Speed · Forms · Offer · Google hours
Black Friday is Friday, November 27, 2026, about six weeks from now. For a lot of local businesses, the weeks around it are the busiest of the year.
Potential clients will be looking you up, checking your hours, and comparing offers. Much of that happens on a phone, before anyone walks in the door.
You don’t need a new website to be ready. Six weeks is plenty of time for a tune-up.
Here are the four areas I’d look at first, plus a checklist you can work through this week.
1 Make sure your site is quick on a phone
If a page is slow, jumpy, or hard to read, many people simply go back and tap the next business.
Try this
Pull up your own site on your phone, on cellular data instead of Wi-Fi, and look at it the way a potential client would:
- Does the home page load in a few seconds, not a long wait?
- Can you read the text without pinching or zooming?
- Are the buttons and menus easy to tap with a thumb?
- Is anything cut off, overlapping, or hidden on the small screen?
Common culprits
Oversized photos, extra plugins, and pop-ups. Shrinking a few large images is often an easy win.
2 Test your checkout and contact forms (for real)
This is the one I’d do today. Forms break quietly: an old email address, a plugin update, or a spam filter can send messages nowhere while the site looks fine.
Before the rush
- Fill out your own contact form on your phone, as if you were a customer. Check your inbox and spam folder a few minutes later.
- If you sell online, place a small test order from start to finish. Make sure the cart, payment, and confirmation email all work, and that the order shows up on your end.
- Tap your phone number on your site from a phone and make sure it starts a call.
- Confirm someone is watching messages over the holiday weekend.
If something doesn’t work
That’s the most important fix on your list. It’s usually a quick one.
3 Put your holiday offer where people can see it
If you’re running a holiday special, don’t make potential clients hunt for it. It’s easy to post the offer on Facebook and forget the website, so someone clicking through from Google sees nothing about it.
What to add
- A short banner or section near the top of your home page with the offer, the dates, and what to do next (“Shop the sale,” “Book your appointment,” “Visit us on Main Street”).
- A button that goes to the right page and works on a phone.
- A reminder to take it down (or update it) when the offer ends. An expired offer still on the home page in January doesn’t help anyone.
Dates worth mentioning
If you’re open on Small Business Saturday (November 28) or running something for Cyber Monday (November 30), say so in the same spot.
4 Update your Google Business Profile for the holidays
For many local businesses, the Google listing is the first impression, and holiday hours are where it often goes wrong.
Someone sees “Open,” drives over, and finds the door locked.
Holiday hours
Add your special holiday hours in your Google Business Profile for Thanksgiving Day (November 26), Black Friday, the weekend, and any other days that differ from normal.
Posts, basics, and reviews
- Publish a post about your holiday offer with a clear photo, the dates, and a link to the page on your website. Google Business Profile has an “Offer” post type that works well for this.
- Check the basics: name, address or service area, regular hours, phone, and website link should all be right and should match your website and Facebook page.
- Reply to recent reviews. It shows potential clients there’s a real, attentive person behind the business.
Your holiday website tune-up checklist
A blank box isn’t a failure; it’s your to-do list.
Mobile speed
- My home page loads on my phone in a few seconds, on cellular data
- Text is readable without zooming, and buttons are easy to tap
Forms and checkout
- I filled out my own contact form, and the message reached my inbox
- I placed a test order (if I sell online), and the confirmation came through
- Tapping my phone number on my site starts a call
- Someone is checking messages over the holiday weekend
Holiday offer
- My offer is near the top of the home page, with dates and a clear next step
- I’ve set a reminder to update or remove the offer when it ends
Google Business Profile
- Holiday hours are entered for every day that differs from normal
- I published a holiday post with a photo and a link to my site
- My name, address, hours, phone, and website match everywhere
- I replied to my recent reviews
Accessibility basics
- Text has strong contrast, and form fields have visible labels
- Important images (especially product photos and buttons) have short alt text
Want a second set of eyes before the rush?
The earlier you start, the more room there is to fix things before Thanksgiving week.
Start with the free 10-Minute Website Check
It’s a printable checklist that walks you through getting found on Google and Maps, how your site works on a phone, how easy you are to contact, and a few accessibility basics.
Prefer to go through it together?
Book a free 30-minute call and I’ll look at your site and your Google listing with you. You’ll leave with one clear next step. If you can, grab a time this week, or email jube@netmediaconsultants.com.
Want a closer look at accessibility?
Our Accessibility Scan & Report is $197. We scan your site against the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines and send a plain-language report of what needs attention, in order of importance. It’s billed by PayPal invoice, and the full $197 is credited toward any fixes you choose. The goal is a site more people can use, with less accessibility risk.
Jube Dankworth has built websites since 1999 and founded Net Media Consultants in 2001. We’re rooted in Houston, serving businesses across the US. Questions? Email jube@netmediaconsultants.com.
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