You tried to get a head start on Black Friday, but somehow—between running your business, managing customers, and juggling a million other things—it’s October and you haven’t started preparing. Don’t worry! Even at the last minute, there are a handful of essential steps you can take to get your site and promotions ready, so you’re set up to drive sales and make a real impact on the big day. Let’s dive into those last-minute Black Friday tips—no big budget or big team required.

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1. Prioritize Your Website Essentials

Given that you don’t have a ton of time to prepare for Black Friday, the focus shouldn’t be on making your site fancy, but rather on making sure it works, and works well. Because at this stage, your priority is stability: your site loads quickly, runs smoothly, and can handle sales without hiccups. Here’s what to prioritize before the rush begins.

Cover Your Bases

If you do literally nothing else, take care of these two steps first. Without them, the rest of your Black Friday prep is at risk, never mind all of your potential sales.

1. Back up your site. If something goes wrong, you’ll want the safety net of rolling back quickly. Some hosts, like SiteGround Web Hosting, even handle daily website backups automatically, so you’re always protected without extra effort.
2. Test your checkout flow. Walk through the process yourself—add a product to the cart, apply a discount code, and complete a payment—on both desktop and mobile. If anything feels slow or confusing, customers will notice too.

Ensure Security

On Black Friday, more eyes will be on your site than at any other time of year—which also means more risk. A single security warning can send deal-hungry shoppers running, and even a small vulnerability could cost you a mountain of sales. That’s why having a super secure website should be a top priority even if you’re planning last minute.

Nip these security concerns in the bud straight away by double checking that your SSL certificate is active. And if you’re using WordPress, consider adding the free-to-use SiteGround Security Optimizer plugin that can address a slew of these security concerns with just a click. 

Speed Things Up

On Black Friday, patience is nonexistent. Shoppers are comparing deals in multiple tabs, and if your site takes even a second too long to load, you’ll lose them—and the sale—to a faster competitor. That’s why optimizing your site speed right now is one of the smartest, most profitable moves you can make.

So if your page loading feels sluggish, it’s time to speed up your website by compressing images, minifying code, and removing unnecessary elements. And if you’re using WordPress, there’s a perfect last-minute solution for this: SiteGround’s Speed Optimizer plugin. It can handle many of these speed-improvement tasks automatically, helping your site perform at its best with very minimal effort.

Don’t Overthink SEO

At this stage, there’s no time for a full SEO overhaul—but you can still make it easier for shoppers to find your Black Friday deals. Focus on quick, high-impact actions that drive immediate results:

• Highlight your deals clearly: Make discounts visible on your homepage, product pages, and banners.
• Use simple, searchable phrases: Include “[Your Brand] Black Friday” or “Black Friday deals” in headings, links, and calls to action.
• Create a single promo area: If possible, have one easy-to-find section or page for all Black Friday offers.
• Double-check links and codes: Ensure discount codes work and buttons lead to the correct pages.

Avoid Big Changes

Lastly, when the clock is really ticking, it’s just not the time for flashy design experiments. Forget auto-playing videos, complex pop-ups, or unnecessary widgets that slow things down. Stick to a streamlined, reliable, easy-to-navigate layout that helps customers find what they want and complete purchases without frustration.

2. Create Quick & High-Impact Promotions

Last-minute thankfully doesn’t mean low impact. So, to start, that means not defaulting to a lackluster “20% off everything” banner on your homepage. In fact, a tight timeline can actually work to your advantage, encouraging creativity and scrappiness—which, as a small business, you know is the name of the game. Let’s unpack what these quick and high-impact Black Friday ideas can look like.

Repurpose What Worked Before

First of all, if you’ve run Black Friday campaigns in the past, don’t feel pressured to reinvent the wheel. Most customers won’t remember last year’s promotions, so bringing back what worked well is a smart, time-saving move. Reuse proven offers, email templates, or even ad copy—you’ll save precious time and energy while still delivering results.

Build Bundles & Themed Sets

But if you need fresh ideas, consider pairing products that naturally go together to create themed packages. It could be a “Winter Survival Kit,” a “Self-Care Sunday Bundle,” or a “For the One Who Has Everything” set. The beauty here is that you don’t need new inventory or new anything; you can just reframe existing products in a way that feels fresh. Add a small discount or, if you’ve got the bandwidth and budget, you can even include a bonus item to make the bundle feel special and more giftable.

Flash Sales

Rather than offering a single Black Friday deal that lasts the whole day, week or weekend, create an even greater sense of urgency with Black Friday campaigns that last only a few hours. The limited-time aspect of these flash sales triggers FOMO (fear of missing out; you know the feeling), encouraging customers to act fast rather than wait. To get the full bang for your buck, be sure to promote these flash sales across your website, email list, social media, and even social media ads.

Daily or Countdown Deals

Even if you’ve exactly done zero planning, you can still set up last-minute scheduling of Black Friday deals to rotate throughout the weekend or into Cyber Monday. Highlight a few key products each day to give loyal customers a reason to return. This also helps give you something fresh to talk about, allowing you to bring in more sales each time you make you’ve got something new to announce.

