Obviously, Covid-19 affected all of us, the biggest “event” of 2020. Restaurants, movie theaters, restaurants, pubs are closing down and everybody’s social distancing. Hence, working remotely is very common since most cities and countries are under lockdown. People are now relying on online shopping to avoid going outside and being infected with the virus. E-commerce is needed now than ever before.
You would assume that with this pandemic going on all over the world, online retailers would blow up in revenue and as a consumer, you would demand high-quality customer service. In fact, 39% of Southeast Asian consumers are concerned about delivery cost and services and the reliability of the reviews. One of the mistakes some sellers are making is that they will keep selling goods that are not needed, they need to adapt to the situation and change their offering.
We’re going to analyze some of the improvements you need to make to your store and strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic to help optimize sales.
1. Meets customer demand
This is the most critical aspect to remember during the Covid-19 pandemic. Perhaps the items you are currently selling are insignificant to the needs of the customer. Keep what you think will be most needed during this period and takedown needless products.
Such examples are that you are selling travel accessories, to avoid this loss in sales, you would need to remove these products to adapt to the current situation. A perfect product to market, for example, is a hand sanitizer or anything used at home. After the pandemic has died down, you should consider whether this kind of product can remain in your stores or it is becoming obsolete.
2. Run ads during Covid-19
With the Covid-19 pandemic going on, you need to change your marketing angle. Instead of demonstrating how cheap your goods are, consider making ads about how your products can benefit consumers during the pandemic but DO NOT stop your current ads campaign since stopping all our current ads in these difficult times is not the way to go. These ads are to keep your momentum going and to retain your current prospective customers.
If you have a fan page, you can get creative and post about your products but from a coronavirus related angle. You can offer free shipping to get your visitors invested in your products or, for example, 15% off for every $50.
3. Subscriptions program
Customer retention is crucial throughout the Covid-19 cycle. If you don’t have a subscription service or any other reward program, it is recommended that you execute any of them during this period.
It is important to prevent new customers from being a one-time thing. The Subscriptions Program is a perfect way to do that. You’ve already seen them being used for a variety of goods in various markets. To do this when a new customer buys your product, lead them to an email sequence that pushes them to subscribe during and even after the pandemic.
4. Expand your online store
If you are experiencing a reduction in sales because of the Covid-19 pandemic, then you would need to think about expanding your store to other marketplaces. If you are already on Shopee then try Lazada and vice versa. There’s a variety of marketplaces, all with new potential customers for your business.
Omisell allows you to manage different marketplaces using one platform or one place. You can use Omisell to handle your multi-channel sales and inventory for you. Omisell will sync all your inventory from several platforms, such as Lazada and Shopee. This will help you keep your customers satisfied and avoid overselling.
>>> Read more: Tips And Strategies For Multi-Channel Sales In South East Asia
5. Write content/blogs
Content marketing in eCommerce takes time to create a stable traffic blog, this is why it is not focused on as much as other marketing strategies. But during the pandemic gives you time to write blogs. In the blogs, you can add links to your products, this way if the visitors are interested in your products, they can easily click on the links to buy them, this could be a way to increase your conversion rate.
Final Thoughts
Covid-19 has influenced the eCommerce industry in a variety of ways. Some companies may experience a major decline in sales. It doesn’t mean that they can’t do anything about it and let their company fail. Make sure to try out the tips in this blog to respond to the current Covid-19 pandemic and make a comeback for your business.
>>> Read more: Guides on How To Build A Successful Shopee Business Model In 6 Steps
>>> Read more: Tips To Promote Selling On Ecommerce Platform
>>> Read more: How To Increase Sales In Shopee With These 3 Features