Preparing Your Website for High Traffic Events: A Conversion Checklist

What to update before major sales (think BFCM, new product drops, or viral moments).

Got a sales surge on the horizon? Whether it’s Black Friday, a big product drop, or your brand just got a shoutout from someone with 2 million followers, now’s the time to prep your site. Not later. Not “once things calm down.” Because when traffic shows up your website needs to show up too.

This checklist will help get your site ready for the rush, including faster load times, smoother checkouts, fewer headaches, and way fewer “uh oh” moments.

1. Test Site Performance Before Things Get Wild

Big traffic = big pressure. And websites that haven’t been tuned up lately? They tend to break at the worst time.

• Run a performance test. Google Lighthouse or GTmetrix can highlight slow spots or pages that need love. Don’t wait until launch day to find out something’s lagging.
• Try it on mobile. Seriously. Click through like a first-time visitor. Make sure everything works and loads quickly because most people aren’t shopping on desktops anymore.
• Speed things up. Resize those massive image files, trim the bloat, and consider using a CDN if you aren’t already. Every second of delay costs you, especially during a high-stakes event.

No one has ever said, “I love how long this site takes to load.” Ever.

2. Walk the Customer Journey Like It’s the First Time

Start fresh. Pretend you’ve never seen the site before. Can you find the main products quickly? Does the cart behave? Is checkout smooth?

• Fix broken links.
• Remove outdated banners or confusing popups
• Make sure the checkout flow makes sense — no guesswork required.

It’s easy to overlook friction when you know your site inside out. But shoppers won’t power through confusion. If something feels off or takes too long, they’re gone.

3. Update Messaging So It Doesn’t Miss the Moment

When someone arrives on your site, they should immediately know what’s happening and what you want them to do. No decoding required.

• Be clear about your promo. “20% off sitewide. Ends Sunday.” That’s better than something vague and poetic.
• Use strong, simple buttons: “Add to Cart,” “Shop the Sale,” “Grab Yours Now.”
• Check popups and email signups — they should match the moment, not last year’s clearance.

Clear, specific language helps shoppers make decisions faster and feel good about what they’re doing.

4. Make Checkout as Easy as Breathing

Here’s where good intentions fall apart. Shoppers get stuck, annoyed, or distracted and abandon their carts forever.

• Guest checkout = required. No one ever wants to create an account just to buy socks.
• Auto-fill fields where possible. Help people get through faster.
• Offer multiple payment options. Give them what they already use (PayPal, Apple Pay, Shop Pay, etc.).
• Be upfront about shipping. No one likes surprise fees right before clicking “Buy.”

The smoother the path, the fewer carts left behind. It’s that simple.

5. Save the Ones Who Leave (Without Being Weird About It)

Not everyone’s going to buy right away. That’s normal. But there’s still a chance to bring them back.

• Show an exit popup with something useful: a discount, reminder, or free shipping offer.
• Set up abandoned cart emails. Time them well and keep them friendly.
• Retarget with ads if it makes sense, especially for your bestsellers.

People often need a little time (or a second nudge) before they commit. Make it easy for them to pick up where they left off.

6. Get Support Systems in Place Before You Need Them

More sales often means more questions. Make sure you’re not scrambling to reply while juggling everything else.

• Use auto-replies to confirm customer service messages were received.
• Monitor traffic and error alerts so you can react quickly if something breaks.
• Double-check inventory. Update out-of-stock notices or set expectations clearly.

Don’t forget to prep your FAQs or help center, too. A well-written answer can save you dozens of emails and hours of time.

7. Don’t Vanish After the Sale

You’ve earned the sale. Great. Now earn the repeat.

• Send a confirmation email right away with order info and next steps.
• Follow up with shipping updates. People like to know where their stuff is.
• Ask for a review after delivery (a little incentive never hurts).
• Suggest related products or offer a discount to bring them back.

Retention is where the real magic happens. A happy post-sale experience can lead to better word-of-mouth and stronger lifetime value.

When the Traffic Comes, Be Ready

Sales events are exciting and also a little chaotic. But the better your site is prepared, the more likely that traffic turns into actual revenue (instead of customer support tickets and lost sales).

There’s no need for perfection. But there is a real benefit to checking these things off in advance. It means less stress, better performance, and more space to actually focus on growth.

Contact us if you could use a hand making sure your site is built to handle the traffic. It’s always easier to fix things before the rush starts.