Move over Black Friday; it is Cyber Monday! Say goodbye to broken ribs, brawls in Walmart and camping in front of department stores. Black Friday madness is no joke and can be dangerous to participate. Thank god we have the internet now and can entirely skip the long lines and rude customers and order online. Cyber Monday has taken the Internet by storm, each year getting bigger and bigger! Cyber Monday also represents the most critical day of the year for any marketer that wants to hook their business into the digital retail environment.
Cyber Monday takes place the Monday after Thanksgiving and pretty much every online store offers impressive sales and discounts. It is any shopaholic’s heaven. Many people are opting out of Black Friday shopping and waiting for Cyber Monday to get all their Christmas shopping out of the way, who doesn’t love shopping in their pajamas? Following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday has become the go-to shopping day for techies, lovers of electronics, and, yes, mobile shoppers, too. 2017’s Cyber Monday saw mobile internet’s first 2 billion dollar day, according to Business Insider, while BigCommerce merchants experienced their highest sales week ever. Here are some more interesting statistics on the success Cyber Monday has become.
- Cyber Monday 2017 was the most significant single day of online shopping in U.S. history, according to CNBC. Digital transactions totaled $16.9 billion, an increase of 16.8% from the year before.
- According to MarketingLand, more and more consumers are switching to online shopping during the holidays to avoid the mad dash of foot traffic.
- By just 10 a.m. on Cyber Monday 2017, customers had already bought nearly a billion dollars’ worth of goods online.
- Millennials have become the biggest spenders during the holiday weekend, spending over $400 per person.
Perhaps you are wondering how this incredible holiday sale started? Well, it all began in 2005 by the marketing team at shop.org for the existence of Cyber Monday. Promoting sales online was not always successful and took a long time to catch on. At first Cyber Monday did not even rank in the top ten sales days of the year. Nowadays this sales holiday is the most popular retail holiday of the year.
Due to the significances of Cyber Monday and the holiday season, online retailers better have it together when the digital rush begins. When Cyber Monday rolls around, you’ll want your site to be responsive, mobile-compatible, and most importantly: Up and running. There are a few ways online businesses are making sure their websites will be up to par when this holiday comes around. Check out these tips:
- Site Speed: Check out Google’s developmental tools to run a speed test and get to the bottom of what might be causing load times to lag.
- Uptime: Nothing works unless your site does–but you won’t always be there to check. Use a service like Uptime Robot to begin monitoring your site for downtime.
- Mobile compatibility: With a majority of Cyber Monday purchases potentially coming through mobile channels, it’s never been more critical to ensure your site can handle mobile traffic.
- Run a free compatibility test with Google. Even if you’re ready to handle mobile purchases, this site will help you diagnose slow-loading pages.
Make sure to check out all your favorite online stores this Cyber Monday and cross off those items on your Christmas list! You will not want to miss out on the best deals of the entire year!
-Lizzy Regnery
References:
https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/cyber-monday-marketing/#cyber-monday-marketing-ideas
IMC Hawks Blog 
I really enjoyed your post about Cyber Monday because I love participating in all the deals on Cyber Monday. Even though I love Cyber Monday I never knew much about the history. I was shocked to find out that it started in 2005. I also found your tips very helpful in having a successful Cyber Monday.
This article speaks on the success of Cyber Monday witch connected with me. The opening of this article fits with my sentiment: “Say goodbye to broken ribs, brawls in Walmart and camping in front of department stores.” I personally glad to say goodbye to black Friday not only because of the crowds but also cause it cause all these retail workers to wake up super early and deal with these mobs of people. I was glad to see the article speaking on the success of Cyber Monday and pleased that the author included sources showing that it is in fact succeeding. I am also glad to see I am not the only one excited to do some shopping in my pajamas!
I personally am a huge fan of Cyber Monday. I love Black Friday as well but Cyber Monday just makes everything so much easier. There is no waiting in long lines to check out, there isn’t someone in your way every 5 seconds you are trying to look at something, and you don’t have to deal with the disappointment of the pants you love being sold out in your size. You are able to shop from the comfort of your own home and you are able to check out with the click of a button. I never really knew the history behind Cyber Monday so it was interesting to learn about how it was started. It’s hard to believe that Cyber Monday hasn’t always been as successful as it is now, but I am definitely not surprised at how popular Cyber Monday has become over the past few years. I think more and more people are beginning to choose Cyber Monday over Black Friday and I don’t blame them.
