Tag Archive for: ecommerce

Optimizing Your E-commerce Store for Conversions

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In the dynamic world of e-commerce, driving traffic to your online store is just the beginning. The ultimate goal is to convert visitors into paying customers.

Optimizing your e-commerce store for conversions involves a strategic blend of design, functionality, and marketing. In this blog post, we’ll explore key strategies to enhance your e-commerce conversion rates and boost your bottom line.

1. User-Centric Design

Your website’s design plays a crucial role in the user experience (UX). A cluttered or confusing layout can deter potential customers. A survey done by Adobe found that 38% of people stop engaging with a website if the content/layout is unattractive. To optimize for conversions, focus on creating a clean, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing design. Ensure that navigation is straightforward, product pages are well-organized, and the checkout process is seamless. Here are some design tips:

  • Responsive Design: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, According to Statista mobile e-commerce sales reached $2.2 trillion in 2023 and now make up 60 percent of all e-commerce sales around the world
  • Fast Load Times: A slow website can frustrate users and lead to high bounce rates, research from Think With Google found that 53% of mobile site visitors abandoning a page that takes longer than three seconds to load.
  • Clear CTAs: Your call-to-action buttons should be prominent and compelling, guiding users toward making a purchase.

2. High-Quality Product Images and Descriptions

The online shopping experience lacks the tactile element of physical stores, making high-quality visuals and detailed descriptions essential. Use professional photos and consider offering multiple views or even 360-degree images. Product descriptions should be concise yet informative, highlighting key features and benefits. Include relevant keywords to improve SEO and help customers find your products more easily.

3. Streamlined Checkout Process

A complicated or lengthy checkout process is a common cause of cart abandonment, Baymard Institute calculated that 70.19% of online shopping carts are abandoned before purchase. Simplify this process by:

  • Reducing Steps: Limit the number of pages and fields customers need to complete.
  • Offering Guest Checkout: Allow customers to purchase without creating an account. Having perks for creating an account rather than forcing account creation gives customers a reason to come back.
  • Providing Multiple Payment Options: Include various payment methods to cater to different customer preferences.

4. Trust Signals

Building trust is essential for conversion optimization. Include trust signals throughout your site, such as:

  • Customer Reviews and Testimonials: ReviewxXpo found that displaying reviews can increase conversion rates by 270%, as potential customers trust peer feedback.
  • Security Badges: Show that your site is secure and reliable by displaying SSL certificates, payment security logos, and data protection assurances.
  • Transparent Return Policies: Clearly outline your return and refund policies to reassure customers of their purchase decision.

5. Personalized User Experience

Personalization can greatly enhance the shopping experience, making customers feel valued and understood. According to a study from Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that provides personalized experiences. Implement personalized product recommendations based on browsing history, purchase behavior, or demographic data. Consider using AI-driven tools to offer targeted promotions or discounts to returning customers.

6. Effective Email Marketing

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for driving conversions. Use segmented email campaigns to target specific customer groups with tailored messages. Abandoned cart emails, personalized product recommendations, and exclusive offers can entice customers to complete their purchases.

7. Utilize Analytics and A/B Testing

Data-driven decisions are key to optimizing your e-commerce store. Regularly analyze site performance metrics, such as bounce rates, average session duration, and conversion rates. A/B testing different elements—like headlines, CTAs, or product layouts—can provide insights into what works best for your audience.

8. Optimize for SEO and PPC

Increasing your store’s visibility on search engines can drive more traffic and conversions. Focus on SEO strategies such as optimizing product titles, descriptions, and meta tags with relevant keywords. Complement your SEO efforts with Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising to target specific customer segments and drive immediate traffic.

Conclusion

Optimizing your e-commerce store for conversions is an ongoing process that requires a holistic approach. By focusing on user-centric design, high-quality product presentation, streamlined checkout processes, and personalized marketing strategies, you can enhance the shopping experience and boost your conversion rates. At Onimod Global, our team of digital marketing experts is here to help you navigate the complexities of e-commerce optimization and achieve your business goals.

Contact us today to learn more about our tailored solutions for boosting your online conversions.

Google Ads Tips for Start-Ups and SMBs

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Navigating the online advertising landscape can be daunting for small business owners. Yet, it’s crucial for boosting your brand’s online presence.