Tiered Discounts

Encourage those larger last-minute orders with tiered discounts. For example: “10% off orders over $50, 20% off over $100.” This not only ups sales but also increases average order value, making every purchase more profitable. But be strategic about it: make sure your tier amounts sit just above your most popular product values—that way those customers that only planned on buying your most popular product, will be incentivized to buy just a bit more.

Free Gifts With Purchase

It’s the holidays, so who doesn’t love a little extra gift? A small bonus item can go a long way in converting hesitant shoppers. It doesn’t need to be expensive; just something that feels like a thoughtful (and ideally relevant) addition. Free gifts increase the perceived value of your offer, make your promotions more memorable, and give gift buyers the satisfaction of adding a little extra without spending more.

3. Go for Fast Marketing Wins

Even with limited time, smart marketing can amplify your Black Friday promotions and get customers to act. And the good news here for small businesses is that you really don’t need a massive budget and campaign. Instead, focus on high-impact, quick-to-execute strategies that drive results. Let’s take a look at what these fast Black Friday marketing wins can include.

Embrace Email Marketing

If you already have an email list, now’s the time to put it to work—there’s no time to start building one from zero. Even a quick, focused email campaign can drive significant Black Friday sales with minimal effort and cost. Here’s how to make it effective fast:

• Segment Your Audience (If You Can): Use any existing segments to tailor your Black Friday emails—loyal customers, repeat buyers, or those who’ve interacted with past Black Friday promotions. Even small touches, like personalized subject lines or highlighting relevant product categories, can boost opens and clicks.
• Keep It Simple: Focus on one clear, strong offer per email. Use straightforward headlines and bold calls to action like “Shop Now,” “Unlock this Black Friday Deal,” or “Ends Tonight.”
• Time Your Sends Strategically: When it comes to the best time to send Black Friday emails, think about when your audience is most likely to check their inbox. Don’t hesitate to send a couple of targeted emails over the weekend—each highlighting a slightly different offer or reminding them of expiring deals.
• Create Urgency: Simple urgency cues work better than anything fancy. Phrases like “Only a few hours left” or “Flash sale ends tonight!” can nudge customers to act immediately.
• Test Before Sending: Double-check that every link, button, and CTA works correctly—broken links or confusing checkout buttons can cost sales.
• Tools to Make It Easy: Platforms like SiteGround Email Marketing make last-minute campaigns stress-free. With pre-designed templates, built-in segmentation, AI-powered copy help, and real-time analytics, you can launch polished campaigns fast without extra tech headaches.

Boost Social Media Ads & Retargeting Ads

Paid ads can feel like a whole new frontier if you haven’t done them before, but the reality is that they don’t require weeks of preparation. Small budgets and targeted marketing strategies can still make a big difference, and really don’t require much time. Here are a few tricks to have in your back pocket in order to make last-minute promotions easy to execute: 

• Promote high-performing content: When it comes to social media marketing, find posts with strong engagement and repurpose them as ads with a clear Black Friday call to action.
• Target warm audiences: Focus on followers, website visitors, or email subscribers rather than starting from scratch with cold audiences.
• Retarget visitors: If you have tracking in place (like a Facebook Pixel), remind customers who have browsed but not purchased with timely ads.
• Keep creative simple: A banner or badge that says “Black Friday Deal” on an existing image is often enough.

Repurpose Across Channels

No need to create entirely unique content across all marketing channels. Also no need to let any of your marketing efforts go to waste. So with that in mind, repurpose what you’re working on for one channel across all your channels. Not only does the consistency really drive home your message, but it makes last-minute content creation a whole lot easier. Keep in mind the following when repurposing content across channels:

• Use the same headline, offer, and visuals across your website, social media, and email.
• Adapt formats to each channel (Instagram stories, posts, email banners) but keep the core message the same.
• The more places customers see your deal, the higher the likelihood they’ll act.

4. Lean into Small Business Saturday

Small businesses thankfully have their own special day to shine: Small Business Saturday! It falls the day after Black Friday and is your opportunity to really hit home with the small business message. Here’s how to make a last-minute impact on Small Business Saturday: 

• Promote Your Story: Shoppers love supporting businesses they feel connected to. Use this day to give them that story they can connect to, whether that’s via your brand background, your mission, or behind-the-scenes content. Calling out what sets your products or services apart can make customers feel good about buying from you—plus it can also plant the seed for long-term business.
• Offer Exclusive Deals: Consider running Small Business Saturday-only promotions. Even small discounts, bundles, or freebies can motivate purchases and make shoppers feel like they’re part of something special. 
• Engage Locally: If you have a physical location, make it an event. Encourage in-store visits with limited-time offers, samples, or demonstrations. For online-only businesses, you can highlight local pride or showcase how your products support your community.
• Tie Into Black Friday Momentum: Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to capture shoppers who might have missed your Black Friday deals. Remind them of popular products, rotate deals, or highlight new bundles (like, say, a “Small Business Bundle!”) to keep your sales momentum going. 

