One of the aspects of inbound marketing that I love is the great technology we get to use. Inbound marketers would be pulling even more of their hair out if we didn't have great apps, websites, and tools at our disposal. I like to carry that reliance of technology over to the day-to-day activities I do outside of work as well. Call me a nerd, but technology can make your life much easier at times.
Black Friday is just one of those times. We've been attacked by Black Friday ads and deals for the past few weeks. It's insane, there are deals everywhere! You can try busting out the Black Friday flyers and circling what you want but that will end in an unorganized mess. It's the 21st century people! The best way to shop on Black Friday is with technology, specifically with mobile apps. Using mobile apps on Black Friday will help you organize, plan, and get the best deals possible. All of the apps below will work with Android and iOS devices. To download the apps just copy and past the at name into the search bar for your app store.
Black Friday App by Dealnews.com
This Black Friday app is straightforward and easy to navigate. You can either sort deals by store or by category. There's also a section in the app devoted to "hot" deals that may be only available for a limited time. I like the ability to search deals by store because it doesn't give you the entire store's ad to page through. This app breaks the deals down by individual products. The app gives detailed information on each product such as if it's a door buster and if the deal is available online as well. Once you find a product that you want to keep an eye on, simply select "save" to populate your own list of products within the app.
Black Friday 2013 Ads App by Sazze, Inc.
Sazze, Inc.'s app isn't as straightforward as the app by Dealnews.com. The best part of this app is the news stream. This is the place to find great deals that are for a limited time, especially
online deals. Sazze, Inc. provides a link to every online deal so you can purchase products as you wait in line at the brick and mortar stores. There's also a section for deals by store and category but the navigation isn't very straightforward. You can view a digital scan of each store's Black Friday flyer as well, but that seems to defeat the purpose of using a mobile app.
Black Friday by BradsDeals
You're not going to find any bells and whistles on this app. This is probably the best choice for the shopper who just wants to sit on the couch after eating some turkey and just browse ads. Each store's ad is shown and below the app is a scrollable list of products on that page of the ad. It's great for browsing but it can take a while to find what you're looking for if you've never seen the ad before. Like I said earlier, I'd just use this app for browsing instead of actual shopping.
Amazon Price Check
This app is great all year long, not just on Black Friday. You can use this app to scan the barcode of almost any item and see what Amazon's price is. This will be great on Black Friday since Amazon will have pretty much everything on sale. In-store quantities will be limited, but Amazon usually has a beefy inventory of popular items. I'm often surprised at how much cheaper Amazon is for almost everything but you'll have to wait a week or two to receive your order. Keep that in mind if you're looking for Christmas gifts!
Shop Till You Drop
Now you've got the low-down on some of the best apps for Black Friday. All you need to do now is plan your attack, get some coffee ready, and prepare yourself to see consumers fight for deals. Friendships will be lost, family ties may be broken, but it's all in the name of saving a few dollars. If you don't feel like putting up with all of that then there is always Cyber Monday. Who wants to sit in the comfort of their home and shop though?