Black Friday 2024: how to ensure the success of your ecommerce with performance tests
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two highly anticipated dates for e-commerce around the world. In Spain, a OCU study shows that only 6% of people will make purchases in person. 27% will shop online and 65% will shop both in person and online.A key factor that has contributed to the rise of online retailing is the now massive use of mobile devices that makes it possible to shop anytime, anywhere and at the click of a button.
In view of these data, it is crucial to have an ecommerce website that is able to support and service a large number of sales requests, at a very focused time and with acceptable performance (a user loses interest after more than 2 seconds of waiting).
Is our platform ready to withstand an avalanche of shoppers looking for the best deals?
Note that these situations occur at a known point in time, therefore, companies have a timetable to prevent and adopt all necessary measures.
What would happen if your ecommerce went down on Black Friday?
Let's imagine an example case: it's Black Friday, traffic on your website reaches a peak. But at the moment, our ecommerce cannot cope with the load and the server is down for 20 minutes:
1-Thousands of potential customers unsuccessfully try to gain access by not making a purchase.
2-Frustrated by the bad experience, they share their complaints on social media, which translates into a bad reputation and further loss of potential new customers.
If we make the assumption that every minute of downtime costs 2,000 euros in unrealised sales. In just those 20 minutes, we would have lost 40,000 euros directly, in addition to the bad reputation gained.
Major brands have suffered crashes on their platforms during critical sales moments, with devastating consequences. And everything can be avoided with proper preparation. This is where performance testingcomes in.
What is performance testing?
This type of testing evaluates a site's ability to handle large volumes of traffic and to ensure that it remains stable for various pre-set visitor volumes. Identify and resolve bottlenecks before it is too late. There are several types of tests:
- Load tests: Simulate an increasing number of simultaneous users to measure how your site responds to a massive influx of traffic.
- Stress tests: They push your system to the limit, beyond its normal capacity, to see how it performs under extreme pressure. This helps to identify the breaking point of your ecommerce and prepare a contingency plan.
- Scalability tests: Evaluate whether we can increase capacity as demands grow. We analyse how to scale the server resources or adjust the configuration to ensure a correct user experience.
- Stability tests: Simulate a constant load over an extended period of time to ensure that your site's performance remains stable during several hours of heavy traffic.
All these tests must be combined with two important aspects: reproducing customer behaviour and using all the channels through which they can access the site and make a purchase (mobiles, tablets, etc).
Platforms with cloud services
An ecommerce platform is composed of multiple elements that must work in a synchronised manner: databases, servers, applications, etc. All of this can be hosted on cloud services that enable auto-scaling (automatic start-up of another server) when the pressure of site demand grows and the user will be much more immune to malfunctions. On the other hand, we must not forget that a poorly designed site that demands continuous auto-scaling also translates into a considerable increase in the cost of resources. Therefore, such tests are equally necessary.
What can our consultant do for you?
At Izertis we are experts in performing specialised ecommerce performance testing, ensuring your site is ready to handle the volume of traffic you expect during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
We have a highly trained team to ensure the stability, scalability and speed of your platform in high traffic situations. Our customised approach ensures that each ecommerce receives the right treatment according to its infrastructure and needs. Not all platforms are the same, which is why we design and execute performance tests tailored specifically to your business.
Article written by: Asier Ibarreche Madariaga (Consulting Manager) and Diego Gómez Pais (Senior Consultant).