How Brands Can Find E-Commerce Opportunities in Moments of Crisis

From the things you see in the news and on social media, a question lingers on everyone’s mind: “When will this be over?

We can’t tell for sure when, but COVID-19 will eventually pass. However, the long-term effects on the economy will be far from over. The nature of business as we know it will go through massive changes after the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, we all will have our fair share of economic repercussions.

But we owe it to ourselves and our dependents to keep going and get money flowing through the economy while keeping our team and customers safe. In fact, this is the time to call upon the community spirit and our human creativity to keep the wheels rolling for all our sakes.

What can we do to survive the crisis, and most importantly, to pick ourselves up after?

The good news is, most businesses already have some form of an online presence. Staying digitally equipped is the number one thing that’s keeping businesses running as best as it can for the time being.

Balance Work Priorities and Personal Health
Do the maths for what will cost your business more: sick staff members who drag themselves to work in a tense environment or staff members who stay home then come back healthy and energised?

Working from home is a common and viable solution, but may not be practical for all positions and businesses.

1. Educate yourself and your team on how to keep the virus out of your office.
2. Carefully consider a continuity plan for each department or role in your company.
3. Check for disruptions in your supply chain and what you can do if you are unable to get your usual resources?

Have compassion towards the physical and mental health of your team. Your staff will appreciate your empathy and this strengthens their loyalty.

Maintain Communication with Clients

  1. Let your clients know that you are still in partial operation and talk to them about the ways you are keeping things going.
  2. Keep them up-to-date on how you are managing current and future orders, organizing important information and payment exclusions, delays, or refunds.
  3. Show them how they can continue buying from you, such as online ordering or digital meetings.

Trust can fade and panic can spread faster than any virus. Making your clients feel understood and not taken advantage of will ensure they stick with you until this situation improves.

Find Opportunities in The New Reality

New markets and new ways of operating can emerge during a crisis. As the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention.
Examples of clever business leaders who find opportunities when others see disaster:

  1. Restaurants selling ingredients that are out-of-stock at groceries to local
  2. Cafes delivering DIY drink kits.
  3. Restaurant servers taking up food delivery roles.
  4. Clothing stores hosting live videos to show products and answer sizing questions.
  5. Hobby stores uploading tutorials on learning a new hobby.
  6. Individuals offering personal shopper services.

Try to stay level-headed and bolster the disruptions to your business the best you can.

There are more opportunities than you think.

As ad industry professionals, Intellect brings experience in overall strategy and product direction which steers your business forward into modern marketing media.

You can also visit our website to know more about what we do and the services we offer.