TechTuesday With WeBizz

5 tips for online retailers – COVID Breakthrough  

Discover what people are looking for Try to understand your customer’s mood and current behaviour by using tools such as  Google Trends and Google Alerts. These tools can help you stay up to date while keeping an eye on most popular online searches. These tools will allow you to identify trends and eventually satisfy the specific needs of your customers.        

2. Set the right expectationsIf your shipping timelines may let you down, you should update your website to reflect these changes. If possible, provide an estimated delivery date. It is essential to be transparent.  If your warehouse was closed, but you kept selling online, you should be clear to your customers and advise them to wait for a longer shipment time. It would be useful to anticipate this situation once they login into your website. You can use a coloured banner at the top of each page of your website to let them know. The banner could categorically state that you are happy to provide free delivery, but it might need some more time due to the shutdown and the couriers’ slowdown in some areas. However, do not forget to thank your customers for that patience.          

3. Reassure your customers about the safety of your product Many customers need an assurance of any risk in buying your product and that delivery conditions are safe.This is an exciting story from Best Buy. ‘The electronics giant implemented curbside sales and pickup, allowing customers to stay safely in their cars while a Best Buy employee picks up and delivers their purchase to the curb.’ Proactively let customers know all the precautions you took to keep everyone safe and healthy, such as new delivery ways or any extra services to the community. You could share this information in a post in your Business Profile, in your Social Media Pager or your ads.           

4. Adapt your rules to the new situationAs the covid-19 lockdown imposed new behaviour, many online retailers are adapting their policies to the unique situation. For example, many companies extended their returns windows. One of these, H&M, announced it would accept returns via mail indefinitely and include free delivery for any online order.        

5.Adjust information in real-time. Always keep product information up to date across all channels. People want to know if products are available or if there are some changes and delays in shipping, be sure to provide your customers with the most proper up to date answers.If you are running a promotion, be sure to stop any advertising campaign regarding that promotion as soon as your promotion ends.