Preparing for the 2025 Black Friday: Must-Have E-Commerce Tools for Success

Top E-Commerce Platforms to Use for Black Friday Sales

Black Friday 2025 is almost here! With the rush that comes during this sales frenzy, businesses need robust e-commerce stores to be able to handle the massive surge in traffic and orders. Nothing kills the excitement of making a snap purchase during Black Friday more than a website with slow load and response times – a surefire way to lose sales and revenue!

That’s why choosing the right e-commerce platform is crucial. The right platform not only supports your product listings and payment systems, but also enables smooth customer interactions, marketing, and inventory management; all the things you need to have a bumper Black Friday sale this year. Here we’ll explore the best tools for Black Friday sales, e-commerce tools for Black Friday, and other essential tools to optimise Black Friday online sales, including apps, promotional tools, and customer service solutions that can help optimise your retail business during this peak sales period.

Why Shopify and WooCommerce Are the Top Choices in 2025

Shopify and WooCommerce are two of the most popular and trusted e-commerce platforms for Black Friday, which may not be a complete surprise to some. Shopify, known for its simplicity and robust infrastructure, is a go-to for both beginners and experienced store owners. It handles everything from inventory to payments and customer support, making it ideal for high-traffic events like Black Friday.

WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a WordPress plugin that offers great flexibility and control. It’s perfect for merchants already using WordPress for their website. WooCommerce allows for easy customisation and is cost-effective for businesses that don’t need an all-in-one solution like Shopify.

For Black Friday 2025, both platforms offer extensive integrations with essential e-commerce apps for Black Friday to help businesses optimise sales, manage inventory, and automate marketing. Shopify and WooCommerce can both provide the scalability and reliability needed for Black Friday success.

Pros and Cons of BigCommerce for Black Friday Sales

BigCommerce is another strong contender for Black Friday retail. It’s a cloud-based platform designed for growth and scalability, making it ideal for businesses expecting a high volume of sales during peak periods. BigCommerce provides excellent integration with popular sales channels like eBay, Amazon, and Google Shopping, enabling businesses to expand their reach.

Here’s an overview of the benefits and potential pitfalls BigCommerce offers:

Pros:

• Advanced SEO features: BigCommerce has built-in SEO tools that help your products rank higher during Black Friday. This can make a huge difference in boosting visibility and driving traffic.

• Customisation options: The platform offers extensive customisation options, making it easier to tailor your store for Black Friday promotions.

• Multi-channel selling: BigCommerce’s integration with various sales channels allows for seamless cross-platform selling, which is crucial for capturing customers across multiple touchpoints during the Black Friday rush.

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve: Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce may require more technical knowledge to fully understand and use all of its features.

• Higher pricing: For small businesses, the pricing structure might be more expensive compared to Shopify or WooCommerce, especially during periods when you’re scaling up for Black Friday.
  

Magento vs Shopify for Black Friday: Which One to Choose?

Magento, a popular open-source e-commerce platform, offers unmatched flexibility and control. It’s ideal for large businesses that have the resources to handle complex customisation and development.

However, compared to Shopify, Magento requires significant technical expertise to set up and manage. Shopify, on the other hand, is a fully hosted solution, which makes it easier for merchants to set up and run their stores without technical support.

Magento Advantages:

• Unmatched customisation: Magento allows businesses to create unique, tailor-made experiences that suit specific customer needs.

• Scalable infrastructure: Magento can handle large volumes of traffic, making it ideal for enterprises expecting huge spikes in sales, like Black Friday.
  

Shopify Advantages:

• Ease of use: Shopify offers a user-friendly interface and simplifies the e-commerce process.

• Built-in apps and integrations: Shopify’s App Store offers thousands of apps that help businesses optimise Black Friday sales, from marketing tools to inventory management solutions.
  

For Black Friday 2025, Shopify may be the better choice for small-to-medium-sized businesses looking for simplicity, while Magento is perfect for larger operations with the resources to handle complex customisation and fine-tuning.

