How to Build a Crisis-Proof E-Commerce Business?

 The beginning of 2020 will forever be remembered as a time of rapid and dramatic change in the way we do business, sell and buy products and services. For e-commerce companies, now is the time to take action. The COVID-19 crisis has significantly accelerated the development of digital solutions, tools, and services, thereby causing the global shift towards digitalization. In such an environment, e-commerce is your most advantageous choice for you. However, this begs the question: What can you do to build a crisis-proof eCommerce business?

 The fact that COVID has fueled e-commerce is indisputable. As Forbes reported, as of April 21, there was a 129% year-over-year growth in U.S. and Canadian eCommerce orders, and an incredible 146% growth in all online retail orders. 

When you look at the map provided by Emarsys, you can see e-commerce revenue growth all over the world, with only a few exceptions (Poland, Brazil, Ukraine, Spain, and China).

 Does this mean that e-Commerce is a money-making business right now and all you have to do is start a new e-Commerce project, you are now ready? Unfortunately not. Although e-commerce is currently thriving, you still need to put in a lot of effort to succeed in this competitive market.

So what should you do to build a successful crisis-proof e-commerce company? If you want your store to succeed in the market and withstand a variety of critical situations, you should pay attention to three vital elements:

• Smart marketing strategy

• Supply chain diversification

• Efficient logistics service

  
  

 Each of these elements is crucial! Why? You're about to find out! 

1. Smart marketing strategy

As cliché as it sounds, nowadays there are no sales without effective marketing. The good news is that the internet offers many resources and types of advertisements that are specifically tailored to the needs of eCommerce companies. However, before you deal with the promotion of your store, you should pay attention to the basics; This is Customer Journey analysis and means you need to tailor your store to the needs and needs of the modern consumer.

Know Your Customers' Customer Journey

 Customer Journey is a term that describes the path your customers need to take to place an order in your store. The Customer Journey starts in various places such as social media, Google, price comparison sites, etc. Each of these channels must be properly taken care of. That's why you should start analyzing your customers and their behavior as quickly as possible. This will give you invaluable insight into your target audience, which will help you better serve your customers and improve your offering.

Today, consumers attach great importance to quality service. If you want to keep your customers by your side, you have to go one step further and surprise them with the service you offer.

Customers shouldn't forget about you. Constantly remind them of your offer, but don't be too pushy. No one likes high-pressure salesmen! Here are some non-aggressive ways to remind your store:

• Interesting blog posts

• Newsletters

• Social media activity

• Discounts and special offers

 Supply Chain Diversification

You shouldn't rely on just one supplier (at least you shouldn't do that). This is a recipe for disaster because your store automatically stops making money when your supplier has cash flow issues or a lack of goods. Many companies are forced to shut down altogether because they only use the services of one supplier.

You have to make sure that there are at least a few companies that supply goods to your store. Here's what you need to do:

Conduct regular market research. Read trade media, attend trade shows and other business meetings, send inquiries to wholesalers. Look for suppliers abroad. When you manage to create a store that collaborates with wholesalers around the world, the chances of all of them being in bad shape at the same time are minimal. Expand your offer. If your store operates in a very narrow niche and finding a second supplier is a challenging process, consider expanding your offering. This will allow you to reach new customers and at the same time make you independent of your current supplier. For example, if you operate in the health and safety industry, you may want to consider expanding your offering with firefighting equipment.

It's Time to Find a Logistics Provider!

This is the last element you need to think about. Maybe you're thinking, "Why? I can handle it myself!" And that's probably true! But as your business grows, you face more challenges, and logistics become more of a time-consuming task. If you ship at least a few hundred packages a month, it's definitely time to think about fulfillment.

This is a service on the basis of outsourcing all logistics processes in your store:

• Storage of products

• Packing and managing orders

• Shipment and complaints

And that's exactly what we do at CargoNXT. If you would like to work with our fulfillment center in the port of Gdansk, Poland, our team will take care of the orders on your behalf.

This solution allows you to:

Convert fixed costs into variable costs: You only pay for the storage space used and the number of packages shipped – the less you sell, the lower the costs.

Focus on business development: You can leave logistics operations to us and focus entirely on sales, marketing, and customer service.

Achieving limitless scalability: When you grow, we grow with you – both in Poland and abroad!

Expanding sales to foreign markets: Our infrastructure and contracts with local courier companies make seamless international expansion achievable.

Full control over logistics: We'll keep you up to date on our transactions – you can see exactly how many items are currently in stock, plus you'll have full control over returns and payments on delivery.

If you want to know more about our solutions, go to the contact section and leave us a message! Our experts will always be happy to show you how the fulfillment business can improve your e-commerce business.  See you soon!