65% of clicks on Google are driven by paid campaigns. This statistic highlights the potential of Google Ads in propelling your business forward. If you are new to the world of Google Ads, here are some tips on taking advantage of the advertising giant and getting it working in your favor.

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads stands out as a highly effective tool for enhancing your online presence. This platform operates on a paid advertising model, enabling you to craft a variety of online ads tailored to resonate with distinct segments of your audience.

By strategically bidding on keywords and phrases that align with your brand and audience interests, you can significantly improve the likelihood of presenting your ads to potential customers precisely when they are most receptive. The platform’s integrated analytics tools allow for seamless management of your campaigns and real-time tracking of their performance.

For businesses aiming to elevate their brand recognition and actively engage with customers to boost sales, Google Ads offers an indispensable solution.

Advantages of Google Ads

Google Ads offers a combination of wide reach, user-friendliness, enhanced brand visibility, and cost-effectiveness, making it a highly attractive tool for businesses looking to expand their online presence and connect with a broader audience: 

  • Wider Reach: Google Ads provides unparalleled access to a vast audience. As the most popular search engine, Google processes billions of search queries daily, offering a unique opportunity to position your brand in front of a diverse and extensive audience. 
  • User-Friendly Interface: One of the key strengths of Google Ads is its user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it accessible even for those new to digital marketing. The platform guides users through the setup process, offering helpful tips and straightforward tools for creating and managing campaigns. 
  • Brand Visibility: Through Google Ads, businesses can significantly enhance their brand visibility. By appearing in search results, on partner websites, and in video ads on platforms like YouTube, your brand gains exposure to a wider audience. This increased visibility helps in building brand recognition and recall, making it easier for potential customers to find and engage with your business online. 
  • Cost-Effective: Google Ads is known for its cost-effective approach to advertising. The platform operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This approach allows for better control over advertising budgets, as you can set maximum bid amounts and daily spending limits. 

Getting Started with Google Ads Advertising

To embark on your advertising venture with Google Ads, the initial step involves setting up a Gmail account and creating a Google Ads Manager account. Once your account is active, you can start exploring potential keywords to target. The Google Ads Keyword Planner Tool is a vital resource in this process, enabling you to:

  • Analyze search volumes for specific keywords and phrases.
  • Calculate the cost-per-click for bidding on chosen searches within your Google Ads.
  • Identify new, potentially more effective keywords for your ad campaigns.

Next, you can decide on the type of ads to run, aligning them with your marketing objectives. Here’s an overview to guide you in selecting your ad formats:

  • Search Ads: These are text-based ads displayed on Google’s search results pages.
  • Video Ads: Create video ads to appear on YouTube and within Google search results.
  • Shopping Ads: Showcase your products through listings, usually in a carousel format, at the top of Google search results pages.
  • Display Ads: Utilize image-based ads or ad content across a variety of websites, apps, and platforms within the Google Display Network.
  • Discovery Ads: Engage users with visually striking ads in their feeds across the Google Display Network.
  • Local Ads: Tailor your ads to specific regional audiences for more localized reach.

This guide aims to streamline your ad selection process, ensuring that your Google Ads strategy is well-aligned with your business goals.

Developing a Winning Strategy for Your Google Ads

A significant advantage of Google Ads is the flexibility it offers in bid management, catering to different budget sizes and campaign strategies. You can choose between automated and manual bidding. For those with tighter budgets, manual bidding allows you to set limits on your cost-per-click (CPC), ensuring you stay within your financial boundaries. On the other hand, automated bidding is ideal for saving time and works well if you have a more adaptable budget, allowing for optimization across various campaigns.

The effectiveness of your ad hinges on its ability to capture the attention of your audience. To make your ad content truly stand out, consider the following elements:

  • Craft Compelling Headlines: Your headline should be attention-grabbing and relevant, enticing users to engage with your ad.
  • Engaging Body Copy: Utilize a conversational tone that echoes your brand’s unique voice, making the ad relatable and engaging to your target audience.
  • High-Quality Visuals: Incorporate striking graphics or video content that enhances the appeal of your ad, making it more visually engaging for viewers.

These strategies are essential in creating Google Ads that not only draw attention but also resonate with your target audience, leading to better engagement and results.

