sales, it’s just as important to know what to avoid. Making the wrong moves can cost you revenue, frustrate customers, and undo months of preparation.

In this blog, we’ll cover 5 key mistakes Shopify stores need to steer clear of this BFCM so you can stay ahead of the competition and make the most of the weekend.

1 - Don’t leave your Shopify BFCM prep until the last minute 

One of the biggest mistakes Shopify merchants make during Black Friday Cyber Monday is waiting until the last possible moment to get everything in place. The stores that see the most success don’t just show up on the day and hope for the best - they’ve usually been laying the groundwork weeks ahead with careful planning and consistent prep.

Take your marketing campaigns, for example. We recommend beginning to start warming up your audience 6-8 weeks ahead with teaser emails, organic social content, and Meta ad campaigns that build anticipation.

If you only start promoting your sale the week of, you’ll be fighting for attention (and higher ad costs) without giving shoppers time to get excited about your offers.

And it’s more than just preparing your marketing in advance; you’ll also want to have your discounts set up and tested early, inventory levels reviewed, and your Shopify storefront refreshed so everything runs smoothly (and quickly) on both desktop and mobile.

Even small updates - like optimising product pages or updating your Shopify mobile app visuals to reflect Black Friday sales - can make the difference between a conversion and an abandoned cart.

Leaving everything until the last minute is a recipe for stress, missed opportunities, and preventable slip-ups. Get ahead of the game, and your Shopify Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend will feel way smoother, and way more profitable.

But after working with many Shopify stores, we totally get it - prepping for a huge shopping event like BFCM can feel overwhelming, and it’s easy for some efforts to fall through the cracks.

That’s exactly why we created StoreLab’s Shopify Growth service: to help businesses like yours get ready, stay on track, and thrive. Learn more here or get in touch with us today!

2 - Don’t overload your site with confusing offers

One of the quickest ways to lose a customer is by bombarding them with too many offers, discount codes, or clashing promotions. Shoppers land on your site ready to buy, but if they’re faced with five different coupon codes, “limited-time” deals that contradict each other, or messaging that isn’t clear, they’ll either get frustrated and lose trust - and that often ends in them leaving your store altogether.

When it comes to Shopify Black Friday Cyber Monday, simplicity always pays off. Highlight just a few standout offers in your marketing campaigns, make the savings obvious, and remove any unnecessary friction in the checkout process. 

Rather than spreading discounts across dozens of products, try curating a clear BFCM sale collection, or running a single, easy-to-understand promotion like a “Buy One, Get One” offer. These types of campaigns are easier for customers to grasp at a glance, and they feel more valuable than just seeing endless price cuts. 

You can also segment your marketing campaigns to showcase products or collections that certain customers have already shown interest in. Personalised messaging like this helps shoppers feel understood and can help grow conversions without adding confusion.

Remember: clarity drives conversions. The less your customer has to think about which deal to use, the faster they can make a purchase. Keep your messaging clean, consistent, and focused, and you’ll see more completed checkouts and fewer abandoned carts.

3 - Don’t ignore mobile optimisation

73% of Shopify Black Friday Cyber Monday shoppers browse on mobile. So if you’re only focusing on your desktop site, you’re missing out on nearly three-quarters of potential customers.

Optimising your website for mobile is essential, but many stores are taking it a step further by offering a dedicated Shopify mobile app. Many of our clients use apps to give shoppers perks like free shipping, early access, or an extra 10% off - benefits that encourage purchases and loyalty.

The numbers speak for themselves: mobile apps have an 85% higher add-to-cart rate than mobile websites, and 74% of users engage with them intending to buy. Apps also reduce abandoned carts by guiding customers smoothly from basket to checkout without distractions or delays.

Then there’s the marketing advantage: push notifications. Only possible through a mobile app for your Shopify store, these messages connect shoppers directly with time-sensitive offers, flash deals, and personalised discounts like “Use code EXTRA10 for 10% off.” Personalised notifications are especially effective since 66% of shoppers expect tailored experiences during BFCM.

