Online sales have been bubbling pretty fiercely under the surface for many years, but a pandemic that saw as many as 85,000 businesses launching online shops in the space of just four months has quickly hastened that trajectory. Now, both as a result of the benefits from this online shift and as a need to compete in an entirely changed retail landscape, countless companies are continuing to prioritise these online focuses. The trouble is that even for companies who saw huge success here when they needed it the most, keeping that momentum going is proving harder than they could’ve imagined.
This is hardly surprising as the reopening of in-person sales distracts attention from this once sole online focus. Companies are also finding that consumers have become a whole lot less willing to overlook teething issues in this post-pandemic era. As such, if you want to keep on seeing the online sales you enjoyed in the past, you need to overcome the following teething issues that consumers with far more choice are unlikely to settle for.
# 1 – Crashing systems
The beginning of the pandemic was punctuated by technical issues that consumers were generally willing to accept without blame. Now, however, with almost two years to have addressed these setbacks, people are guaranteed to be less forgiving. Hence, taking proactive steps to avoid downtime, crashes, and more is fundamental, and should include the implementation of 24/7 IT monitoring, daily backups, server maintenance, and the right hosting plan to ensure that your site can withhold daily usage fluctuations.
# 2 – Cyber security setbacks
You couldn’t afford cyber security breaches even during the pandemic, but a more proactive approach to cybersecurity is essential now that you’re in the swing of things. Cybersecurity outsourcing is perhaps your best option here, ensuring expert and lasting protections without overwhelming your workloads. Managing your servers by turning to a cheap vps or even a more costly dedicated server can also ensure that the protections you put in place are more than enough to ensure lasting security without needing to worry about breaches on a shared server. And, of course, remaining informed about the data you’re collecting, why you’re using it, and where best to store that information is essential, and should come under review at least every six months.
# 3 – Delivery delays
As the free flow of goods came to an almost complete standstill during lockdown, consumers accepted sometimes lengthy delivery delays, but they won’t accept that same issue now. To compete, you therefore need to provide around 3-5 day delivery to local areas, as well as reliable global services that compete with what other companies are offering. Again, outsourcing can be a great way to ensure this, enabling you to hand over on deliveries with guaranteed results, all at a fixed cost for you no matter where your consumers are.
Teething issues are inevitable for any sudden change, but two years later you should be well past cutting your eCommerce teeth with these pointers in mind.
