Shoppers Turn on to Online Spending as sales Rise After Lockdown

Online shopping for health items has witnessed a huge surge during the past few months and also other products significantly, mainly due to the lockdown and the covid-19 pandemic. According to surveys, and also through the power of good old observation, it is quite evident that we are shifting to more of an online method of consumption. Sure the peak of the pandemic has passed, but still we are seeing a lot of increase in online sales. However, that trend is unlikely to change in the future. In fact, the majority of shoppers may never want to go back to offline shopping.

Some of the worst hit offline retailers include electronic shops, grocery stores, and even cosmetic stores. The lockdown has considerably increased online store sales of grocery related items all over the world. That being said, a lot of people still prefer going to grocery stores in tier 2 & tier 3 cities. Although there has never been such record numbers of online spending in recent times for online grocery stores.

The old normal that all of us were used to back in 2019 is now long gone. Consumer expectations have also changed drastically due to COVID-19. In fact it is one of the many things that have made a huge shift in the e-commerce world. It was a no brainer that Rise in Online Sales was already happening regardless of the pandemic and the lockdown. The pandemic just boosted its growth upward of 5 years. But there is a lot more to cover about the consumer spending online than what meets the eye. Are you wondering what the post-covid future looks like in terms of online spending? You are not the only one. In this article we are going to cover that topic along with a lot more interesting trends and facts about Rise in Online Sales so read along to know more.

Why is there an increase in consumer spending online?

In a survey conducted by Bazaarvoice, we saw that more than 68% of consumers are shopping online now as compared to the previous years. If you are an ecommerce store owner this means that your customers are shopping a lot more online. We are talking about every single daily necessity from groceries and medical items, as well as all kinds of other products - which is terrific news for you. Now is your chance to increase your online store sales.

However, this surge in online retailing is not all roses and sunshine - at least not for everyone. Brick and mortar retail stores have filed for bankruptcy protection in record numbers this year, since a lot of customers are terrified to step outdoors for their shopping. The future seems very uncertain in the post-pandemic world. But there are a few things that look quite certain, like the numbers of physical stores coming down to a drastic degree.

How to take advantage of the increase in online sales?

Focus on your website’s user-experience

Your ecommerce website’s user experience is crucial in determining how your customers interact with your website and whether or not your website will eventually drive sales. Therefore, when designing your website it would make a lot of sense to focus on the user experience. Given that entrepreneurs are very busy with the business operations, there is always an option to hire talented freelancers or even agencies who can help you with designing your website with a focus on user experience. Some of the factors that you must take into consideration when designing your website are;

Navigation - Make the website easy to navigate with a search bar and a dropdown section with categories of each product.

Visuals - Online shopping websites filled with a lot of text is not at all appealing to consumers. Focus on creating stunning visuals that will help your customers visualize the product easily.

Go all in on digital transformation

Data is the new oil. All of your marketing efforts and business decisions must be executed taking data into consideration. Although this is a step for advanced online shopping websites for now. In the future it is going to be the norm with a lot of AI-powered tools made for large scale business growth. It is highly recommended that you take a data-first approach by hiring a data analyst to make smart decisions for your business. Taking advantage of AI, data, and other digital tools will also help you to provide a better customer experience to your customers.

Have a content-first approach in your marketing

If you want to take full advantage of the rise in online shopping sales, then you must take a content-first approach in terms of your website and other marketing efforts. What do you think consumers are doing with all of their time on the internet? The answer is that they are consuming content. As a business owner, you must cater to your customers needs and wants in the context of your business and deliver them with thought-provoking and valuable content.

There are many ways that you can create content, for example; you could start a blog (which is a must in terms of SEO), a youtube channel, conduct webinars, or even have a weekly email newsletter. In fact, you must do all of the above if you have the budget to do so. It will create a dramatic impact in terms of the authority of your brand and make you a thought leader in your niche.

Final thoughts

The changes that we see due to covid-19 and the lockdown are here to stay. The only option that business owners and entrepreneurs have today is to adapt to the change. If you are an offline brick and mortar store owner then you better go online or lose your business to the competition. In this article we have outlined how the craze of online shopping is taking over the world as well as some tips to help you take your business online. We hope that you found this article to be helpful.