Working With Onimod Global

Designing a successful online marketing campaign is a strategic process, essential for attracting the right customers and fostering business growth. Navigating this landscape can be challenging, especially if you’re not fully versed in the latest marketing trends and techniques.

Google AdWords, while being a potent marketing tool, can also be a significant investment. At Onimod Global, we are trusted Google Partner. Our vast digital experience and tailored advertising solutions focus on optimizing your returns while ensuring efficient use of your marketing budget. Our work spans various sectors, from SMBs to global corporations, enabling us to leverage this diversity to enhance your campaign’s effectiveness and drive sales.

If you have any inquiries about Google Ads or wish to discover more about Onimod Global and our Digital Marketing services, feel free to reach out to us today.

B2B Digital Marketing Trends To Expect In 2022

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2022 is here, which means it’s time to forecast a new era of B2B marketing trends. After chaotic months and years, innovation is accelerating at a pace faster than ever. The digital transformation of the economy and the ever-accelerating climb of e-commerce success are projected to bring in significant change in 2022. It is already very evident how digital transformation and the eCommerce boom will change the way B2B sales during 2022. We’ll explain the B2B digital marketing trends to expect in 2022.

Shifts in Spending to Mobile-First Strategy

This upcoming year, mobile and digital advertising will continue to become central to B2B marketing efforts. At the same time, marketers are also adjusting to a work-from-home reality. Nearly 70% of buyers in B2B industries and decision-makers prefer remote or digital interactions with vendors. This number is even expected to rise in the next years, so it’s also safe to assume that these buyers will additionally respond better most likely to more digital marketing strategies.

A digital-first marketing approach is quickly becoming the ‘holy grail’ strategy for digital marketers which prioritizes mobile advertising and content over offline and more traditional strategies. This will probably come with growing ad spend — though growth is on track to be slower next year than it has been in the past, partly due to the lingering effects of COVID-19.

The number of buyers who want a seller-free experience has grown in conjunction with the amount of millennials in decision-making roles. More direct and virtual approaches to B2B digital marketing may become more popular among B2B marketers as a result.

High-tech interactions with B2B customers

Building off of the first trend, we see technology advances so will the need to leverage increasingly high-tech communication methods. This includes both how you send and receive messages from your B2B prospects.

For example, in 2022, optimizing for new forms of search – like audio and image – will be vital to capture traffic. Additionally, marketing chatbots and AI can help marketers get in touch with more customers and minimize their wait time.

Interactive emails can also increase conversions and improve ROI, helping your business get more out of each communication. AMP emails that enable B2B marketers to provide application-like functionality in a message are standard methods to implement and deliver this interactivity. These are just a couple of examples of how technology will make it easier to reach businesses in 2022.

Shift of lead generation channels

The top goal of B2B marketing is not only generating leads, but ensuring that the leads are of high quality standard. How the leads are developed is likely to change significantly in 2022 and through the rest of the decade. COVID-19 impacted how events are hosted. While some businesses pivoted to online events and others chose to delay or cancel, all marketers had to adapt quickly to the reality that in-person events were no longer always available to generate leads. Several digital marketers have turned to social media for lead gen creation, and haven’t looked back including B2B digital marketing experts at Onimod Global.

The most popular style of social media marketing is also changing quickly. Many B2B digital marketers are now more interested in personalized and specific targeted strategies. Many platforms offer targeting tools with extremely fine levels of detail so they can deliver niche content to specific audiences.

More from Onimod Global

Taking advantage of these digital marketing trends for B2B marketing in 2022 can make the biggest difference in the performance of your lead generation. We will continue to share case studies and the latest SEO updates to help you drive your business. Our goal is to ensure we help improve your marketing and drive success. Our mission is to ensure we help improve your marketing and drive success.

At Onimod Global, we have endless experience and expertise when it comes to all things SEO, general social media advertising, and digital marketing. Got questions about Google display ads or want to learn more about us? Contact us here today.

Google Launches New Integration with WooCommerce to Expand Ecommerce Offerings

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Google recently announced that they’re launching a new integration with WooCommerce that will allow their merchants to upload their product inventory across all of Google’s search and discovery surfaces. Last week, the extension went live for all 4.4 million of WooCommerce’s merchants.  

The Integration’s Features:

WooCommerce retailers can now sync their store with Google to list products for free, as well as run paid ads and track performance. When a store is synced with the Google Merchant Center, all information about the store and its products will be readily available to users when searching on a Google property. Information is also automatically updated when products are added or removed. 

