While the world is under the disastrous effect of COVID-19 pandemic, you might be wondering whether it is the right time to think about an eCommerce startup, well, yes, it is and you can get it done while staying safe at home.
The COVID-19 pandemic has got us all, leading into a rapid global economic slowdown due to complete lockdown. The fear which further led to restrictions has affected many offline as well as online store owners badly. Although the virus is showing no signs of ending or even slowing down, we can’t stay locked inside our houses forever, therefore many countries are getting back on track despite the fear. But we never know when the virus will again be at its peak forcing us all to stay back home and hence preparing for the worst is the right thing to do now.
Those running offline stores or wanting to open a startup can put this COVID crisis time into use by developing their online presence. How? As you might have seen, during the pandemic, online businesses became the only source of survival for us, thus, investing in an eCommerce app development or an online e-commerce marketplace can help you survive not only the pandemic but can guarantee safe sales even after that with many people shifting to online shopping now.
Why an eCommerce? Is it worth?
eCommerce sales have seen a steady increase since it came into action and with consumers increasingly relying on online shopping — it is estimated that 95% of purchases will be made online by 2040. About 67% of millennials and 56% of Gen Xers, who are the major two segments of the population, preferring to shop online versus in a brick-and-mortar store, an eCommerce business is and will always be a hit, there’s no doubt about it. And now, as COVID pandemic at its peak, business owners are transforming their offline store to eCommerce store in order to run their business without interruption even in location.
Not only that, with the fear of Coronavirus, consumer behaviour has also witnessed a drastic change which points out that online shopping will be the new-normal and hence, investing in an eCommerce won’t drag you into losses at all. So, let’s see how you can get started with one while at home.
How to set up an eCommerce startup during COVID-19 crisis?
- See around yourself. You might have seen during the pandemic the basic supplies like groceries, medicines, food, etc., were in demand and which will stay in need always, hence; think about a startup that can prove to be helpful during and after the pandemic like an online grocery delivery app, pharmacy eCommerce app, online food delivery app or a complete online eCommerce marketplace. Plan your budget, study the market need, and decide which among these will work best for you and others.
- Once you have come to a decision, it is time to draw out a plan. What products are you going to supply? Whom and how many you will be targeting? What more or different can you offer than your competitors? Answers to these questions are crucial as it will help you develop your eCommerce solution even better.
- Next step is to find the right developing partner. The success of any eCommerce app or website depends upon its creator; therefore find a well-experienced eCommerce app development company who is offering remote services during the lockdown so that you can make use of this time to get your app developed without the need of physical contact.
- Since the current situation is scary and it is mandatory to maintain social distancing, many fear how to get an eCommerce app developed without meeting in person and testing the app without any technical help. Well, remember, we are living in the era of digitalization. There are many tools and techniques, using which; you can easily carry out your eCommerce app development while sitting at your home.
- Make use of video conferencing tools such as Microsoft Teams, BlueJeans, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, Zoho Meeting, FreeConference.com, and Skype etc., for webinars and meetings which come with all necessary features like screen sharing, document sharing, moderator controls, real-time text chat, whiteboard, live stream to YouTube, video recording and more required to team up with your development partner and discuss in detail the workflow just like in-person.
- The COVID crisis is in a way giving us time to work upon ourselves, hence; make use of this time to learn about necessary skills like website tracking, Google Analytics, marketing basics, eCommerce business opportunities etc., to carry out smooth and smart functioning of your eCommerce app sales to stay ahead in the competition.
- Once your eCommerce app is designed, developed, and tested, get into social media marketing, email marketing, branding and other ways to make your eCommerce presence known to the public.
Final Thoughts
We all know that COVID has affected us all severely and emerging from such a crisis will be a gradual process, therefore, you need to be patient about your eCommerce app. First, get your eCommerce app development done right at the right hands and then move ahead with what we discussed above slowly and gradually to survive during and after the COVID pandemic without any drawbacks.
