Business Success in times of COVID-19
From Brick-and-Mortar to E-Commerce in 4 steps
August 23, 2020
Over the last few months, a new Coronavirus has been spreading everywhere, causing a huge impact not only on people’s lives, but also on the global economy.
As the pandemic continues to expand, local governments had to impose drastic measure such as lockdowns and the usage of protective equipment to slow down the spread, in an effort to save as many lives as possible.
Though, without any doubt, nothing is more important than saving lives, the future of many Brick-and Mortar businesses is at risk.
Or is it Not?
With the lockdown situation caused by Coronavirus, buying habits of people has been drastically changed and the number of daily online buyers is on the rise.
Some of the biggest online merchants like Amazon and Noon have recorded a 25-30% (and growing) spike in sales over the past few months, while Carrefour has stated a 59% growth in online sales since the beginning of COVID-19 crisis.
With those numbers in mind, and if you wish to maintain your business and secure its future success, it is time to join the E-Commerce community.
It might seem hard or complicated to join this journey; however, following these 4 steps can change your mind.
1. Establish an Online Presence: Set Up a Website to Develop Your Online Storefront
There are two ways for you to do so…
a- Easier way is to choose one of the many available off-the-shelf tools such as Shopify and WooCommerce and set up an online store or integrate with large platforms such as Amazon or AliExpress.
b- Better way is to set up your own online store and link it to your domain. It will get you bigger exposure of your brand/product identity rather than integrating it with large platforms who tend to dissolve that identity by placing products in direct competition with cheaper, more generic products.
2. Comply with The Local Laws
Before you kick off with the operational part of the business, make sure that you have a valid trade license. We also recommend having someone with legal experience on your side to help define the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies for your online store. Online shopping has its pros and cons, so you want to make sure you are on the safe side at any time.
3. Establish Your Operations: Partner with an E-Commerce Logistics Player
Establishing the right E-Commerce operations is one of the most crucial and complex steps when shifting to E-Commerce that comes both with financial and operational burdens.
Renting out and setting up a warehouse can be costly and time consuming. On top of that, managing the same requires a specific set of skills supported with technology solutions.
If this sounds too complicated and you are thinking to drop the idea all together, relax and let us tell you this is where Safe Arrival as your trusted logistics partner comes into play.
We can manage all your operations, from storage to picking, packing and delivery by simply integrating with your online store. As your partner we want to do more, so we even customize our solutions based on your business requirements.
With the hardest step covered, there remains only one thing to do…
4. Generate Traffic: Partner with E-Commerce Marketing Firms and Influencers
Due to the current situation, consumers can only get exposed to your brands and products through online marketing and advertising efforts.
In light of social distancing, high penetration of social media has increased consumers’ screen time on different social medial channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube,making them a perfect opportunity for your online marketing push.
Now all you must do is START.
We wish you a HAPPY journey!