Adjusting Your Brick and Mortar Business to an Online-Mode

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Adjusting Your Brick and Mortar Business to an Online-Mode

COVID-19 brought with it a series of quick adjustments, and for many entrepreneurs that included a scurry to develop their online business. Perhaps you had an existing digitized business and the pandemic required taking things up a notch, or perhaps you’re completely new to the eCommerce world and feel like a fish out of water. Read on for how to make sense of the shift in a manner that ensures your ongoing success.

Wow Them With Your Website

When all of your business is being conducted electronically, a stellar website is a must-have. Think about the things that make websites appealing when you interact with them, and you’ll see there are common essential characteristics. This includes things like an eye-catching and easy-to-use landing page, an attractive logo, and links to your most popular products.

In the rush to throw together a website, 3DCart says to avoid the most common mistakes business owners make when they jump into ecommerce. For instance, this is an opportunity to focus more fully on your niche market, so in your hurry to piece things together, don’t neglect honing in on your target. Having multiple shipping options is also a must, especially when you’re up against big retailers like Amazon and Walmart.

Customer Experience

Did we just hit a sensitive subject? Many small businesses feel like it’s impossible to levy their products and services against those retail giants, but the reality is that if you offer a superior customer experience, you can not only compete, but thrive—even in the midst of a pandemic. In fact, as Forbes points out, now is the time to be especially sensitive to the needs of your customers. Recognize some have lost loved ones or suffered with the illness that has driven all these changes, and work hard to ensure they are safe in giving you their trust.

This begins with ensuring your inventory system meshes seamlessly from suppliers to checkout. The last thing you want is to ship the wrong goods, run out of hot products, or be unable to meet their timeline. And when there is a problem, be ready to offer solutions that keep your customers not only satisfied, but happy enough to come back for more.

For some business owners, this can mean investing in superior training and personnel. Especially if funds are tight, or if you expect your ecommerce to ebb somewhat after restrictions lighten, one quick way into solid customer support staffing is with freelance help. Those who already know the ins and outs of properly pleasing customers can quickly learn your business’s policies, and if you love their work, you potentially have the option of keeping them on permanently.

Think Outside the Box

Beyond your website and support staff, think about what will give you an advantage over others who offer the same products and services you offer. Now is the perfect time to bring something more to the table. For instance, a subscription service that is easily manipulated by your customers ensures they not only get the products they want when they want them, but that they naturally gravitate to you for fulfilling their orders on a regular basis.

Another potential solution is to add a mobile application to your digital repertoire. As Carmatec explains, an app of your very own is loaded with benefits. It’s a chance to fine tune your offerings, build customer loyalty, and enhance brand recognition. A well-designed app funnels shoppers straight to your goods, and cuts the risk of them being sidetracked by the competition when they jump online to search for you. Instead, you’re a single tap away.

Transitioning to an entirely online-mode can be challenging, even if you already had a webpage up and running. Make sure your site performs in a manner that not only meets but exceeds your customers’ expectations, back that up with great service, and consider boosting your digital sales opportunities. When it’s time to reopen your doors, you’ll be in a prime position to do so comfortably.

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