This article is very informative. I remember the first time I heard that the Monday after Black Friday had generated a high degree of online shopping. It was reported that people at work who were bitten by the shopping bug the weekend before didn’t want to stop, so they shopped online from work. I didn’t realize that it was a strategic effort to lure consumers into online shopping.
But most of our shopping is online nowadays, although there are disadvantages (wrong items shipped, broken items, porch pirates, etc.). In your article you state that Cyber Monday generates the most traffic. I don’t see that as an inducement to shop. I’m not disputing that there are great Cyber Monday deals out there, but the fact that it is one of the biggest shopping days of the year is not enough to induce consumers to spend money (I hope). And not to be contrary, but although the media likes to portray Black Friday as a horrific experience teeming with rude shoppers and Jerry Springer-like brawls, that is far from the truth. The instances of these behaviors are miniscule among the countless numbers of shoppers out there on Black Friday. It’s only the bad experiences that are reported and sensationalized during that time. Although I can only speak for myself–and the many, many people I ask every year–Black Friday is typically a day of holiday cheer and fellowship–even if we must exercise a little patience.
Cyber Monday has become this huge thing that everyone talks about and participates in. I am not surprised one bit that millennials are the ones who spend the most money on Cyber Monday. It is so convenient, you don’t have to leave your bedroom and you can get the same or even better deals. I know that I took advantage of Cyber Monday this year and I think everyone should (if they can afford it). You can go ahead and buy gifts for the holidays and save money. You can even treat yourself!
Hi there, that was a very informative article! I enjoyed your use of graphics an your writing style. It felt very natural and was easy to read. You did a good job of describing why it’s important for new retail businesses to get on board with cyber monday as well as pointing out the most important things for them to keep in mind. Only problem I noted was the sentence “Perhaps you are wondering how this incredible holiday sale started?” This is not a question and should not have a question mark! Otherwise, great article!
I loved this article. I participate in cyber Monday instead of Black Friday because Monday is my day off from work but it definitely helps that I get to avoid the lines in the process. I can remember being a kid and waiting in line outside of Target for the Nintendo Wii when it first came out, it was miserable. There were a few times in your post that you got repetitive but overall the statistics, pictures (graphs), and language made this article really easy and interesting to read. Great work!
Wow I really did not know how big of a deal Cyber Monday really was before reading this! I myself took part in it today actually as I felt the need to grab some good deals. Thank you for the tips as well! I will definitely be putting those to use for the future Cyber Mondays to come!
As an international student, this year was the first time I experienced Thanksgiving. I have always heard of Cyber Monday, but I was not aware of its impact. It has become such a huge Marketing idea, that the trend has even spread over to Europe. I think it is especially interesting, because the importance of online shopping is constantly increasing over the years. Great post!
Even though I am not one for the new era of people stuck in their phones all the time, I think Cyber Monday is a great way to shop for the holidays. I think it is absolutely insane that people spend their entire Thanksgiving day waiting in lines instead of spending it with their families. Cyber Monday is after family time and like you said, you can shop in your pajamas with your loved ones right next to you if you wanted. I also think it is a safer alternative for the younger generations due to those “Walmart brawls”.
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Hi Lizzy,
You did a great job with the attention-getter in the beginning. It is nice to not be bored from the start and to want to keep reading! I love the images you used and how you incorporated a little history about how Cyber Monday got started. I’ve never thought about that. The topic was very timely and relevant to any audience with any form of technology to reach the internet. I think as the years go on, more and more people will resort to Cyber Monday shopping and skip out on the mayhem of Black Friday.
I used to be very into Black Friday shopping even to the point of spending the night outside of a Best Buy one night but now I do online shopping more than anything because of the ease of it. I really liked your article in that it has numbers and emotions as to why Cyber Monday is so much better and safer than Black Friday shopping.
