Black Friday and Cyber Monday can bring a surge in demand, but running out of stock doesn't have to mean turning customers away. With PreOrder Now, you can let shoppers preorder products before they're back in stock, capture demand early, and keep revenue coming in.
Whether you're preparing for popular products to sell out, planning a new product drop, or offering customers more flexible ways to pay, use this checklist to get your preorder strategy ready for the holiday shopping rush.
1. Identify Products to Make Available for Preorder
What to do:
Review your best-selling products and identify items likely to sell out during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Decide which out-of-stock or upcoming products should accept preorders.
Use product tags to easily enable preorders for eligible products, where supported by your plan.
Check your product variants to make sure the right options are available.
Why it matters: Don't let an empty inventory stop a sale. PreOrder Now lets customers place orders for products before they're back in stock, helping you capture demand instead of losing interested shoppers.
Feature highlight: Enable Preorders by Product Tag
Save time managing your preorder products by enabling preorders based on product tags.
2. Plan Your Preorder Launches in Advance
What to do:
Identify upcoming product releases and decide when you want to start accepting preorders.
Schedule preorder launches to align with your Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions.
Prepare your product pages and preorder messaging ahead of time.
Double-check launch dates and availability before your campaign goes live.
Why it matters: Build anticipation for upcoming products and start capturing demand before they're available to ship. Planning your launches in advance also helps you coordinate preorders with your wider holiday promotions.
Feature highlight: Schedule Preorder Launches
Set up preorder launches ahead of time to match your product release plans and promotional calendar.
3. Make Preorder Products Easy to Spot
What to do:
Customize your preorder messaging so shoppers know they're purchasing an item that isn't currently available to ship.
Add preorder badges to your product listings so customers can identify eligible items while browsing.
Check how preorder options appear on product pages, collection pages, and quick view.
Make sure your messaging clearly explains when customers can expect their orders.
Why it matters: Customers should know exactly what they're purchasing before adding an item to their cart. Clear preorder messaging helps set expectations and makes it easier for shoppers to buy with confidence.
Feature highlights:
Preorder Badges on Collection Pages: Make preorder products easier to identify while customers browse.
Preorder in Quickview: Let shoppers see preorder options without navigating away from the collection page.
4. Give Customers More Ways to Pay
What to do:
Decide whether customers should pay the full amount upfront or make a partial payment when placing a preorder.
Consider offering a deposit to make higher-priced products easier to purchase.
Create a special preorder discount to encourage customers to order early.
Make sure payment amounts and any discounts are clearly communicated before checkout.
Why it matters: Flexible payment options can make customers more comfortable committing to products that aren't ready to ship. A preorder discount can also give shoppers an extra incentive to purchase during your holiday sale.
Feature highlights:
Flexible Partial Payments: Accept deposits or partial payments instead of requiring the full amount upfront.
Preorder Discounts: Give customers an extra reason to place their orders early.
5. Prepare for Carts With Preorder and In-Stock Products
What to do:
Test adding both preorder and in-stock products to the same cart.
Check that customers can easily understand which items are available now and which are being preordered.
Review your cart messaging and make sure it clearly explains the difference.
Test different product combinations before your sale begins.
Why it matters: Shoppers may want to purchase available products alongside items that are on preorder. Clear messaging helps avoid confusion and sets expectations about product availability.
Feature highlight: Dynamic Mixed Cart Alerts
PreOrder Now automatically displays mixed cart alerts to help customers understand when their cart contains both preorder and in-stock items.
6. Keep Customers Informed After They Order
What to do:
Review your preorder notification emails and make sure customers know what to expect.
Check that shipping update emails are sent when preorder statuses change.
Make sure your team knows how to manage preorder orders and communicate important updates.
Keep product availability and estimated shipping information accurate.
Why it matters: The customer experience doesn't end at checkout. Keeping shoppers informed about their preorder helps manage expectations and gives them confidence in their purchase.
Feature highlight: Automatic Shipping Update Emails
Keep customers in the loop with automatic shipping update emails when their preorder status changes.
7. Track Your Preorder Performance
What to do:
Review your preorder sales and identify which products are generating the most demand.
Use Google Analytics tracking to monitor preorder performance.
Pay attention to which products customers are interested in so you can make more informed restocking decisions.
Use preorder demand to help plan future inventory and product launches.
Why it matters: Preorders do more than help you keep selling when inventory runs low. They also give you valuable insight into customer demand, helping you understand what to restock and which products shoppers want most.
Feature highlight: Google Analytics Integration
Track preorder performance with Google Analytics to better understand customer demand and make more informed decisions.
8. Run a Final Pre-Launch Check
Before your Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions go live, make sure your preorder setup is ready.
You've identified which products should be available for preorder.
Preorder launches are scheduled around your promotional calendar.
Preorder badges and messaging are clear across your storefront.
Preorder options display correctly in quickview, where enabled.
Partial payments, deposits, and preorder discounts are configured as needed.
Mixed cart alerts display correctly.
Automatic shipping update emails are ready.
Google Analytics tracking is set up.
You've tested the complete customer preorder experience.
Keep Selling, Even When You're Out of Stock
Don't let sold-out products get in the way of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. PreOrder Now helps you capture demand before products are back in stock, plan launches ahead of time, offer flexible payment options, and keep customers informed throughout the preorder process.
You can even use preorder demand to understand what customers want and make smarter restocking decisions.
Get your preorder strategy ready now and make the most of every sales opportunity this holiday season.
Ready to get started? Set up PreOrder Now and turn out-of-stock moments into opportunities to capture your next sale.