Critical Tips to Ensure eCommerce Success during the Covid-19 Pandemic
With the world firmly in the clutches of Covid-19, things can seem pretty bleak. Between lockdowns and shelter in place orders, and entire nationwide shutdowns in some countries, it’s natural to wonder how your business will be able to stay afloat. For SMBs that have yet to explore their options, eCommerce is the solution, but you must do more than build a barebones website. The tips below will help ensure that you have the best chance for success.
Buyer Experience
When building an eCommerce site, the buyer experience should be your paramount focus. How easy is it for visitors to find the products they want? Do you have multiple, high-quality images of those products? Are your product descriptions both original and detailed? Is the checkout process simple and easy? Do you make it possible for customers to move from the shopping cart back to your product catalogue to add things they might have forgotten?
Shipping and Delivery
With so many people at home now due to COVID-19, the shipping industry is running beyond maximum capacity. It is still operating, but it is more complex today than it was just a couple of weeks ago. In order to achieve eCommerce success, you need to commit to providing your customers with the right shipping options, but also communicate the possibility that shipping delays will occur. However, as a local business, you have a distinct advantage over mega-eCommerce companies like Amazon, where the incredibly high number of orders has caused the company to completely re-prioritise what they sell and how they fulfil their orders.
Ability to Compete
Local businesses have been slow to compete with major companies on pricing, relying on other factors to propel sales. Today, you cannot afford not to compete with major eCommerce companies on price, but also on shipping. Find ways to reduce your costs for both in order to ensure that you are as competitive as possible. Thankfully, the delays that Amazon is experiencing are driving many would-be customers away and into the arms of waiting SMBs like yours.
Marketing
While your marketing budget might have been slashed, now is the time to double-down on messaging. You need to find the most cost-effective ways to do that, though. Google and Facebook ads offer plenty of immediate traction, but you need to ensure that your copy is compelling and that your landing page content speaks directly to the premise of the ad or you risk your audience jumping ship to a competitor.
Building an eCommerce site, figuring out shipping, ensuring competitive pricing, and communicating with your audience can be incredibly challenging even in the best of times. While the Covid-19 virus will eventually pass, you cannot afford to wait. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a robust eCommerce presence and connect with your audience through digital technology. You don’t need to lie down and wait for the inevitable. Build a stronger business today.
