NAVIGATING THE “NEW NORMAL” IN ECOMMERCE
Navigating the new normal in eCommerce is not something to push to the wayside any longer. Let’s get right into using digital marketing and eCommerce practices to your advantage.
Must-haves
Solid online shop
An effective virtual marketplace or online store to supplement your brick and mortar, should it exist, is an integral facet to your overall setup. If you’re a budding brand with goals to grow outside of operating from your kitchen or garage, you may already know that this should be your first step past defining your business plan and finalizing products. We could go on and on about this process, but we’ve already summed up these tips which you can check out here if this item is missing from your strategic plan.
A consistent, effective marketing plan
The simple act of creating a virtual marketplace or online store will not satisfy all requirements for success. Sorry, y’all, this is not a Field of Dreams situation. But, if you plan it, they just might come to visit the store and purchase your product or service! Implementing an annual marketing plan, or at least a template that can guide you through the year, will help you be more prepared in the future to generate success and add in new, creative ideas with little effort.
When shoppers return to perusing in-store, its important to have a customer service plan that’s detailed and communicates all necessary information to your staff and customers.
A customer service plan
Your customer service plan may be part of the marketing efforts, however, it’s worth dedicating specific time to emphasize the importance of a strong customer service plan. Take time to prepare what we like to call “canned responses” for frequently asked questions or scenarios you might encounter that are specific to your business. These responses will help make it easier to respond quickly, whether it be by social media, email, or even over the phone. These canned responses should also come with an action plan. What do we do when a customer reaches out about a missing package? Or, when the link to your clearance sale page is broken? While one-off situations may occur with answers that aren’t readily available, the added confidence of a fully stocked arsenal of proactive responses will support you, your staff, and your customers properly with success and the desire to remain or become a loyal customer.
Forget Me Nots
Be as realistic and updated as possible
Online shoppers heavily rely on imagery when it comes to shopping for physical products. For services, a detailed explanation of what comes with the listed price value and how to obtain it is equally crucial. In order to meet those needs, we recommend investing in creating realistic presentations of your business offerings. This could be as simple as high quality, up-close photos, or as sophisticated as a product demonstration video or 360-degree view of a product. Whatever is within your wheelhouse, you can essentially achieve this with a smartphone. Check out our blog on how to run an effective Livestream for relevant tips and tricks.
Be agile and innovative
We’ve learned that creativity and innovation is not only a great skill but a survival tool crucial to the sustainability of brands. We’d like to add the concept of being agile to that toolbox as well. The ability to navigate an industry with grace and speed, while scaling through innovation along the way, often makes or breaks many businesses. All of this is achievable through the power of - you guessed it - planning. Once again, we’re met with the need to be prepared, which isn’t necessarily a bad practice. As we mentioned in our blog about business continuity planning, our hope is that we will never actually have to implement many of these prepared plans. However, it’s comforting to be ready when you least expect it, as these plans will help you overcome obstacles. Your plan may not include the specific line items “be agile” or “be innovative,” but it should include “if-then” practices that are broad, yet effective when a specific need arises. What happens when there is a disruption in finances? Loss of inventory or storefront? When we are forcibly shut down for the safety of our community due to a global pandemic? Ok, the last one is a bit specific, but the idea is there.
Stay Authentic
Most shoppers appreciate a certain level of transparency and closeness with their favorite stores and brands. Whether it be a big box or a local business, that brief, somehow the personal connection between user and brand is a highly valuable yet underrated experience. A gesture as simple as responding to a message on Instagram or as complex as a birthday discount email has the potential to really make a difference in a user’s day. Though warm and fuzzies are always encouraged, the authenticity of your brand also extends to the realm of discomfort. This means lost packages, incomplete payments, damaged goods, etc. need to be equally treated with transparency and authenticity as you would with a happy customer. An honest explanation that is delivered quickly and with a gentle hand can let a user know that they are still interacting with a human, who not only cares about their product but cares about the user’s experience as well. And that, we hope, leads to another happy, loyal customer! With that said, let’s talk about effective communication.
Communicate proactively, not reactively.
Now that we have constructed plans and set goals and intentions, it’s time to implement when and where possible. For starters, we recommend gathering some of these plans onto pages to be listed in the footer section of your website, listed as the “FAQ Page” or “Terms & Policies.” These will be great landing pages to direct shoppers and engaged users who may have questions about your policies and how it works when shopping your brand. However, we would recommend keeping the marketing and customer service plans stored on a shared drive that only your staff can access, as those are your secret weapons that should be guarded as such.
Conclusion
How and what works for you as a business to successfully navigate this “new normal” may look completely different from your neighbor’s. However, it is our hope that these reminders of fundamental needs to succeed will empower businesses across the spectrum of industries, no matter how big or small. As a community, we feel it's part of our duty as a business to share our knowledge and help others as best we can because the success of one is truly a victory for many.
If you’re looking to create your own victories and need assistance, reach out and contact us today.
