The 2025 Black Friday Checklist: 5 Critical Website Updates to Make in October to Boost Sales

Updated: September 23, 2025

Introduction

Black Friday has become a worldwide online event- it’s not just a regular shopping day. In Canada, Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 generated billions of dollars in e-commerce sales (Statistics Canada). Because of the projected 8–10% increase in 2025, businesses in Calgary and Alberta cannot afford to ignore website readiness.

The reality is, you could lose thousands of sales due to a sluggish, malfunctioning, or out-of-date website. October is, therefore, your last chance to get ready.

Here are five essential website upgrades you should do right away for your 2025 Black Friday checklist.

1. Speed Up Your Website Before the Rush

A slow website affects sales more quickly than anything else. According to recent Canadian-North American data, around 53% of mobile users bounce or abandon pages that take longer than three seconds to load.

✅ Updates you should make:

• Optimise your photos by using AVIF or WebP formats.
• For faster delivery in Canada, use a content delivery network, or CDN.
• Use Google PageSpeed Insights to test speed.

Tip: If your platform experiences spikes in traffic before November, think about switching to scalable hosting.

2. Boost Your Payment & Checkout Security 

Online fraud is at its peak during the Holiday Season. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reports that in 2024, the number of fraudulent e-commerce transactions increased by 22%.

✅ What to do in October:

• Admin panels should have two-step authentication enabled.
• Integrate payment systems that comply with PCI DSS.
• Include "trusted badges" (Visa Secure, PayPal Verified).
  
  

Quick Read for Busy Owners

• A seamless checkout results in fewer cart abandonments.

• More conversions result from mobile-first checkout.

• More trust results from secure payments.

3. Stress-Test Your Website for Traffic Surges

Canadian e-commerce websites have traffic spikes of up to five times their typical volume around Black Friday (Canada Post Report, 2024).

✅ What you must do in October:

• Test the load by simulating more than 10,000 users.
• Make your admin interfaces and dashboards more responsive.
• Make a backup of all your data, including databases, product sites, and client information.

Testimonial

We nearly crashed last Black Friday. Within a day of streamlining our systems, sales increased by 38%. – A retail client in Calgary shared this review with us.

4. Update Your Mobile & UX Design

According to eMarketer, 72% of Canadian Black Friday customers will make purchases on their phones in 2025. You're losing business if your website is difficult to use on mobile devices.

✅ October updates:

• Make navigating easier with obvious calls to action.
• Include "Buy Now" sticky buttons.
• Make sure that e-commerce or ticketing processes function properly on both iOS and Android.

Tip:  Even service-oriented companies, like consultants, hairdressers, and construction companies, should update their websites. During Christmas promotions, more people are making online reservations for services.

5. Automate Marketing & Analytics

Black Friday is based on data. You can't get better if you can't track.

✅ October essentials:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4) should be integrated.
• Create automated email sequences for special offers and abandoned carts.
• Add chatbots driven by AI for round-the-clock assistance.

Stat Check: During holiday sales, automated emails boost conversion rates by 30% when compared to conventional promotions.

Bonus: Local SEO Businesses

If you're selling locally, be sure to optimise for geo-targeted queries.

✅ Quick Wins:

•  Include "Black Friday deals in Calgary" on landing pages.
• Make changes to your Google Business Profile.
• Run campaigns with location-based ads.

FAQs

In Canada, how early should I get my website ready for Black Friday?

Start in October. You have sufficient time to test, correct, and prevent last-minute crashes because of this.

Is load testing necessary for small enterprises?

Indeed. Outdated websites might crash with even a slight increase in traffic. Tools for cloud-based stress testing are essential and reasonably priced.

In 2025, will Black Friday remain a popular holiday in Canada?

Of course. This year, e-commerce sales are expected to reach $7 billion, with Ontario and Calgary leading the way.

Can Black Friday help firms that provide services?

Yes, promotions are now held by salons, consultants, gyms, and even construction companies. Retail is no longer the exclusive use for it.

Written by Muhammad Zaeem Khalid Lead E-commerce Strategist at Fantech Labs

As the lead e-commerce strategist at Fantech Labs, Muhammad Zaeem Khalid specializes in preparing Canadian businesses for high-traffic events like Black Friday. With a deep focus on performance, security, and checkout optimization, he helps Calgary and Alberta-based companies fortify their websites to prevent crashes and maximize sales during their most critical retail periods.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer

This blog provides general industry information. Results may vary depending on your website setup, platform, and hosting provider.

Don’t wait until November to realize your site isn’t ready. If you want your website, portal, or e-commerce platform optimized for Black Friday traffic in Canada, our team can help.