The article written here really brings out the true meaning and details behind the beloved cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is for the people who either don’t want to leave their house to shop on good deals, or are afraid to get trampled by other customers on Black Friday. One fact I noticed from this article was that cyber Monday used to be a small event that no one really participated in. But now because of companies like Amazon and eBay, cyber Monday has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year. One thing I really liked about this article was the quick tips for successful Cyber Monday shopping. Some people think a phone or computer is all you need but it is much more than that.
I found your introduction to this article was a great way to attract readers. I remember being younger when Black Friday was the thing to do after Thanksgiving. My mom and I would wake up early to hit all the stores, now, stores are opening earlier and the madness, as you said, is way too intense to participate in. Black Friday can move over, because with technology taking off at a progressive speed, Cyber Monday is the new rage. Easy, efficient and can be done at the comfort of your own home, what more is there to ask for?
Black Friday makes me upset because really most stores start their Black Friday on Thursday (Thanksgiving). As soon as Thanksgiving is over people hop in their car and rush over to wait in line and find their deals. Thanksgiving is about coming together and enjoying the holiday with your friends and family, not stuffing food down your throat and leaving as soon as possible to get your Christmas presents marked off your list. I feel like Thanksgiving always gets passed over when I believe its the most important holiday. With that said, I’m happy Cyber Monday was created because this keeps friends and family from leaving to go to stores and keeps them at home to enjoy the rest of the day with their loved ones. You can accomplish a lot with Cyber Monday and shop in the comfort of your own home, while still receiving a lot of deals.
I had no idea that Cyber Monday was so big! I knew of course that many people participated in it but I didn’t know people skipped Black Friday to save their shopping for Monday. It’s definitely more pleasant to shop online in your pajamas!
I also have taken part in Cyber Monday throughout the years. This article touches on some key aspects of Cyber Monday and a little history which is great. I think Cyber Monday has definitely gotten bigger and bigger overtime with the internet and this generation because it is so convenient. I guess you could say as Americans we are becoming more and more lazy with sites like Amazon or UberEats, but in my eyes I see it as better efficiency. Also, this past weekend I read that a lot of sites are now doing a Cyber Week to try and stay relevant against Amazon over the always busy holiday. This is great for someone as lazy as myself……. I mean as efficient as myself!
I did not realize how popular cyber Monday has become. It is not surprise, considering how attached we are to electronic devices. I myself am a fan of cyber Monday over black Friday, I would much rather be cozy on my couch than in a mall brawl to get a sale item. I enjoyed your post, great job!
Hi Lizzy,
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written post about Cyber Monday! Personally, Cyber Monday has always been a part of my Christmas shopping! Black Friday is always fun, but it is much easier to get things done during Cyber Monday. It seems like many Americans agree with me by the stats you shared in your article. A very relevant post for the season.
I love this post! What a great way to shine light on another way to shop. I feel like most people really believe that the only way to score the big Black Friday deals is to trample one another in the Target parking lot! I was able to take advantage of the “early” cyber Monday deals and get some Christmas shopping out of the way. I really feel like Black Friday shopping will be a thing of the past within the next few years… I guess we will see!
E-commerce is slowly taking over the consumers relationship with physical storefronts. Consumers are beginning to embrace the crowd-free chaotic environments that online retailers offer. Online retailers now have the advantage of targeting consumers to match them with certain products of categories. This makes it easy for both since consumers don’t need to aimless wander around a giant store anymore, and retailors can get ads to the people who want to see them.
Cyber Monday is the best idea for holiday shopping in a long time. So happy that the rush of getting to retail ASAP is finally dying. After 2010 raged one of the most injuries and deaths due to black friday, something needed to be done. Companies predicted a 70% online shop for the average consumer so they actually pulled a lot of the stock on shelves to save products for cyber Monday. Though I never got to experience the pushing and shoving, I am much happier with the way companies have decided to take care of the holiday shopping frenzy.
Your post is very well done from your great hook in the intro to how you included logos by writing about the history of cyber Monday. Personally I don’t know a lot about this topic as I rarely online shop, so I really enjoyed reading and learning more about cyber Monday. You seem very knowledgeable about the topic and were thorough in your article about it, keeping the reader intrigued throughout.
I can’t believe in 2017 that the sales totaled to 16.9 billion. That is a ridiculously high number, but as you stated a lot of people don’t like to go out during black Friday with good reason. It’s hard to believe that 13 years ago people didn’t online shop and now its the biggest spending day of the year.
