Boost your sales this Black Friday: Expert tips from Shoparize

In this interview, Amber van Vliet, our Publisher Manager, sits down with Shoparize, a global leader in Comparison Shopping Services (CSS). Learn how their innovative technology and tailored solutions help advertisers and agencies maximise sales and visibility in the ever-evolving landscape of online shopping. We explore key strategies for maximising performance, including the importance of CMS connections, dedicated promotion codes, and developer tools, along with a special focus on their strategies for this year’s Black Friday.

Who is Shoparize?

Shoparize is a leading global CSS partner for advertisers and agencies, helping merchants drive incremental sales by running additional Shopping Ad campaigns—risk-free. With AI-powered technology and predictive analytics, we elevate Advertiser’s campaigns by optimising bidding strategies, analysing customer behavior, and automating ad management.

Our international team keeps us at the cutting edge, ensuring we bring the best possible value to our partners in the fast-paced world of online shopping. At Shoparize, we blend technology, deep expertise with market insight and a strong dedication to helping our merchants achieve outstanding results.

What additional value can you offer by promoting the advertiser?

At Shoparize, we aim to be a valuable partner for advertisers by ensuring their products appear in relevant Google search results, reaching the right audience at the right time to maximise engagement and conversions.
Our standout feature is the CPA model, where advertisers pay only when a sale is made, aligning our goals with theirs. We provide complete transparency, allowing advertisers to track their campaign performance and make informed decisions based on real data.

We offer flexibility in managing CPA and budgets, with options to set budget caps as needed. Our multilingual support and expertise in feed and campaign optimisation help expand campaign reach and improve performance, especially during peak shopping seasons like Black Friday.
Partnering with Shoparize means effective advertising and a committed team dedicated to achieving mutual success. We succeed when our partners succeed.

How important is Black Friday for your advertisers?

Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year, sparking a surge in sales and consumer activity. It’s not just about Black Friday or Cyber Week anymore. Shoppers start hunting for deals weeks in advance, getting ready for the holiday season early.

According to Google, in 2023, global online sales hit a record-breaking $1.17T in November and December, with 38% of shoppers saying they wished they’d started even earlier. People are taking their time, researching and planning purchases carefully. The shopping frenzy doesn’t end with Black Friday—it rolls through Christmas and picks back up with January sales.

For advertisers, this extended peak season is their moment to shine. Consumers are increasingly online comparing products, considering different merchants, and looking for the best offers. This is when e-commerce businesses need to be front and center, ensuring their products are visible when shoppers are ready to buy.

That’s where Shoparize steps in. We make sure your ads show up at the right time, in response to the right Google searches—putting your products right in front of consumers when it matters most.

Why is a CPAi so important around Black Friday?

A CPAi (increased commission) is vital during Black Friday because it maximises the visibility of your products when competition is at its peak. With so many retailers vying for shoppers’ attention, ad costs—especially for clicks—can skyrocket. By increasing the CPA, we can bid more aggressively, ensuring your ads stand out and capture that traffic surge.

The CPAi model means you’re only paying for actual sales. Higher commission rates drive more traffic and conversions while keeping your costs predictable. Plus, with increased commission rates, Shoparize can quickly gather data and insights, allowing us to make fast decisions on ad spending. This agility helps us optimise your campaigns in real time to meet market demands. In short, a CPAi strategy during Black Friday helps you stay ahead of the competition and make the most of the biggest shopping season without the risk of overspending on clicks that don’t convert.

Shoparize is here to give you an edge, focusing on more than just sales. We also support your brand awareness and boost website traffic. When users click on your ads and visit your site, you can leverage that traffic and customer data for remarketing. And remember, as an advertiser, you’re always in control of your CPA and costs. If budget constraints arise, you can easily set a budget cap to keep everything on track.

Why should an advertiser not only increase the CPA during Black Friday itself?

Increasing the CPA during Black Friday itself is important, but savvy advertisers know that it’s just as crucial to ramp up the CPA in the weeks leading up to the big day. Why? Here are a couple of key reasons:

Capturing Early Shoppers: As we mentioned earlier, many shoppers start their research and make purchasing decisions well before Black Friday. By increasing your CPA early, you can tap into this early demand and position your products right in front of those who are still comparing options. This way, you get a head start and capture sales before the competition heats up.

Extending the Shopping Season: The shopping peak now stretches beyond just Black Friday. With Cyber Week, holiday shopping, and even January sales, there’s a longer window to engage customers. By adjusting your CPA rates during this entire period, you ensure that your products stay visible and competitive, maximising your chances of making sales well into the holiday season.

In essence, by proactively increasing your CPA ahead of Black Friday, you set yourself up for greater success, capturing both early shoppers and maintaining visibility throughout the extended shopping period. It’s all about making the most of every opportunity!

Do you have any tips/recommendations for advertisers to perform even better on Black Friday?

We have several key recommendations besides CPAi that can help advertisers excel during Black Friday:

Optimise Your Data: First and foremost, high-quality product feeds are crucial. The more relevant data you include—like GTIN, color, size, and energy labels—the better the quality of your ads. Make sure your product feed is up to date with the correct information and image. One important element during this time is the ‘sale_price’ attribute, which informs both Google and your customers about your price reductions & great offers. This can be the deciding factor for a customer to click on your ad over a competitor’s.

Focus on Value: During peak shopping times, consumers are particularly focused on getting the best value for their money. They often pay more attention to the products’ price than the retailers themselves, so ensure your pricing is competitive.

Promote Free Delivery: If you offer free delivery, shout about it! Delivery can be the final piece in a frictionless customer journey. Be mindful of delivery times, as this can greatly impact customer satisfaction and their decision to purchase.

Leverage Promotional Codes: In countries like the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, we can set individual promotional codes on ads. This not only makes your products stand out but can also lead to higher click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates.

Would you like to be successfully promoted on Black Friday? Contact us for more information.