The Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) frenzy is nearly upon us, and your site is about to see a tidal wave of traffic. That’s the good news. The challenging news? High traffic volume means every tiny point of friction—a hidden policy, a confusing discount, or bad readability—could cost you conversions.
You don't need a full site redesign right now. You need a fast, strategic cleanup.
Here are four high-impact, low-effort changes you can implement today to build trust, reduce friction, and turn browsers into buyers during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.
1. Make Your Returns/Exchange Policy Crystal Clear
Customers are trained by major retailers to expect generous, hassle-free return policies. Even if you run a smaller operation, the lack of an easily findable policy is a massive red flag that can immediately tank a sale. In the customer's mind, if they can't find the policy, there must not be one.
How to Fix It Today:
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Footer Link: Ensure a direct link to your Returns/Exchange Policy is prominent in your footer menu. This is the first place customers look for non-product information.
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Bonus: Product Page Placement: Link the policy directly on the Product Detail Page (PDP), ideally near the "Add to Cart" button or in a dedicated tab. This addresses a major pre-purchase anxiety point right when the customer is evaluating the item.
2. Eliminate Shipping Cost Surprises
Thanks to global giants, the modern e-commerce consumer fundamentally dislikes paying for shipping. Unexpected shipping costs are the single leading cause of cart abandonment. Your goal is simple: Communicate the cost (or the lack thereof) upfront and clearly.
How to Fix It Today:
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Announcement Bar Gold: Use your site's announcement bar (the strip at the top) to state your shipping offer.
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Example 1 (Free Shipping): "FREE SHIPPING on all orders this BFCM!"
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Example 2 (Threshold): "Spend $75 more for FREE US Shipping!"
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Cart Clarity: If you offer a free shipping threshold, consider implementing a simple status bar in the cart view that updates as the customer adds items (e.g., "You are only $XX away from free shipping!"). If that's too complex right now, a simple text reminder in the announcement bar is sufficient.
3. Keep Discounts Simple and Seamless
BFCM is all about discounts. Don't let a valuable promotion fail because the customer is frustrated trying to apply it. The easier the discount is to use, the more likely the customer is to complete the purchase.
How to Fix It Today:
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Prioritize Automatic Discounts: If possible, set your BFCM promotions to apply automatically in the cart. This is the most user-friendly approach.
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Clarity for Code Entry: If you must use a manual coupon code, ensure the parameters are unambiguous.
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Where does the code go? (Example: Enter code at checkout)
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When does it expire? (Example: Coupon code good through December 1)
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Does it only include certain collections? (Example: 40% off bracelets only)
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The Code Itself: Make the code easy to copy and paste. Avoid complex strings or codes that are hard to type on a mobile device.
4. Ensure Your Text is Functional, Not Just "Fancy"
We all love beautiful, unique site design, but when conversion is the goal, functionality must trump aesthetics. If your beautiful script font or low-contrast text requires your customer to squint or strain, they will simply leave. Readability is the foundation of trust and understanding.
How to Fix It Today:
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Contrast Check: Review your site for sufficient contrast between the text color and the background color (especially on product descriptions and policies). Light grey text on a white background is a common offender—brighten that text!
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Font Choice: Ensure all body text uses a standard, highly readable font at an appropriate size (16px is generally the modern minimum for body copy). Save the decorative fonts for main headings only.
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Line Spacing: Make sure your line height isn't too tight. Ample white space around text makes large blocks of content far less intimidating.
Final Thoughts
The goal of this quick checklist is to remove every possible point of friction and anxiety before your BFCM traffic hits its peak. By making your policies clear, your prices obvious, and your text readable, you’re telling the customer: "We are trustworthy, professional, and we want you to have an easy shopping experience."