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More than a year has passed since the pandemic first hit, and yet the online shopping game is stronger than ever.
Due to travel restrictions, many businesses have been making the best of the situation, adapting themselves to become more accessible online. From customer service to “window shopping,” user experience and establishing an online presence has been one of their many priorities nowadays.
These eventually lead to the ultimate objective, which is to make a sale. Something about it is working as a surge in online shopping was noticed the past year. This included both needs and wants. It’s an interesting trend, but will it still be around after the pandemic?
A Continued Rise in 2022
It seems like the vigor of online shopping isn’t going to die down any time soon. Sources predict that 2022 is potentially the first trillion-dollar year for the e-commerce industry, mostly attributing it to the pandemic’s “extra boost” as consumers flock to online shopping for their daily needs and more. The unprecedented number of online shoppers coupled with new buyer preferences and behaviors prompt e-commerce companies to improve their virtual services.
But what assurance is there that this trend will outlive the pandemic? Experts predict that we are more likely to see the current consumption patterns even after the pandemic. Who wouldn’t when the online purchasing and delivery experience is being made as smooth as it can be in these times? If something works, it’ll stick. And it seems like the same is true for e-commerce and online shopping.
If someone were to boil it down, the two prominent factors that play a big role in e-commerce are digitalization and logistics services. Considering the travel restrictions most especially, it makes sense that these two are important.
Smart Shopping and Delivery
With modern problems come modern solutions. With mobility and travel being restricted, automation and technology are making up for it. Other than the user experience being improved, originally, non-e-commerce establishments are making the shift to the digital space to keep up with the times.
Grocery companies are using software and hand-held devices, experimenting with technologies that trace workers’ routes through the store and measure their speed and accuracy. These are metrics typically seen in warehouse jobs, just applied to local grocer aisles. These tools aim to increase productivity, cost-efficiency, and convenience while completing tens of millions of orders a week. What was previously grocery clerks are now called pickers, those who do the grocery shopping for others with the help of technology.
Your small, local mom-and-pop shops are following suit as they try to set up an online presence and extend their services to curbside pickup and delivery. In this scenario, the customer delivery experience can bear heavyweight in repurchasing decisions of customers. But the real challenge is brand awareness and reaching and diversifying the target market.
Fortunately, supporting local businesses became a trend, thus giving exposure and wider reach for small, local businesses. With extended services, an established online presence, and a loyal customer base, small businesses have a good chance at thriving even after the pandemic.
Modified and Improved Transactions
Businesses have been focusing their efforts on improving their channels and platforms, specifically for a better end-user experience. With the help of front-end developer tools, a business’s store, website, app, and customer communication channels, customers’ purchase experience become more enjoyable, convenient, and reliable. Many small businesses think of this as nothing but some techy jargon, but it’s more than that. A good experience factors in the person’s decision to make a purchase, and that’s an angle many thriving e-commerce businesses are leveraging.
Front-end developer tools help make an easy-to-use, user-friendly, and attractive experience. A positive experience makes a customer happy, and a happy customer may later become a loyal one.
Social Media Marketing
With all this talk of going online and shifting to digitalization comes marketing. Go where everyone else is: online. Investing in social media efforts makes more sense than ever, and its importance is brought to light in these times. Many businesses are integrating their business model heavily on social media platforms. Strategies and plans include social media marketing and campaigns. It’s a relatively free avenue for marketing, and businesses are using it to their advantage.
The Takeaway
Keeping up with the times is a muscle many businesses should have as a skill, especially when it has a domino effect on the future operations’ performance. It’s profitable to be flexible. An even if the learning curve can seem sharper because of the times, it’s still a curve worth conquering.
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