Like regular search results, retailers can also pay for ads if they wish to be more visible in the listings. Retailers can also run free listing and paid campaigns simultaneously. 

The Benefits: 

The extension focuses on accomplishing three main objectives for retailers: 

  • Seamlessly connecting their store with Google Merchant Center 
  • Reaching online shoppers with free listings 
  • Boosting store traffic and sales with Smart Shopping Campaigns 

Final Thoughts 

As Google continues to work to get ahead of its search competitors, they have been making eCommerce a key focus. Given the integration’s reach and ubiquity, it’s likely to become a key destination for online shopping. This is why it’s essential for retailers to stay on top of these updates, ensuring they can maximize their exposure for those searching for their products. 

More from Onimod Global 

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

Why Ecommerce Personalization Is Important

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The most successful brands are ones that discover how to engage their customers and keep their attention so they come back, and one of the most effective ways to accomplish both is ecommerce personalization. Onimod Global experts are here to break down some of the best Ecommerce personalization tips to ensure your customer retention and conversion rates are optimized to the fullest potential.

1. Incorporate intelligent product-detail page recommendations

Product-detail page (PDP) recommendations show your customers similar or products that are complementary to the ones they’re already interested in. This simple yet complex feature increases the shopping cart values of customers in significant amounts. Here you can leverage dynamic up-selling by recommending items that are higher in price but similar in style or by brand. These products are the ones with higher margins and are also proven to have the best conversion rates.

2. Show continuous shopping for returning customers

POV: It’s a lazy Sunday, and your netflix has asked 3 times now if you’re still watching. This has been such a powerful tool in terms of customer retention and keeping customers on the Netflix app. The same type of tactic can also be applied to the Ecommerce experience. With Netflix, instead of manually searching and scanning through hundreds of shows and movies, you can pick up right where you left off with a simple shortcut on your screen.

Similarly, this approach remembers your visitor’s selected items and preferences through previous sessions and makes it easier for them to pick up right where they left off. Fair to admit that this isn’t a very complex algorithm, however it’s valuable because the buying process is made that much more simple for the customer encouraging conversion behavior.

3. Create customized bestseller lists to drive click-throughs

People are automatically drawn to popular products whether it be music, clothing, books, food trends, the list goes on. One of the best tools to take advantage of here is showing the bestsellers with a twist—by adding in the dimension of time. You can show the bestselling products over the last 24 hours, or dial in the past one hour, depending on how much traffic you have.

This is the best tip that definitely allows for you to get creative with this approach. For example, instead of ranking products by sales, try displaying the most reviewed or segment by location. Showing best sellers by location is particularly powerful if you sell fashion in multiple climates. It’s also a huge advantage if your store specializes in a specific type of niche product like prom dresses or sports gear. Your customers from Los Angeles probably aren’t shopping for the same clothing in winter as your shoppers from New York City are. It’s all about discovering what works best for your unique products and customers.

More from Onimod Global

Onimod Global is looking forward to the future and helping your business reach your full Ecommerce potential. Interested in growing your Ecommerce business? Reach out to us here!

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

5 Ways to Increase Your Customers’ Online Trust of Your Products

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Along with the ramping up of ecommerce in the early days of quarantine, so did fraudulent activities. According to brand protection firm, Red Points, the sale of fake cosmetics, apparel, toys, and sporting goods surged, with the number of counterfeit detections growing by 38%. This is becoming a growing concern for consumers, with 92% having concerns about making purchases from unfamiliar websites. Customers main concerns seem to be: 

  •  Getting their credit card or personal information stolen. 
  • They won’t be able to return items.
  • Not getting personalized customer support. 
  • That the product will look different once it arrives. 

Trust among your online customers is more important than ever before. Businesses are now tasked with not only providing quality products and exceptional customer service, but also with proving they’re reliable and can be trusted. 

Building that trust requires appealing to consumers’ social, psychological and economic instincts. Here are 5 ways to help improve the trustworthiness of your brand and products with online customers. 