Payment Solutions That Will Ensure a Smooth Checkout Process

One of the most critical elements of Black Friday sales is ensuring that customers can complete their transactions easily, without friction. A smooth and secure payment process is essential to avoid cart abandonment, which in turn, maximises conversion rates.

Offering Multiple Payment Options to Minimise Abandoned Carts

Customers today expect to have a variety of payment options at checkout. By offering multiple payment gateways, you can reduce the chances of cart abandonment during Black Friday sales. 

Popular options such as credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services like Afterpay, Zip, or Klarna, are essential for catering to a wide range of customers. These services appeal to customers because of their simplicity, and often 1-step payment processes.

Make sure your e-commerce platform supports easy integration with these payment gateway tools for Black Friday to avoid missing out on potential sales. The ability to offer multiple payment options allows customers to choose the method they trust and prefer, improving the overall shopping experience.

Secure Payment Gateways for Safe Transactions

Security is paramount, especially during Black Friday when your store is handling a tsunami of transactions! Ensuring that your payment gateways are secure not only protects your business but also builds trust with customers. Nothing is worse for your sales than the risk of payment hacking and data leaks getting out and damaging your reputation.

Look for payment gateway tools for Black Friday that comply with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and offer features like encryption, two-factor authentication, and fraud protection. Popular gateways such as Stripe, PayPal, and Square are trusted by businesses worldwide for their security features and reliability.

Contactless Payments: Future Trends for Black Friday 2025

With the rise of mobile wallets and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, contactless payments are becoming more popular. This trend is likely to continue into Black Friday 2025, offering customers a quick and secure way to complete their purchases.

Ensuring that your online store supports contactless payments can help streamline the checkout process and improve customer satisfaction. Whether it’s Apple Pay, Google Pay, or another mobile wallet, providing a variety of contactless payment options will cater to tech-savvy shoppers looking for speed and convenience.

Customer Support Tools to Handle Black Friday Traffic

During Black Friday, the volume of customer queries increases dramatically. Having the right e-commerce customer service tools in place is essential for managing high traffic and ensuring a positive shopping experience. 

Using Live Chat for Instant Customer Assistance

Live chat has become a go-to tool for providing real-time customer support. By offering live chat on your e-commerce site, you can answer questions, resolve issues, and guide customers through the purchasing process instantly.

For Black Friday, live chat is invaluable for handling common questions about promotions, shipping, and stock availability. It allows your support team to assist customers in real-time, reducing frustration and improving the chances of a completed sale.

Managing High Volumes of Customer Queries Efficiently

Handling a surge in customer queries on Black Friday can be overwhelming without the right tools. Consider using an omnichannel customer support platform that integrates various communication channels like email, social media, and chatbots, enabling your team to manage inquiries from different sources in one place.

Additionally, using a ticketing system helps prioritise high-priority customer issues, ensuring that you can respond to critical inquiries promptly while managing lower-priority requests.

Automating Customer Service with AI-Powered Tools

AI-powered e-commerce customer service tools are increasingly popular for managing high volumes of inquiries. Chatbots, for instance, can handle basic customer queries and direct customers to the right department, reducing the workload on your live support agents. AI tools can also assist with order tracking, FAQ responses, and product recommendations, helping customers quickly find the information they need.

By incorporating AI into your customer service strategy, you can ensure faster response times and reduce the pressure on human agents, allowing your team to focus on more complex issues during the Black Friday rush.

Make 2025 Black Friday Your Best Yet

Ready for a bumper 2025 Black Friday sale this year? Follow these tips and invest in the right e-commerce tools for Black Friday for a better chance of sales success during this period. By planning ahead, you can ensure your online store is ready to handle the surge in traffic and maximise conversions during this retail sales event.

Ready to take your Black Friday sales to the next level? Get more tips and killer insights from Retail Global here. And while you’re at it, look out for our 2026 Retail Fest event, guaranteed to be bigger than ever! It’s where retail inspiration and community come together.