eCommerce During the Coronavirus Pandemic
and Why You Need Your Own Website

Strategic Thinking Skills

The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 changed all spheres of our lives. We had to find new ways to adapt to the unique and unpredictable situation around the world. Business and retail are the most vulnerable spheres that probably suffered the most during the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

However, if you are a company owner looking for new strategies to make your online business competitive, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will show you how to help your business withstand the COVID-19 pandemic using software technologies.

Impact of COVID-19 on eCommerce

It is difficult to overestimate how much coronavirus is changing eCommerce. It was an unpredictable situation for most enterprises, and no one could forecast how it would influence our lives. As the statistic shows, the global traffic on online stores grew significantly in the first few months of the pandemic. Ecommerce development has become even more dynamic; instead of shopping in-person, customers now order home delivery services through online shopping.

The effect on eCommerce was even more apparent during Black Friday and Cyber Monday via websites and applications. Now custom-made retail websites and apps are more than just a trend. They are a necessity for a brand to survive.

ECommerce is a rapidly evolving industry, and there will be significant changes after the pandemic.

eCommerce icon montage.

Five reasons why you need your own eCommerce website

Having an eCommerce website during the coronavirus pandemic is a must for the following reasons:

1. Changes in customer behavior.

A massive change in customer buying behavior was observed from the start of the pandemic, but this has impacted the sales of different brands differently. Sales for some brands has increased, while for others they have fallen. Having an eCommerce website lets you make the most of coronavirus eCommerce opportunities. This is especially important as customers won’t be ready to come back to offline stores anytime soon.

2. Increased use of social media

Social media use has been one of the most widespread activities during the last few years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of adults using social media has increased rapidly. Advertising on social media has become one of the most effective ways of marketing products or services. The growing incomes exceed the custom eCommerce website development cost.

3. Product customization

Developing an eCommerce website allows for providing various options for customers. You can easily display a wide range of products or services, and creating a unique brand image becomes much easier. This will draw the target customers’ attention to your original concept to benefit your product or service.

4. Cost-effectiveness

There are numerous opportunities for building an eCommerce website in 2020. There is no need to build a website from scratch when you can turn to custom eCommerce web development services. The more complicated your project is, the more it is going to cost, but this step provides lots of ways to gain profits that will outweigh the costs and effort.

5. The new marketing channel

For eCommerce during covid-19, an application or website can become the best central strategy for advertising purposes. Via these platforms, you can advertise your products and services to a wider audience and get more customers to interact with your brand. For instance, using digital marketing strategies for advertisements and SEO tools to achieve higher advertising effectiveness.



Critical skills to build a successful eCommerce website

eCommerce icons flowing from a computer screen into a cart.

Even if you are not going to deal with creating your custom eCommerce website yourself, you might ask yourself: “How do I know that my custom-made eCommerce website is good?”. This is where you need several skills to create an excellent website for your eCommerce business.

Management

Management skills are important both if you are going to cope with development yourself or are going to hire a team.

If you want to manage everything yourself, you should realize how to organize your time, costs, and effort most effectively. Staying concentrated on only one aspect is undesirable.

If you decide to turn to an expert developer, managerial skills are the key to success. Planning the development process and organizing the communication between you and your team is crucial. You should know which process should be done when.

Advertising

Advanced marketing skills will give a significant boost to promoting your product or service. They include understanding the demand for your product or service and knowing and displaying your unique selling proposition. You shouldn’t just know who your target customers are; you should act and think like them. Make sure your website keeps up with the continuous growth of your target customers.

Content creation

This one is connected to the previous point, but we decided to single it out since creating good content is essential. This especially pertains to writing text. The text on your website pages is one of the most powerful communication tools with customers. Even some minor details, like your product descriptions or headings, play a significant role in building a positive brand image. High-quality images make your website look professional. Content plays a crucial role in creating positive SEO for brands.

Web design

You don’t need to know web design like a pro. Basic skills will be enough to determine whether your eCommerce website looks attractive or not. There are various tools available to create an original web design without even knowing web design language. You just need to understand the principles of web elements, organization, and customer requirements concerning interface.

Data analysis

This is also necessary for making your eCommerce project successful for a long time. An eCommerce website is made for customers so tracking their interactions is essential. Analyzing statistical data concerning visits, clicks, actions, and sales will help you identify and fix weak spots and present your products and services in the best possible light.



Further Reading from Skills You Need


The Skills You Need Guide to Living the ‘New Normal’ in the Age of Covid-19

The Skills You Need Guide to Living the ‘New Normal’
in the Age of Covid-19

This eBook is designed to help you through the process of ‘going digital’ and managing other aspects of life during a pandemic.

From how to get yourself online, through how to keep safe, to working, learning and staying in touch with friends and family remotely, the Skills You Need Guide to Living the 'New Normal' in the Age of Covid-19 covers the key skills you need to survive and thrive.


Conclusions

The growth of eCommerce during the COVID-19 pandemic presents numerous opportunities for businesses. We hope this article will be useful while creating your own eCommerce website.


About the Author


Anna Hmara is a senior technical writer and internet researcher with over 5 years of experience. You can read more work from Anna on KeyUA's blog.

TOP