Black Friday and Cyber Monday are still months away, but it's never a bad idea to plan in advance for the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Adobe Analytics reports that Black Friday online sales surged almost 7.5% last year up to $9.8 billion, and this year looks to be no different.

That means now is the perfect time to start generating buzz around your products and upcoming deals. Then, once Black Friday is here, your company will be top of mind when your customers are looking for the best sales.

Planning ahead also helps ensure you have enough time to test site functionality, hire additional help if needed, and get your inventory ready to go. But more on that in a bit.

First, let's look at some more concrete reasons why planning ahead is such good advice.