October 2020
- COVID-19 has dramatically altered the shopping behaviours of people worldwide.
- Californian business owners are discovering the benefits of moving to an online model.
- Consumer preference for eCommerce is predicted to endure in the post-COVID world.
Top marketing firms in Orange County are reporting a marked increase in the demand for businesses seeking a strong online presence in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Ongoing restrictions and lockdowns have decimated many businesses, and those which have survived to date have done so through a versatile approach to how they operate. While many brick-and-mortar business entities continue to suffer through this difficult time, digital enterprises are not only surviving but in some cases, flourishing.
The effect of mass shutdowns on digital businesses has been, for many, a boon. Consumers who are socially distancing have been turning to online channels to shop for everything from food to homewares to entertainment. As such, savvy business owners and entrepreneurs who did not previously have an existing online model are quickly understanding the importance of adopting one, to expand their sales presence and reach out to a much wider customer pool.
The Benefits of Going Online
The advantages of taking a business online are myriad: market to a global audience; improve customer service and experience with greater flexibility and convenience; cost savings; less waste; and continue operating and profiting despite restrictions.
Additionally, having a strong online presence lends a business and brand a greater level of authenticity – crucial in an ever more crowded marketplace where consumers are spoiled for choice.
“Those brands which experience the most success deliver what their target customer wants and needs,” says Ike Elimsa of Twelve12, one of the top marketing firms in Orange County. “This includes the convenience of purchasing, transacting, and communicating online. To do this, you need to have a strong online presence – a robust website, an appealing and appropriate brand identity, and adopt a spectrum of effective marketing methods from traditional to blogging and content creation, to social media marketing, to SEO and video production. This is what the competition is doing, so a business can’t afford to fail to engage in the same way.”
Opportunities for Online Business
Now is the time for a creative approach to how businesses operate – and the internet can be harnessed to run an online store, offer online services, manage suppliers and customer service online, communicate and seek feedback, facilitate appointments and reservations from an online platform, and research competitors.
Coronavirus continues to impact how we live – and it will continue to do so for some time. Some of the changes it has forced on us will endure – including the strong likelihood the society will prefer greater options for buying, selling, and doing other business online. Digital is the way of the future – here in California and worldwide.