Techssocial | As we are aware of the effects of COVID-19 around the world and how destructive it is. COVID-19 crisis makes lots of things difficult for humans and creates several barriers for success & growth business industries. Due to it, all eCommerce business owners are trying to figure out the best way to avoid such recession and keep the eCommerce Business progressive.
In the case of eCommerce Business, success is highly based on the digital marketing strategy. A good marketing strategy can be built by focusing on the market conditions, the behavior of customers, competitors’ actions, and so on. In the upcoming paragraphs, you can get introduced to some essentials.
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Variation In Customer’s Behaviour With COVID-19 Conditions
To understand the behavior of customers, you have to be focused on lots of things such as – effect of coronavirus, market condition, preferences of buyers, and so on. These stats are changing consistently with increasing or decreasing COVID-19 effects. The following details contain information about different stages of COVID-19 and related factors to understand its impact and form a good strategy.
Stage 1: Conditions Are Not So Critical
It is the first stage, where infection enters your region or area. In the beginning, it is limited to a specific area or does not start affecting the public in a larger portion. In these conditions, the government tries to keep the public calm and make them understand. For maintaining the situation perfectly, they are trying to apply a few restrictions by which the economy cannot get affected and the prevention of Coronavirus can be possible.
These actions of the government lead to some changes in the audience’s buying behavior. Now, they start focusing on healthcare and food products more such as –
- Masks
- Toiletries
- Groceries
- Frozen food
- Hand sanitizer
If you are dealing with fast-moving goods, groceries, healthcare, and wellness kind of products, then you can see a boom in sales at this stage.
Stage 2: Pressure On Healthcare And Medical Facility
The second stage hits the market and public with some strictness by the government such as – a rule of social distancing. Under such restrictions, travel, live entertainment, hospitality, and some other industries get affected badly. The focus of buyers now starts shifting from traveling, fashion, gifts, and accessories to medical & healthcare and livelihood products only.
Here, the medical system also starts facing some challenges. The people start engaging with in-home entertainment sources and social media platforms more. During this particular stage, it is good to be focused on social media awareness and advertising for generating leads and boosting conversions.
Stage 3: Restrictions On Borders (Domestic & International) & Lockdown Or Curfew
At this stage, COVID-19 starts spreading quickly and causing lots of damage. The majority of residents like to stay inside instead of visiting other places or traveling anywhere. As per the government rules, no one can come outside the house if they are not in an emergency or critical conditions. In the case of traveling, everyone has to face strict rules & regulations.
In case you are going to estimate the time duration of this particular stage, then it is in effect for a long time period. Everyone proceeds with such guidelines until the effects of Coronavirus don’t start showing decreasing trends. Here, people start relying on eCommerce as much as they can. With it, the time they spend on using social media gets increased gradually.
It can be a great time for eCommerce platforms to promote their services and grab the attention of the audience as per their interest quickly.
Stage 4: Decreasing Trends Of COVID-19 Effects
After a long period of time in stage 3, now there are some relaxations given by the government such as – decreasing effects of social distance policy. Decrease the effects of strictness and provide some relaxation in essentials like – education, retail stores, and other necessities. After a short period of time, the permission is also granted to cinemas, restaurants, hospitality, and some other sectors.
The behavior of people is completely different as compared to previous conditions. Now, everyone tries to avoid such things and be safe. Due to it, many people are still trying to get the required stuff by using online sources.
To maintain consistency in sales during this particular situation, you should try to provide some impressive offers on the eCommerce platform that may not allow your customers to get distracted.
Stage 5: Infection Starts Decreasing At Higher Rates
It is the last stage, where the COVID-19 effects are decreasing at higher rates and about to end. It will be helpful in the improvement of confidence among customers and now they start exploring some other types of products as well. By facing such a kind of crisis for a long time, everyone starts becoming more aware of all things like – what they have to buy, where they buy, and some other major factors.
Now, the buyers start preferring online sources more as compared to visiting outside the house. With it, everyone is paying more attention to health & fitness.
What Should Be Your Strategy During COVID-19 Crisis?
Previously, you can introduce the type of conditions that may appear during the COVID-19 crisis. In reality, it can be a great opportunity to set up a good base of audience and enlarge the eCommerce Business quickly. The results completely depend on the strategy and effort you put.
To tackle these conditions, you can work by focusing on two major types of strategies such as – offensive & defensive strategy.
Defensive Strategy
In case you like to work according to the market conditions and are not interested in taking any risk, then a defensive strategy can be a great option.
Firstly, you have to be focused on the overall costing. To keep earning the profit, you should try to cut down the cost as much you can. Here, you have to start conserving the resources and limiting the usage. If you find the resources more than requirements, then the elimination can be a wise decision.
Secondly, you should inspect the complete supply chain. In the normal conditions, for fulfilling the requirements everyone is working by setting up a big and fully-featured supply chain. During such a pandemic, it is good to shorten the supply chain. Reviewing the complete panel will help in figuring out high-risk areas. To prevent the risk of any kind of loss, you have to find a proper solution or an effective alternative.
Lastly, you need to inspect the relations and all considerations with others such as – partners, customers, and suppliers. You have to figure out the effect of COVID-19 on these relationships and work. With it, you should make sure who is getting support and who is lending.
Offensive Strategy
If you want to put effort into marketing and try to boost the sales, then you should go with the option of offensive strategy.
Firstly, you need to consider deep research and analytics. It will be useful in studying the complete market and its proper shifting. It will be helpful in finding the best way to respond to the market and approach the customers.
Secondly, you have to be focused on the changes that take place in the behavior of online customers and other elements. Here, you need to figure out what kind of platforms are mainly accessed by your target audience such as – social media. On the basis of these stats, you have to develop a proper strategy that explains how you are going to present your products in front of the audience.
Try to inspect the products perfectly that you are going to offer. The product inspection is useful in understanding, you have any product to offer as a solution to the audience or not. It will be helpful in finding the best way by which you can understand how you can fulfill the audience’s requirements and generate sales.
In the eCommerce business, you have to build a good image. It can be possible by focusing on social responsibilities such as – cooperation with the public, providing them aid to survive, and some other social activities.
Final Thoughts
These details will help you in focusing on various factors and lead your eCommerce business in a successive manner. To understand the market and audience for creating the best strategy, you have to hire the best digital marketing company. A good agency is capable of building a plan by which you can boost the promotions and beat the competitors quickly for instant success.
Ravi is CEO & Founder of Webomaze Pty Ltd. He believes in serving the industry with some unique solutions with a huge variety of services including web design & web development, SEO Services, eCommerce development, and so on