5. Plan Efficiently

When time is tight, it’s tempting to just dive in and hope for the best. It’s that old “throw spaghetti at the wall” strategy. But even a simple, streamlined plan can save stress, keep you and your team focused, and make your Black Friday efforts more effective both now and in the future.

• Start with Your Core Offer and Message: Identify your best deals and key messages first. What’s the main promotion you want to highlight? When does it start and end? Keeping this front and center ensures that all your marketing—website banners, social posts, emails—stays consistent.
• Map Out Your Touchpoints: Decide where and when you’ll share your promotions: email, social media, paid ads, website updates, or even SMS. A quick customer journey map and bullet-point schedule is enough to keep everything organized. 
• Leverage Tools and AI: Scheduling and automation tools can save hours. Use email automation to schedule newsletters, social media managers to queue posts, and even AI tools to draft copy or graphics quickly. The goal is to free up time for engagement and last-minute tweaks rather than creating everything from scratch.

• Keep It Simple: Don’t overcomplicate. Focus on the channels and promotions that will have the biggest impact. A lean, clear plan beats a sprawling, half-executed campaign any day.
• Centralize Your Plan: Keep all details in one place—Google Docs, spreadsheets, or even a notebook. Tracking offers, post timing, and creative assets in a single location prevents duplication and ensures you know what’s happening across channels.

Get Your Free Black Friday Checklist

Make this year's largest sales event a smashing success for your website with our Ultimate Black Friday Prep Checklist.

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6. Monitor, Adjust, and Learn

Even at the last minute, tracking results and making quick adjustments can make a big difference in your Black Friday success. You don’t need complex metrics, but rather just focus on the digital marketing metrics that matter most.

• Use the Tools You Already Have: Platforms like Google Analytics, your email marketing dashboard, and social media insights provide valuable real-time information. Check where traffic is coming from, which products are performing best, and which messages are driving engagement.
• Double Down on What’s Working: If a particular email subject line, social post, or product bundle is performing well, lean into it. Promote it more heavily, rotate similar deals, or boost it with a small ad spend. Quick reactions can amplify your results.
• Track Conversions, Not Just Clicks: Likes and opens are nice, but sales are the ultimate goal. Focus on which offers and channels are actually converting visitors into valuable customers. This helps you make smarter decisions for the remainder of the weekend.
• Adjust in Real Time: If something isn’t performing, don’t be afraid to tweak it. Change copy, highlight different products, or adjust messaging urgency. Flexibility allows you to optimize performance even with limited prep time.

7. Think Ahead

Black Friday may be over, but your relationship with customers doesn’t—and shouldn’t!—end there. Even though you might be short on time, you can still use this once-a-year opportunity to strengthen loyalty and create long-lasting growth. 

• Grow Your Email List: Whether you already have an email list or are just starting one, Black Friday is a prime opportunity to grow it. If you don’t have a list yet, it may be too late to fully leverage this Black Friday—but you can still set yourself up for next year. Add a simple sign-up form on your website or offer a small bonus for newsletter subscriptions, so you’ll have a ready-to-go audience for future promotions.
• Encourage Subscriptions: Encourage ongoing purchases with subscriptions, curated boxes, or memberships. Holiday promotions, bonus gifts, or short-term “giftable” subscriptions can introduce your brand to new customers while creating a predictable revenue stream.
• Engage Post-Holiday: Follow up with thank-you emails, limited-time offers, or helpful content. Align your products with New Year goals or resolutions to make your brand part of customers’ routines.
• Implement Loyalty Programs & Gift Cards: Introduce simple loyalty programs to incentivize repeat visits, and use gift cards to turn first-time buyers or gift recipients into ongoing customers.
• Capture Insights for Next Year: Track what worked and what didn’t, whether that’s top-selling products, high-performing emails, or successful promotions. Keep a record to make next year’s planning faster, smarter, and—hopefully—a bit less last minute.

Pro tip: Leverage an easy-to-use email marketing platform to build your list, send targeted messages, create email automations, and nurture your leads.

Black Friday Ideas to Make Your Small Business a Success

Even if you’re working down to the wire, there are still plenty of smart, impactful ways to make the most of Black Friday. From tightening up your website basics to rolling out quick-turn promotions and embracing fast marketing wins, the key is to focus on what drives the biggest results with the time and resources you have. And it’s not just about Black Friday sales: The steps you take now can also set you up for stronger customer relationships and long-term growth well into the new year and beyond.

If there’s one tool that consistently delivers during the holidays, it’s email. And with SiteGround Email Marketing, it’s easier than ever to create polished, effective campaigns at the last minute. With built-in templates, segmentation, and real-time analytics, you can launch campaigns that look professional, connect with your audience, and drive sales—all without juggling extra tools or stress. Black Friday moves fast, but SiteGround helps you move faster.