There’s no denying it...
...the pandemic has stopped a lot of things in its tracks, and this especially includes retailers. In fact, this is arguably the biggest challenge this industry -- as well as the economy! -- has ever faced. And with nearly a third of consumers forgoing brick and mortar for online, to say it’s time to “get with the digital age” is a staggering understatement.
Small businesses, in particular, are taking a major hit due to COVID-19, which is why it’s more imperative than ever for even the “mom and pop” shops to implement effective online strategies to drive sales.
Thankfully, we have some tips on how to do just that.
Seriously, Get Online
If your store isn’t already online, you need to get it on the world wide web immediately. (Honestly, it should have been before the pandemic -- but that’s beside the point.) And don’t be afraid of it. Everyone is doing it! Because, well, there’s really no other option. With social distancing and COVID cases on the rise, foot traffic will continue to dwindle -- which is why ecommerce is absolutely key right now. The good news? This isn’t just a way to save your business -- it’s a way to see it potentially boom.
Optimize Your Store for Mobile
You’re online. Hooray! Is your site optimized for mobile? Because if it’s not, you will miss out on more than half of consumers (especially of the Millenials and Gen Z variety). Yep, it’s true; most people shop directly from their phone these days -- so ensuring your site is mobile friendly is crucial. A few things to consider: loading speed (no one has patience for a slow site!), over-sized CTA (call to action) buttons that clearly indicate how to complete a purchase as well as an easy-to-read font and image layout for phones.
Provide Seamless Solutions at Checkout
Ok, you’ve streamlined your site, and people are adding things to their “cart” -- you did it! Wait, not so fast. You are noticing a lot of consumers are abandoning their carts at checkout. WHY?! Simple: this recession ultimately affects not just businesses, but consumers too; adding a payment plan functionality that seamlessly integrates with your e-commerce store allows your customers yo pay for the things they really want, but that they may not be able to purchase with a single payment right now. As a business, you can set down payment, frequency and duration of payment plans to make it easier for customers to make those big ticket purchases at a rate that suits their finances. With unemployment at an all-time high, providing these options will both increase the likelihood the consumer completes the purchase and becomes a returning (and happy!) customer.
Promote Your Payment Plans
Spoiler alert: People LOVE it when you help them purchase something they really want. They love it so much, they will probably tell their friends on social media as well. (Ahem, that’s called free advertising.) So if you have Partial.ly as a payment plan solution on your site, make sure to scream it front the rooftops! Your customers should know you care enough to adjust around what they need -- and what they need, like the rest of us, is a plan to help them moving forward.
To integrate Partial.ly into your E-commerce platform and start seeing your bottom line drastically improve, hit up one of our team members today: support@partial.ly.com.