1. Social Proof 

Social proof can be anything from your social media following, endorsements from trusted experts or influencers, evidence of demand or certifications. But the most effective form of social proof is word-of-mouth and positive online reviews and testimonials. According to research conducted by the Spiegel Research Center, nearly 95% of shoppers read reviews before making a purchase. It’s not as simple as just getting reviews, though. There needs to be a substantial amount and they must be authentic. It’s also important that you don’t delete negative reviews, either. Instead, you should take the time to respond to them. This shows that you read your reviews and actually care about your customers, increasing brand trust. 

2. Personalize Your “About Us” Page 

Users that have never heard of a company and are making a purchase for the first time will likely navigate over to the “about” page to learn more. Your “about” page isn’t the time to use sale pitches, jargon or company lines. It’s an opportunity to tell your story and create a genuine connection with your customers. Introduce yourself, your business and tell what makes your products unique. This is how you best translate real authenticity and start a relationship with your customers. 

3. Prioritize Social Media 

There are many ecommerce counterfeiters that will utilize social media to hit their targets. This is why it’s essential to ensure your own social media channels convey authenticity and the genuine nature of your brand. It’s important to share content regularly, ensure consistent messaging across all platforms and interact with your followers. When pages aren’t updated consistently or only show low quality images and content, it can leave users questioning the legitimacy of your business as well. If you don’t have the capacity to consistently update all your social channels and create quality content, it may be worth outsourcing.

4. Create Clear and Detailed Product Descriptions with High-Quality Photos 

Normally when it comes to copywriting, less is more, but not when it comes to product descriptions. The best way to differentiate yourself from scammers is by including as much information as possible. Your product descriptions should have: 

  • Measurements 
  • Materials 
  • Colors 
  • How it’s packaged 
  • How it’s shipped

You should also include as many high-quality photos as you possibly can.

5. Be Available for Questions and Customer Support 

It can be unsettling to consumers if they’re trying to reach a company but aren’t able to easily find contact information. Along with an email address, be sure to also include a physical address. Customers should also receive prompt responses from your company. If customer service fails, all other efforts are meaningless. When emails or direct messages are left unanswered, consumers immediately have doubts. This can also lead to more negative reviews and word-of-mouth. 

Final Thoughts 

Establishing your brand authenticity and trust among your customers isn’t difficult. It just takes sharing your products, why you love what you sell, investing time and resources into original content creation and clearing communication with customers. 

At Onimod Global we’re experts in the ecommerce and social space. We’re always looking to the future and helping your business reach your full digital potential. Interested in growing your digital presence for your company? Reach out to us here!

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

Why Live Shopping Is The Future Of Ecommerce

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Brick-and-mortar retail was a significant revenue-driver as recently as 2019, but Covid-19 has changed everything. The pandemic has already accelerated levels of e-commerce growth not previously expected until 2022 at minimum. Live shopping is coming up as the latest Ecommerce trend that combines advances to technology and social media channels with the familiar, quaintly nostalgic concept of at-home shopping. Envision the Home Shopping Network (which continues to be quite successful) but streamable on mobile phones through websites and on social media apps such as Instagram with influencers that help to sell goods.

Onimod Global experts are here to break down what live shopping is and why it will be crucial to the success of your Ecommerce strategy in 2021 and coming years.

What exactly is live shopping?

Livestream shopping is a natural confluence of several current tech trends—streaming, influencers, social, commerce—and offers companies a new approach based on an old shopping trend to consumers’ hearts and wallets. Think back to when the Home Shopping Channel began to appear on televisions, first across North America and then worldwide. Previously catered to housewives, the live shopping on channels QVC and HSC allowed women to shop from the comfort of their couches just by calling in to the show.

Several decades and gender role changes later, live shopping provides a convenience that has now been completely taken over by ecommerce and the ability to do it all from one’s computer or mobile phone instead. Live shopping provides a real-time feedback loop for all consumers tuned in, including reviews and recommendations of products. Influencers and customers sharing among followers and friends, and asking questions about the product on the platform in use is an important piece of the puzzle for brands to embrace “social commerce.” As we’ve already mentioned, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of live shopping, giving ample space and opportunity for it to reach customers in North America and Europe. Beyond fashion and beauty, live shopping can be extended into many different types of categories. For example, cars and houses and all sorts of accessories sold in a variety of industries are emerging in popularity.

Live shopping platforms

Live shopping used to come from one customer and one customer only: the ones watching tv at home. Now the landscape has shifted entirely, where live shopping can happen on a buyer’s phone or computer, and, yes, streamed on their smart television, too.