This article is very interesting as it introduces Cyber Monday. I find it fascinating how there was a Black Friday before a Cyber Monday. I am from China and in China, we never really had a shopping day like Black Friday. There were times when there are more discounts than at other times, usually during holidays, but nothing as extreme. What we had was the double eleven shopping day, which is November 11th every year. Just like Cyber Monday, it started out as one thing and then was used by marketing teams to promote sales. It truly is a fascinating phenomenon and it would be interesting to see the comparison between the two.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. I found humor in your opening statement discussing the horrors that come along with Black Friday, thank god for Amazon Prime. Aside from this I really found interest in the history you provided about Cyber Monday and how significant it has become today.
I loved how this article brought humor to a serious topic about the safety and importance of Cyber Monday and Black Friday. I did not realize how significant sales on these days were and would not have imagined how much money was actually spent of these days – especially cyber Monday! I love shopping in my pj’s and I am glad I can do so with major discounts on Cyber Monday.
Thanks for the comment colepruitt! Fun fact, Tennessee is the second most dangerous state for Black Friday shopping. Arkansas is number one! The statestics are incredible for the amount people spend on Cyber Monday, especially milleninals!
This was an amazing post because of how much everybody near or around my family, especially if it includes discounts. I am also embarrassed to say that I really dont know much about the history behind it. But we all know the best deals come from your local goodwill
fascinating and insightful article anout cyber Monday! Cyber Monday has now become just as big, if not bigger than black friday! I thought this article really put things into perspective about how high cyber monday spending is. Incredible! Part of me was surprised to see millenials being the biggest spenders during this window of time but it just goes to reassure the amount of online and mobile shopping that is done by this demographic. Great article!
Cyber Monday is one of my favorite days! It’s really interesting to see how it has grown and developed over the years.
Jess Kelly – COM 231
I loved this post about Cyber Monday! I never thought about Cyber Monday from a branding and marketing standpoint. I have always just looked at Black Friday as a crazy day with a lot of deals and Cyber Monday with deals, but no craziness. Looking at it from a marketing view opened my eyes because as your statistics show, Cyber Monday is a huge and critical day for businesses to enhance their online growth. It’s crazy how a few years ago we didn’t have this luxury of good online shopping, but now there is a whole day dedicated to it.
Jessica,
Thank you for your comment! Looking at Cyber Monday from a marketing standpoint is very eye-opening! I run a small business so Cyber Monday is a curical day for online sales. The entire week after Thanksgiving has a huge push for shopping sales to gear up for
Christmas such as Small Business Saturday.
This is a great topic choice because it connects to such a large audience. The use of bullet points and graphs are both useful and simple to read which I really enjoyed. Since Cyber Monday is starting to grow I think this is a very relevant article and the advice/tips were a awesome addition.
I loved this article, Lizzy! I personally prefer shopping online during Cyber Monday as opposed to dealing with the overwhelming crowds on Black Friday. The only exception to this is when I’m buying clothes and apparel for myself, since you aren’t able to try anything on, as opposed to shopping in the store. I wasn’t entirely sure how Cyber Monday became a thing so it’s interesting that you included that in your post!
Hi Katherine,
I totally agree online shopping on Cyber Monday is SO much better than shopping on Black Friday with all the crowds! I also prepfer buying clothes and apparel in person because it is such a gamble trying to figure out if something will fit you and then you have to go through the hassle of returning it.
Hi Lizzy,
I enjoyed reading your blog post. I agree with your points. Black Friday and cyber Monday is something I look forward to every year. It’s a great way for me to get good deals on things like clothes and video games. Your tips about how to have a good cyber Monday were helpful too. I had no idea how long it has been going on too. I believe it is something that will continue to get more popular each year.
-Scott Bynum
Hi Scott,
Thank you for your comment and I am glad you enjoyed! It was really interesting researching the history of Cyber Monday, I too had no idea it began so long ago. In recent years online shopping has become extremely popular and convinent. It is wild thinking that not only people are online shopping for clothes, home goods, etc. but now grocery stores are offering online shopping and curbside pick up. Will we ever need to physically to go to stores anymore??