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December 22, 2020

6 E-commerce Marketing Mistakes To Avoid During COVID-19 Pandemic



It will soon be a year since the global pandemic has started to take shape. Luckily, it’s clear that while people can rarely do their shopping in physical stores, they are still happy to purchase various items online.

This is proven by the rapid growth of e-commerce in the US in 2020. According to eMarketer (News - Alert), the year-over-year growth rate is up to 34.4% which has almost doubled the prediction for the second quarter of this year. It is safe to say that it is definitely time to get your business online if you haven’t done so already.



But how to get started or just keep your online business running? It is possible to find a lot of advice online on how to survive and thrive during the pandemic. However, some things that were relevant and beneficial at the beginning of the year no longer are.

The most important DON’Ts during the second wave of the pandemic

It can get a little difficult browsing through all the tips and guides on what you should be doing during COVID-19. To make it a bit easier, we have put together some advice on what you want to avoid during these unprecedented times.

1.Do not take your customer’s loyalty for granted

Loyalty needs to be earned. Regularly. Most importantly, you need to keep in mind that there are so many businesses shifting to using e-commerce platforms. How do you differ? How are you communicating with your customers? How can they reach you if they have an inquiry?

Baymard Institute has conducted a study which shows that the average cart abandonment rate amongst all industries is 69.57%. This percentage is inarguably high. Make sure to read your data frequently to thoroughly understand how and, more importantly, why your customers behave the way they do. If you see the statistics that you do not like, perhaps there are things you can improve so people would gladly browse your site again and make a purchase. This is the first step to gaining their trust.

Another absolutely crucial part of earning your customers’ loyalty is how you handle your customer service. Customer service is where trust in a brand can be reinforced or lost completely. So in everything you do, put your customers first.

2.No more cutting corners

Can you imagine how much time an average US adult spends on the phone? As of 2020, it is said to be slightly over 3 hours. eMarketer report compares the results from pre-pandemic times and it shows that the average phone usage time has now increased by 23 minutes.

But have you taken the time to adjust your online shop to be easily navigated on mobile? While your store might look great and work perfectly from a web browser, the mobile version could be a whole other story.

See for yourself how it is to navigate your site on mobile. If you spot areas that need improvement, pay attention to them immediately. Otherwise, if you keep cutting corners, you will need to work much harder in the future to get your customers back. The Outerbox research implies that 40% of users will turn to a competitor after they have encountered a bad mobile experience.

Want to check if your page is optimized to be mobile-friendly? You’re in luck, Google’s (News - Alert) Mobile-Friendly Test will help you get started.

3.Stop spamming your customers

Marketing strategies such as SMS marketing can work miracles to grow your business and if you have not tried it yet, you should give it a go. However, no one wants to be burdened with SMS messages or emails that simply are not relevant to them. Or are way too frequent.

Marketingsherpa has explored the reasons why people unsubscribe from email lists. The top three reasons are receiving too many emails in general, the content not being relevant, and specifically getting way too many emails from one company in particular.

That sort of irrelevant spamming just won’t make your customers care enough about your product to engage with it. Try an alternative and reach them where they are just browsing to pass time - social media.

4.Cool it with “we are in this together” messages

There is a time and place for everything. And the time for messages such as “we will get through this together”, “better times are ahead” etc. belong in the past. The reason for this is simple. By now it’s just been highly overused and it no longer delivers.
 

Of course, it is alright for a brand to show that they care about their users’ wellbeing. Yet if you want to send out a message to show that you are there for them, think carefully about how your message really resonates with you and your customers.

Next time such a trend takes off, consider sending out something alternative and think where and how you can really make a meaningful contribution. The answer is not always that you have to react immediately just because everyone is doing so.

5.Don’t be insensitive

The pandemic has affected everyone differently. Everything you do, especially in marketing and in the visual language you use, needs to be appropriate to the present times.

Try not to rush people as it might come off as insensitive or worse. Bear in mind that there is nothing more urgent than the ongoing crisis. Call to action along the lines of “This is your last chance” or “Don’t miss out” should be put on the shelf for now. People are anxious and on the edge already.

6.Avoid giving promises you cannot keep

Unfulfilled promises never do anyone any good. If you cannot deliver what you have said, perfecting the user experience on your website won’t be enough.

Think carefully when giving out promises, such as a specific time delivery, descriptions of your product and its quality, or even about the packaging of your goods.

You should also pay careful attention to what you claim your responsiveness to customer inquiries are. If you have stated somewhere that all the inquiries will be dealt within 24 hours, you will need to ensure to stay within the time limits you have put for yourself and your team. Once you realize this is not possible, make adjustments and simply let your customers know.

Nonetheless, you want to get back to your users as soon as possible to provide immaculate customer service. According to a HubSpot (News - Alert) survey, 82% of consumers expect an immediate response (10 minutes or less) if they have an inquiry related to marketing or sales. The expectations for an immediate reply regarding customer service questions are as high as 90%.
 

In case you are unable to provide such fast customer service, you could try to deploy automated response systems so your users would feel more connected with you immediately when they have reached out. Still, you will need to keep an eye out for inquiries that cannot be dealt with automatically.

Great communication with your users throughout their shopping experience is one of the key factors to maximize customer satisfaction. It will also reduce customer anxiety, which plays a far more important role than ever before.

Surviving the pandemic

Meeting customer e-commerce delivery expectations might seem overwhelming, especially in times like these. Yet it is more important than ever for merchants to stay connected with the shoppers and grow their user base.

Work on polishing your marketing strategies. Keep in mind that trends come and go, and that sometimes it is good to do things differently than everyone else.

Don’t forget that customer support is a crucial part of your business. It can determine your long-term success and even survival. Remember that communication goes a long way, helping you to turn your shoppers into loyal customers.

 

About the author (Mirjam Ruut)

Writing has always been a part of Mirjam’s life in one way or another. Up until now, she’s been mostly focusing on creative writing and turning her skills into screenplays for stage and short films. To bring it even further, she’s joined Vertex (News - Alert) team as a content writer where she’s now learning the ins and outs of SMS marketing, customer service, and overall e-commerce experience.



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