Recap of Chargeflow Webinar: BFCM Survival Mode

As BFCM season draws near,  eCommerce merchants gear up for a surge in sales – along with potential challenges. Chargeflow founders, Ariel and Avia Chen are all too familiar with this struggle. Their previous business, Babe Cosmetics, faced major chargeback headaches during peak seasons. They struggled to find an appropriate solution to solve their issue, which eventually drove them to develop Chargeflow, an AI-powered tool to help merchants manage high-volume periods without headaches.  In our way of giving back and better preparing merchants for BFCM, Chargeflow hosted a BFCM Survival Mode Webinar, featuring experts on fulfillment, customer loyalty, automation, and maximizing revenue. Below, we’ve summarized the key insights from our speakers and provided valuable takeaways to help you prepare for a profitable holiday season. 

Note! If you’d like to hear a quick promo from our host Dov Carpe what you can expect in this webinar check out the video below!

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Key Speakers and Highlights

Leveraging Logistics to Enhance Fulfillment Efficiency

Karley Daudell: Senior Manager of Technology Partnerships at ShipBob

Karley emphasized the challenges eCommerce brands face during peak seasons and shared strategies to enhance fulfillment efficiency. Using ShipBob's Inventory Placement Program, their client Our Place strategically distributed inventory across multiple fulfillment centers, cutting delivery times by 50%. This allowed the brand to extend holiday shipping deadlines, improve customer satisfaction, and meet growing consumer demands for 2-day delivery. 

She also highlighted the role of product badging in reducing cart abandonment and boosting average order value (AOV), while showcasing ShipBob's ability to streamline logistics for both DTC and B2B channels.

“Strategically distributing inventory can extend holiday delivery days, ensuring customers receive their orders before key dates.”- Karley Daudell

Maximizing Customer Experience Through Automation

Stefany Ludena: Technology Partner Manager at Gorgias

Stefany stressed the importance of preparing customer support teams for the BFCM surge, with brands seeing a 54% increase in customer interactions. She recommended using automation to help facilitate repetitive tasks like order tracking, allowing teams to focus on high-value inquiries and sales opportunities. Key strategies included:

• Implementing an omni-channel approach to meet customers on their preferred platforms.
• Using chat widgets for real-time assistance to reduce the need for human intervention.
• Leveraging AI to automate up to 50% of inquiries, improving response times by 65%.
• Offering post-purchase discounts to drive repeat purchases and loyalty.

Stefany highlighted how Tropicals, a skincare brand, used automated chat flows to guide customers toward the right products and subscriptions, achieving a 78% sales increase during BFCM.

“Automating repetitive inquiries frees up your team to focus on high-priority tickets, improving both customer satisfaction and sales.” - Stefany Ludena

Driving Customer Loyalty Without Discounts

Chris Lang: Owner at Fresh Chile

Chris Lang shared how Fresh Chili focused on fostering community and customer loyalty without relying to heavily on discounts. He said it’s all about creating authentic connections with his audience, whether that’s through personalized email campaigns, engaging in cooking contests, or sharing their customers’ stories. This approach strengthens their connection with their customers and fosters long-term relationships. Additionally, Fresh Chili enhanced its engagement with special perks, such as exclusive memberships, 10% discounts, and a $100,000 giveaway through shared sweeps to attract new customers during BFCM.

"It's about community, not just discounts. Focus on value and creating a story that resonates with your customers."  - Chris Lang

Optimizing Subscriptions to Boost Retention

Sakshi Jain: Chief Growth Officer at Loop Subscriptions

Sakshi highlighted strategies to acquire, retain, and grow subscription customers during BFCM. She recommended utilizing personalized banners, pre-paid subscription plans, and exclusive bundles to convert one-time buyers into loyal subscribers. Sakshi also discussed using analytics to predict churn and tailor offers to high-value customers, ensuring retention beyond BFCM.

“Focus on acquiring subscribers who will stay beyond BFCM by creating irresistible offers that deliver value.” - Sakshi Jain

Mastering Upsells and Cross-Sells for Higher AOV

Ariyeh Even Haim: CEO & Co-Founder at ReConvert

Ariyeh highlighted how merchants can overcome rising acquisition costs during BFCM by optimizing every step of the customer journey. Reconvert enables brands to maximize revenue by implementing upsells during checkout, adding post-purchase offers, and transforming the thank-you page and order status page into revenue-generating opportunities. He emphasized that the thank-you page, often overlooked, can be reimagined to capture customer information, offer additional products, and increase average order value (AOV). Similarly, the order status page—which customers visit multiple times—provides an opportunity to re-engage and drive additional purchases.

