It’s October 29th. Halloween is basically here.
In 48 hours, your inbox is going to be a full-on promo battlefield.
Everyone and their brother will be pushing Black Friday deals, Cyber Monday specials, and year-end offers. The competition is about to get INTENSE.
Here’s the thing most people don’t realize…
They wait until the week of Black Friday to get their stuff together. Then they end up scrambling to fix broken links, set up tracking, and polish their offers while trying to compete with every other marketer on the planet.
That’s backwards.
Smart business owners run a quick audit NOW, fix what’s broken, and get their house in order so they can sell more and stress less during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Whether you’re selling your own products, promoting affiliate offers, or offering coaching services, this checklist applies to you.
If you check these 7 things off this week, you’ll enter November 10 steps ahead of most of your competition.
Before we jump in – you can download a printable version of this checklist right here!
Let’s dive in…
1. Check for Broken Links & Slow Pages
Here’s what’s about to happen: You’ll be driving more traffic than usual to your sites and offers. Every second of load time and every broken link equals lost money.
When someone clicks your Black Friday email and gets a 404 error or waits 8 seconds for your page to load, they’re gone. And they’re not coming back.
Action steps:
- Test your sales pages, checkout links, and thank-you pages
- Run your key pages through PageSpeed Insights
- Use a free tool like BrokenLinkCheck.com to scan your site
Tips by business type:
Ecommerce: Check that your product variants work, your cart functions properly, and your checkout process is smooth.
Affiliates: Double-check all your affiliate links, especially ones with tracking codes. Test them from different devices.
Coaches: Make sure your calendar booking system or contact forms still work perfectly.
2. Confirm Pixel + Email Tagging Is Set Up
No tracking equals no data. No data means no retargeting and no smart follow-ups.
You’re about to spend money driving traffic. Make sure you can actually track what happens to that traffic so you can optimize and retarget.
Action steps:
- Verify your Facebook Pixel, Google Analytics, or TikTok Pixel is firing correctly
- Make sure opt-ins are tagged correctly in your email tool
- Test your conversion events – don’t assume they work
Extra tip: Install Meta Pixel Helper or Google Tag Assistant to verify everything is working.
For affiliates: If you’re using a bridge page, tag click-throughs so you can build custom audiences.
For coaches: Tag prospects by interest level so you can send more tailored follow-ups.
3. Run the “Offer Clarity” Test
If someone can’t understand what you’re offering in 5 seconds, they bounce. Period.
With everyone promoting deals, your offer needs to be crystal clear from the moment someone lands on your page.
Action steps:
- Open your sales page and ask: Would a complete stranger know what this is for – and why it matters – in the first scroll?
- Rewrite your headline to focus on the outcome, not just the product type
- Add visual proof or clear bullet points that explain the benefits
Ecommerce: Highlight key benefits like “Ships free,” “Limited run,” or “Best seller.”
Affiliate: Don’t just say “Tool X is great” – explain why it matters RIGHT NOW.
Coaches: Make the result of your service tangible and specific.
4. Polish Your Bonus Stack or Upsell Flow
With everyone running promos, bonuses give you the edge.
Your competition is offering 20% off. You need something that makes people say “I HAVE to get this deal.”
Action steps:
- Bundle relevant add-ons (templates, guides, extra products)
- Add them prominently to your product or pitch page
- Create a bonus delivery plan (thank-you email, download folder, access link)
Ecommerce: Try BOGO offers or free gifts with purchase.
Affiliate: Offer your own bonus stack – bonus training, swipe files, exclusive content that complements the main offer.
Coaches: Include bonus calls, free audits, or fast-action perks for people who sign up during your promotion window.
5. Test Mobile Optimization
Most holiday traffic comes from mobile devices. If your stuff looks broken on a phone, you’re losing sales.
People are browsing deals while standing in line, during lunch breaks, and lounging on the couch. Your entire funnel needs to work perfectly on mobile.
Action steps:
- Test your site, checkout process, and emails on your actual phone
- Fix weird line breaks, button stacking, and slow-loading images
- Make sure your call-to-action buttons are easy to tap with a thumb
Bonus tip: Run a heatmap tool like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity to see exactly how people interact with your mobile site.
This applies across all business types – no exceptions.
6. Double-Check Your Deadline Logic & Timers
Scarcity drives action, but timers that don’t work destroy trust.
Nothing kills credibility faster than a “Limited Time” countdown that resets every time someone visits your page, or deadline emails that don’t match your actual offer expiration.
Action steps:
- Test any countdown timers or “limited time” logic
- Make sure your upsell deadlines align with your actual email sequences
- If you’re using Deadline Funnel or similar tools, confirm they work across all your pages
Pro tip: Use email merge tags to personalize deadline language (“Your bonus expires in 3 hours, [First Name]”).
For coaches: Even if you don’t do “hard sales,” you can still limit spots or bonus access.
For affiliates: Use urgency without being misleading – for example, “My bonus expires, but the main offer stays live.”
7. Check Deliverability & Email Readiness
If your emails hit spam folders or promotions tabs, no one sees your offers.
Email is going to be your primary sales channel during the holidays. You need to make sure your messages actually reach people’s inboxes.
Action steps:
- Test your subject lines using Mail Tester or GlockApps
- Send test emails to multiple email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.)
- Clean your email list NOW – remove cold leads and potential spam traps
For affiliates: Add plain-text versions to every promotional email.
For ecommerce: If you’re sending high volume, warm up your IP by sending content emails this week.
For coaches: Start engaging with your audience now so they’re primed and expecting your promotional content.
You’re Not Late. You’re Just Smart.
Here’s the truth: Most people don’t audit anything. They just wing it and hope for the best.
By doing this audit now, you’re giving yourself more control and creating less chaos when things get crazy in November.
You don’t need to be perfect. Even if you only fix 2-3 of these items, you’ll gain significant ground on your competition.
The businesses that thrive during the holidays aren’t necessarily the ones with the best products or the biggest budgets. They’re the ones that prepare properly and execute smoothly when everyone else is scrambling.
Ready to tackle this audit? Want a printable version of this checklist to keep by your desk?
