Black Friday 2026: 10 Things Your Online Store Must Do Now
Black Friday is just a few months away. Here is a complete checklist for Norwegian online stores that want to maximize sales.
August 15, 2026 · Stradenova
Black Friday 2026 falls on November 27. It may seem far away, but experience shows that online stores that start preparations in August-September perform significantly better than those that wait until November. Here are the 10 things you must do now.
1. Load Testing
There is no point in having great deals if your store collapses under the traffic. Run a load test now to identify bottlenecks.
Concrete steps:
- Use tools like k6, Locust, or LoadRunner to simulate 5–10x normal traffic
- Test specifically the checkout flow – that is where most stores fail
- Check database performance under high load (slow queries, connection pooling)
- Verify that your CDN is correctly configured for static resources
Target: Your store should handle at least 5x normal peak traffic without noticeable slowdown.
2. Mobile Optimization
Over 70% of Black Friday traffic in Norway comes from mobile. Is your mobile experience good enough?
Checklist:
- Checkout works smoothly on mobile (large buttons, autofill, Vipps Express)
- Product images load quickly (WebP format, lazy loading)
- Search function works well on small screens
- Cart is easy to navigate on mobile
- Core Web Vitals are green on mobile
3. Inventory Management and Suppliers
Order extra inventory now. Suppliers in Asia typically have 6–8 week lead times, and European suppliers 2–4 weeks.
Tips:
- Analyze last year’s bestsellers and order 20–30% more than you think you need
- Arrange priority delivery with suppliers for November
- Have a plan for “sold out” handling – offer waitlist or pre-order instead of just an error message
4. Email List and Segmentation
The Black Friday sale starts with your email list. Start building and segmenting now.
Actions:
- Create a “Black Friday VIP” list with early access to deals
- Segment by purchase history (first-time vs. returning customers)
- Set up automated email flows: teaser (2 weeks before), preview (1 week before), launch, reminder, last chance
- Clean the list of invalid addresses to ensure good delivery rate
5. SEO Preparations
Google takes 4–6 weeks to index and rank new content. Publish Black Friday content now.
Create these pages now:
/black-friday/– landing page with teaser about upcoming deals/black-friday/[category]/– category-specific deal pages- Update product pages with Black Friday-related keywords in titles and descriptions
Important: Do not delete Black Friday pages after the season. Keep them year-round and update the content. That way you retain the SEO value.
6. Payment Solutions
Verify that all payment methods work correctly and are ready for high traffic.
Checklist:
- Vipps MobilePay: Check that the integration is up to date
- Klarna: Verify that installment options display correctly
- Card payment: Test the 3D Secure flow
- Gift cards: Do they work in checkout?
- Contact your payment provider about expected volumes
7. Shipping Agreements
Bring, Posten, and PostNord see massive volume increases around Black Friday. Make sure you are prepared.
Actions:
- Arrange extra pickups with your shipping provider
- Consider offering free shipping above a threshold (e.g., “Free shipping over NOK 499”)
- Have packaging materials in stock – they run out faster than you think
- Communicate realistic delivery times to customers
8. Customer Service Capacity
Black Friday generates not just sales, but also inquiries. Be prepared.
Actions:
- Staffing plan for Black Friday weekend (Friday-Monday)
- Update FAQ with common Black Friday questions
- Set up automated responses for the most common inquiries
- Prepare templates for order confirmations, delays, and returns
9. Ad Budget and Strategy
Ad prices rise sharply in November. Plan the budget now.
Strategy:
- Retargeting campaigns targeting October visitors are cheaper than buying cold clicks in November
- Create ad creatives now – do not wait until the last minute
- Set up Google Shopping with updated prices and stock status
- Use “countdown” ads on Meta to build anticipation
10. Technical Checklist
Final technical preparations:
- SSL certificate is valid and does not renew in November
- Backup routines are in place and tested
- Monitoring alerts are set up (downtime, high CPU, full disks)
- CDN is configured with correct cache rules
- 404 pages are customized (show popular products instead of just “Page not found”)
- Redirect map is updated (no dead links)
- Google Search Console and Analytics are verified
Timeline
| Period | Activity |
|---|---|
| August–September | Load testing, inventory ordering, SEO content |
| October | Email campaigns, ad creatives, technical check |
| Early November | Soft launch of deals for VIP list |
| November 24–27 | Black Friday weekend |
| November 28–December 1 | Cyber Monday and follow-up |
Start now. November comes faster than you think.