How the retail segment will survive business from Covid-19 through digital presence

In a sense, the Covid-19 crisis and pandemic have transformed the way we do business, work, shop, and interact with people more than any other disruption through digital technologies. In the coming time, companies are going to turn more dependent on their digital tactics to survive in different retail segments. Without wanting to be too panicky, in many retail scenarios, digital presence will be the deciding characteristics in whether businesses make it through the rough times to come ahead.

Most of the offline retailers are struggling with compulsory shutdowns. The lawmakers are directing consumers not to assemble anywhere and explore a mall or retail brick-and-mortar store for the safety of both staff and customers. All these have even lead to an alarming supply chain. The retail segments are most disparate at this juncture compared to any other problems retailers have faced in a long time.

Retailers have to make tough decisions

While the decision to lock down the offline stores is exclusive in these conditions, it highlights the requirements for a digital presence to keep people interacting with your retail brand and products. Even when we are back to operating physical stores, it will be significantly imperative to reengage with customers online. 

What should retailers opt for during the pandemic

Brick and mortar retailers, who may be going through store closures, less physical traffic, or trimmed down operating hours, should connect with their customer base using Ikokas Digital Technologies when direct engagement is not viable or highly reduced. This scenario can be implemented in a selection of approaches, such as social media marketing and email marketing tactics. Although the reality is that the physical stores are shut down, customers should still feel the vigour of their loyalty and interaction with the brand and their products.

How opting Omnichannel strategies can help

Omnichannel retailers who have physical stores with a digital arm, are superiorly positioned, but even they shouldn't drop in offering the best customer experiences. Making sure the consumer experience is maintained right on the website and other digital platforms is crucial so that customers can still visit, buy, and interact in a frictionless approach to enable digital presence.

What retailers should not be doing?

Retailers shouldn't mislay sight of their close network by systematically interacting with their different vendors and business partners. In times of business insecurity, they should feel positive to work across their network to offer the best possible experience for their customers, with an approach that can be equally constructive for all the business partners.

This scenario can consist of providing special offers through their funding partners or working with vendors or distributors to offer free shipping to consumers in these rough times.

This case will be predominantly vital at the point of re-engagement when retailers are looking to reconstruct their loyal customer base and attract fresh customers that are discovered through their digital presence using Ikokas technologies.

Reorganizing your retail business 

So, it is more significant than ever to organize yourself and safeguard your online business so it can survive the universal crisis in the form of COVID-19. Here we have listed and gathered out some of the ways as well as approaches you can follow with the use of Ikokas technologies.

1. Manage your online presence

Keep your customers informed through FAQ pages that facilitate queries such as your altered business hours, transformations in products or services you provide, and how your business is shaping with the COVID-19 crisis. You can add pages devoted to COVID-19 if your company or those of your retail customers are impacted.

Make sure to modernize your Google My Business profile with any alterations to keep your customers updated.

2. Boost your website security measures

If safeguarding your website portal from hackers wasn't a key concern earlier, it should certainly be on top of the list right now. The pandemic has generated a potential for cyber attacks, phishing, and scam websites on the cards, taking undue advantage of people's requirement for information on COVID-19.

3. Modify your online retail store operations 

If you are into an online retail business, initiate checking-out your inventory to divide them into essential and nonessential items. Also, remind your consumers that, depending on their localities, some things may be prohibited in the current scenarios.

4. Conduct precise online surveys

This activity is the most straightforward and highly scalable methodology. Before conducting a survey, stipulate the end goal to yourself and your local teams, clear the purpose of the study.

5. Enable social listening

This activity goes ahead of Facebook and Twitter; you should also check-out customer feedback through product review sites, digital forums, and article comments. Search positive and negative feedback to measure the customer perception of your retail brand.

6. Adapt to mobile eCommerce 

In the first 3 months of 2020, mobile eCommerce traffic grew by 25% across all retail industries. The mobile phones presented 56% of the entire order share and around 71% of full traffic for the first 3 months.

How significant is social media reachability within this whole event?

Social media shared 8% of entire traffic with retail consumers clicking throughout the eCommerce sites directly from the social networks.

Many retailers have already built-up their social media presence. They have digital footprints and substantial followings, so this time, there is the current need to keep up their thrust and use that digital presence to facilitate better customer connections and increase loyalty even further.

Customers will likely have many queries, which will take them to social media platforms to get satisfactory answers. So, you need to keep up with your digital accounts and Ikokas Digital Technologies to not only respond to consumer inquiries and concerns, but even to actively offer them updates on your business in the present situation.

Key Takeaways

In short, the Coronavirus outbreak will mark a tipping point for the immense acceptance and penetration of eCommerce, mobile commerce platforms, social media, and having an overall digital presence for retail business segments to survive the pandemic.

Visit www.ikokas.com or call on +91-9873097024 and get connected with our experts.