There is no doubt that the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to adapt to a virtual setting.
With lockdowns and quarantine measures still being implemented. Macro and micro business owners have to thrive through ecommerce—a major driving force in the world economy.
Even before the pandemic, ecommerce has been booming. With online retailers, stay-at-home entrepreneurs, and social media influencers becoming reliable outlets for consumers.
According to Competera, traffic for online retailers reached 14.3 billion visits just from March 2020, exceeding the world population.
This paradigm will clearly continue to grow, even after lockdown restrictions are loosened.
As such, online store owners are presented with many opportunities for ecommerce growth that allows a steady income and places a firm footing over a continuously shifting consumer landscape.
Thus, you must consider these techniques for your ecommerce business to grow during the pandemic.
1. Grow your ecommerce business in the pandemic age: adapt to several online platforms
With more eyes now glued online. It is an opportune moment for businesses to utilize online platforms for exposure.
As such, ecommerce store owners should adopt omnichannel marketing on outlets that provide not only hefty traffic but also user-friendly functions. Ensure that each online platform has a definitive purpose for your business.
Social media sites can be used for announcements. Online photo galleries are suitable for product previews. Professional job sites appositely summarize your business’s details.
2. Accommodate customer feedback
Customer service is genuinely essential in the competition amongst ecommerce businesses. Hotlines, emails, and chatbots are designed to gather client concerns.
The more immediate online companies are to handling feedbacks—may they be positive or negative— the more reliable they become for clients.
However, feedback is also found beyond the trenches of forums from your ecommerce sites. They can also be found in product reviews, vlogs, and user ratings that considerably hype the business. Trust will soon be built with immediate customer accommodation.
3. Employ sensitivity in communicating with consumers
At this challenging period for consumers, it is ideal to be sensitive when handling customers.
Besides providing your products or services and accommodating their concerns. Ecommerce business owners should be patient and supportive of their potential clients.
For those providing hotlines or chat options, this is a crucial reminder. It goes beyond just a PR strategy to improve your business’ reputation. It paints an empathetic image that sticks to customers who rely on online outlets for service.
4. Capitalize on your business’ presentation
With the increasing number of ecommerce stores. It is a challenge for one to stand out over major players in the field. Thus, it boils down to which ecommerce store had the best representation in terms of aesthetics and style.
Any product or service can stand out just through visual presentation. It starts from your online store’s logo, down to the site. And for the finishing touch, the packaging extends the business’s ample service to its customers.
5. Start small yet productive marketing campaigns
Finding a foothold on social media channels bears much responsibility for ecommerce store owners since consumers commonly turn to those outlets for information. Thus, it is smart to utilize those channels for PR campaigns that emboldens your label.
While stylistic marketing campaigns are always doable to stretch promotion for products. At this time of health concerns, ecommerce business owners can stretch their clientele image with encouraging messages, business tips, and health endorsements. That way, their marketing becomes multi-faceted.
6. Market your personal experiences
One trend that grows during the pandemic is the increase of webinars.
Local and international companies offer free access to online seminars featuring guest speakers and company leaders who can share their professional insights. Ecommerce business owners can do the same.
Since business owners have to shift to an ecommerce format, established entrepreneurs may share their personal experiences in the digital landscape.
Likewise, you can do cross-promotion by imparting your business’ success, as well as citing product effectiveness as part of your success.
7. Cooperate with influencers
Social media trends would not be possible without their online influencers.
They usually can be found sharing photos, uploading vlogs, and incorporating personal thoughts in blog sites. Influencers have a strong following of fans worldwide, giving them a powerful foothold online.
Partnering with online influencers is an ideal tactic to get your platform across many audiences.
Ecommerce business owners can help support their channels. In return, online influencers can demonstrate their products on camera and endorse them with additional promos to their followers.
8. Monitor the movement in the supply chain
Without a doubt, the pandemic puts the world to a halt. It has affected many industries and breaking off the chain of trade.
Considering the limited travel and global transportation restrictions. It is challenging to transfer goods from one point to another.
For ecommerce store owners who have an inventory of goods or resources, always be alert about the global supply chain movement.
Make sure to stock an ample amount of goods to plan for unforeseen lockdowns and recession fallout.
9. Plan for ongoing changes
Speaking of planning, it is critical to set out future strategies for your ecommerce store to thrive in this unpredictable era for consumers.
Start it with a robust financial plan (i.e., insurance or loan) to safeguard your business portfolio.
Strategize a backup plan that allows the business to operate in case consumer demand falters, or additional transportation restrictions are implemented.
And importantly, allocate an appropriate budget whenever you set up discounts or promo during high demand.
Opportunities amidst the challenges
As ecommerce becomes the norm for aspiring business owners. It presents a tremendous opportunity to provide a feel-at-home yet professional quality.
And as the pandemic continues to change the consumer landscape, the best thing to retail apart from your ecommerce specialties is your image of customer empathy.
