How Ecommerce Businesses Can Adapt Their Digital Marketing Strategy in the Post-COVID World?
Even though the global pandemic of COVID-19 has been challenging for many industries, it has had a profound impact on daily lives of people around the world and their shopping behaviour. People started the use internet more as a result of people staying home to limit the spread of the virus, and it has has spiked by up to 50%. But at the same time eCommerce conversion rates went down 14% which shows that even more people are online, they are not shopping because of uncertainties. These changing circumstances led many businesses to adapt their strategies and found new ways of connecting to their target audience.
So while it distrupted the whole industry, this crisis has also brought some opportunities for businesses to thrive and many long-term positive results for ecommerce industry. Many people who have not shopped online before, have been forced to find new ways to shop and they have realized how convenient online shopping can be.
The effects of this pandemic will continue to shape the industry for a long time and businesses should acknowledge the need to be flexible in times like these to keep up with the competitive landscape. And as customers adapt, businesses need to follow through and respond quickly.
Here are some actions businesses can take during uncertain times like these:
Invest in Effective Online Advertising Strategy
A recent survey found out that only 8% of consumers believe that brands should stop advertising due to the Coronavirus outbreak. () Ecommerce businesses have seen a spike in their visitors during the pandemic and they have now even better chance to increase their online visibility.
Using online advertising tools like Google Shopping Ads or Facebook Ads can increase web traffic and product visibility. These platforms have many tools to help businesses place their product and services right in front of their target audience with their enhanced targeting capabilities.
And during uncertain times, since many businesses stop their online advertising it could be seen that cost per click may go down which can be leveraged by ecommerce businesses who would like to increase their traffic and revenue to turn it into their advantage.
Increase Organic Reach with Quality Content
For an effective long term strategy having quality content on their websites is crucial for many businesses. Having an effective SEO strategy will help to increase traffic organically in a cost-effective way even in times of uncertainty. As the internet usage has increased and will continue to do so due to changing customer behavior, people will continue to look for products and services online so it’s important for businesses to be included in the search results.
Homepages are the new storefronts so having all the information the consumers are looking for will be crucial for a business’s success. Also with the latest technologies such as voice technology, people are using their smart devices to look for information so assessing their content online in terms of voice search requirements can give businesses a competitive advantage. Businesses also need to make sure their website’s mobile speed is optimized and the website navigation is user friendly to keep their visitors on their page longer.
Be More Social and Connect with Your Audience
During times of uncertainty and change, customers are even more likely to get more updates and news from the brands they follow. As more people are spending time online and on social channels, it’s even more crucial for businesses to be present on the platforms their target audience is using.
Answering the questions of their followers, giving them updates on the changing shipping conditions, or announcing new promotions are great ways to use social channels because people would like to be informed while going through unprecedented times. So social media platforms can be a really effective tool to connect with their audience for eCommerce brands and give credible and helpful information they need.
Keep it Consistent through Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great way to reach out to current and potential customers and inform them about any business updates as often times people check their emails more often than they check their social media channels. Also, email marketing is very effective in shopping behaviour as 59% of the people say that email marketing impacts their purchasing decisions. So when going through unpredictable circumstances, it’s even more crucial for businesses to let their audience know about a new product that may help them or a recent promotion they are having.
Emails can also be personalized which is something that most consumers look for in brands they connect with. And also through emails, brands can really provide transparency and information about changing conditions of their business such as updated delivery times and stock issues. It’s important to also be honest with customers in times of crisis and have real-time and honest communication which will help immensely in customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customers would rather be informed about a late delivery than not knowing when they will receive their order.