This is why it’s so crucial not to ignore mobile optimisation. Shoppers are moving fast, hopping between stores, and looking for quick deals - they won’t stick around if your site isn’t meeting them where they want to shop.

Providing a frictionless mobile website experience, along with an app that offers exclusive perks, ensures your store stays competitive, keeps customers happy, and captures more sales during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

Discover our guide to Shopify mobile optimisation. (LINK)

4 - Don’t neglect your existing customers

It’s easy to get caught up chasing new traffic during Black Friday, but forgetting your loyal customers can cost you; both in sales and long-term retention. 

Of course, attracting new shoppers is important, but your existing customers are already invested in your brand. They’re more likely to buy, spend more, and even refer friends & family if you give them the right incentive. Plus, acquiring a new customer can cost 5-7x more than retaining an existing one. 

A great way to reward loyalty is by offering VIP or early access to your BFCM sale. Let them browse and buy deals before everyone else - this makes customers feel valued and gives them a sense of exclusivity.

You can also offer an extra 10% off just for returning customers. Small gestures like this can turn casual buyers into repeat shoppers and help grow Shopify sales without spending extra on paid traffic.

Personalised emails, push notifications (if you have a Shopify mobile app), or targeted social campaigns are excellent ways to make sure these offers land directly in front of your loyal audience.

With so much competition in ecommerce, not just during BFCM, it’s so important not to neglect your existing customers. Prioritising them alongside new shoppers ensures they feel valued and appreciated. If they sense even the slightest feeling that they aren’t appreciated, they won’t hesitate to shop elsewhere.

5 - Don’t skip stress & speed-testing your site and checkout

The BFCM weekend typically brings huge traffic spikes, and if your website can’t keep up, what should be your biggest sales day can quickly turn into lost revenue and unhappy shoppers. 

To avoid this, run stress-tests on your Shopify store in advance. Stimulate high traffic volumes using load testing tools like K6, test your checkout process, and make sure all payment gateways are functioning properly. It’s also a good idea to test different devices and browsers to ensure everyone has a smooth experience, whether they’re on mobile, tablet, or desktop.

Speed is just as important. Slow-loading pages can frustrate shoppers and increase cart abandonment, especially during Shopify Black Friday Cyber Monday when people are racing to grab deals. In fact, 40% of shoppers will abandon a website if it takes longer than three seconds to fully load.

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to monitor load times, TinyIMG to optimise images, and Minify to streamline your store’s code to keep pages fast and responsive.

Your site might load quickly, but a clunky or confusing checkout can still drive shoppers away. So keep the checkout process short and simple by reducing unnecessary form fields, enabling guest checkout, and offering popular payment options like Shop Pay, Klarna, PayPal, and Apple Pay.

Even small changes like these can remove roadblocks and let customers check out in seconds. This is especially important during BFCM, where every extra step in the checkout process risks sending shoppers to a competitor. Having a streamlined checkout will help you secure more completed orders, as well as leaving customers with a faster, more positive shopping experience they’ll remember.

Looking to grow sales across Shopify Black Friday Cyber Monday?

BFCM is one of the biggest sales opportunities of the year - but only if your store is ready to compete. 

At StoreLab, our Shopify Growth Service is built to help businesses like yours thrive through high-performing Shopify mobile apps, targeted Meta ads, expert business coaching, creative packages, and more. We focus on sustainable growth - helping you increase revenue, boost customer loyalty, and lift your AOV well beyond the BFCM weekend.

The sooner you start, the better your results will be. Last year, we were fully booked ahead of Black Friday, as we expect the same this year - so if you want to make the most of the season, now’s the time to secure your spot. 

Learn more about why partnering with us can give you a competitive edge by getting in touch with one of our friendly team members. We’ll be happy to walk you through the next steps, map out your strategy, and put everything in place to make this your most successful BFCM yet. 

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