“Don’t let your thank-you page be an exit door—use it to re-engage customers and drive more revenue.” - Ariyeh Even Haim

Keeping It Simple for Maximum Conversions

Kody Nordquist: ‍Founder at Nord Media

Kody advised brands to simplify their BFCM strategies. He says, “Simplicity is key – “Don't give people too much to think about.” Avoid using complex coupon codes, remove friction at checkout, and focus on straightforward sitewide discounts. Kody highlighted the value of email frequency during BFCM to stay top of mind and encourage repeat purchases. He also recommended launching new products in November to build excitement, which can aid in driving sales. Also leveraging VIP sales and exclusive offers to encourage new customers to come back and buy again,  creating a flywheel of customer loyalty and increased lifetime value. 

“Don’t give people too much to think about. The simpler the offer, the better—especially during BFCM when customers are inundated with choices.” - Kody Nordquist

Maximizing the Holiday Buying Frenzy

Nick Shackleford: Partner at BRĒZ

Nick emphasized how brands should be taking advantage of the buying frenzy that hits during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. He and his team believe you should keep it simple to reduce friction and encourage quick decisions. He stressed the importance of using straightforward tacts such as offers in dollars,$10 off instead of 10% off – to avoid making customers overthink the purchase. Nick also recommended sending a high volume of emails, mixing graphic emails with plain text to hit different segments of the audience.

"There’s something super special about the Black Friday weekend that puts people into a buying frenzy. If you can tap into that cultural moment, you’ll see a big uptick in conversions.” - Nick Shackleford

Scaling Quickly with Targeted Campaigns

Jeremy Horowitz: Co-founder & CEO at Let’s Buy a Biz

Jeremy emphasized the importance of launching BFCM campaigns early to capture customer attention before larger retailers dominate ad space. He also highlighted the potential of in-cart upsells, referring to them as “candy counter” offers – simple, low-cost add-ons that will drive impulse purchases. Jeremy recommended implementing these upsells both in-cart and during checkout to maximize average order value (AOV). He also stressed the importance of consistent promotions, explaining that sales boom when there’s active marketing but drop off when no promotion is attached.

"Keep it simple with impulse-driven offers in the cart or at checkout—these can dramatically boost sales during BFCM." - Jeremy Horowitz

Using Data-Driven Insights to Combat Chargebacks

Dan Moskovich: VP Marketing at Chargeflow

Dan shared findings from Chargeflow’s consumer survey, which revealed that communication delays are a top driver of chargebacks during the BFCM season. He emphasized that merchants need to respond within 24 hours to avoid disputes and use proactive solutions like automated chargeback alerts and real-time monitoring to stay ahead of potential issues. Dan also explained how Chargeflow’s AI-powered tools streamline the dispute process, making it easier for merchants to recover lost revenue and maintain a strong customer experience, even during peak periods.

“Consumers expect a response within 24 hours. Missing that window can result in unnecessary chargebacks.” - Dan Moshkovich

Key Takeaways:

• Start Early: Launch promotions before the peak BFCM weekend to capture customer attention and get ahead of large retailers dominating the ad space..
• Simplify Offers: Simplify discounts making everything easy to understand and reducing friction at checkout.
• Leverage Automation: Use AI and automation to handle customer inquiries, upsells, and chargebacks efficiently.
• Focus on Retention: Invest in your loyal customers with exclusive offers and personalized communication.
• Maximize Impulse Buys: Encourage impulse buys at checkout or in-cart to increase AOV.
• Optimize for Profit: Prioritize high-margin products in upsells and bundles to increase profitability.

Summed Up

The webinar provided invaluable insights for eCommerce brands looking to protect their profits and prepare for the holiday rush. From logistics and automation to customer loyalty and impulse-driven strategies, these experts shared their top tips to help you thrive during BFCM. If you’d like to watch the full webinar, you can do so here.

You’ve got the tools and tips now at your fingertips to help you navigate the busiest shopping season with confidence. Whether you’re going to enhance fulfillment efficiency, drive loyalty, or increase AOV, these strategies are sure to help you not only survive but thrive this BFCM season.

Thank you again to all our panelists, we appreciate you taking the time to help the eCommerce community thrive. 

This BFCM, Chargeflow is offering a special promotion of $10,000 in FREE CHARGEBACK MANAGEMENT. Let us handle your disputes, so you can focus on what matters most – customers and your growth!

Ready to make this your most profitable BFCM yet? Click here to learn more and take advantage of our offer.