This list of already existing streaming platforms from Shopify is a great place to start looking if you’re interested in offering live shopping:

The most important and largest platform to start live shopping for your business is of course, Instagram. Instagram live shopping is used in the following ways:

  • Product demos: Educate and engage buyers. Test the products for interested customers, answering any questions they may have.
  • Collaboration: Give buyers authentic reviews. Bring on other creators or brands with an influencer to give a level of insight and realistic product presentation to the process.
  • Human interaction: Invite buyers to participate. All of these options allow for your buyer to participate in the testing, learning, and shopping experience in a way that straight Ecommerce doesn’t necessarily provide space for.

The future of Ecommerce

Live shopping brings a humanized element to an otherwise human-less experience. One thing Ecommerce always had going for it was the fast and easy process, however no one had yet figured out a way to bring interaction to the table to match the USP of convenience. COVID-19 catapulted Ecommerce and online shopping in this direction, with no signs of slowing down.

Though a post-COVID life is hopefully coming soon, and whatever version of “normal living” is sure to resume soon after, live shopping—like many other new or adapted consumer behaviors and technologies—is likely to remain a pillar of the buying experience.

More from Onimod Global

Onimod Global is looking forward to the future and helping your business reach your full digital potential. Interested in growing your digital presence for your company? Reach out to us here!

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

New Facebook Report: COVID-19 Impact On Small Businesses

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This pandemic has not only been a world health crisis, it also serves to be an economic crisis. While the world as we know it has been impacted significantly as a whole, among the hardest hit sectors looks to be small businesses. Mom and pop shops are the heart of all of our communities, and they are facing the ultimate challenge. Small to medium businesses generally operate at very tight margins as it is, and they don’t have the same safety nets that larger corporations are able to fall back on. While forecasts for the future are grim, it’s important to capture what’s happening in the moment. How are small businesses dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and how do they feel about their situations moving forward?

The State of Small Business Report, by Facebook and Small Business Roundtable, based on a survey of 86,000 owners, managers and workers in companies across the US with fewer than 500 employees, is a somber image of the struggle they are facing as they fight for their business to survive.  The data also includes 9,000 operators of “personal” businesses (i.e. people who reported that they were “self-employed providing goods or services”). You can read Facebook’s full report here, but below are some of the key points.

Insights of impact

Facebook’s report provides insight as to how many businesses have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 lockdowns, with a look at the percentage of SMBs in each sector that are currently cannot operate.

small business facebook report 1

As per Facebook:

“According to the survey, 31% of small and medium-sized businesses have shut down [entirely] in the last three months. The situation is worse for personal business (52% of which report shutting down), hotels, cafes and restaurants (43%) and services like wellness, grooming, fitness or other professional services (41%).”

These trends have been in expected in some way, with high exposure businesses of course being forced to close their doors. The numbers also wrap some further context around the 36 million unemployment claims in the US over the past six weeks. The big question is, how many of these businesses will be able to recover and bounce back?

Businesses re-opening

In general, the majority of small businesses remain optimistic with a respective amount of caution.

small business facebook report 2

Lots of “maybe’s” here, but most significant is the lack of “no’s”. This definitely provides hope of most people getting back on their feet and resuming employment, with the economy getting back on track at some stage. Of course, the longer that businesses are forced to remain closed then the path to recovery is significantly more difficult.

Current impacts on revenue

In later notes of the report, Facebook provides some context as to current impacts on revenue, even for those businesses that have remained in operation.

small business facebook report 3

2020 will certainly not be a year of growth for the majority of businesses, if any. However, there are some indications of future potential.

Digital opportunities for small business

small business report 4

More and more business are exploring online opportunities and going digital. This was already a trend, and the pandemic has catapulted all business into the world of online sales and e-commerce. This will most likely end up being the biggest long-term shift we see stemming from the COVID-19 shutdowns. While e-commerce accounted for only around 16% of total US retail sales in 2019, this number is expected to significantly increase in the next years. While retail is the most common e-commerce sector, the pandemic crisis may prompt more businesses to consider their options for digital operations, meeting consumers where they’re spending more and more of their time.

You can read Facebook’s full, 36-page “State of Small Business Report”, which includes a heap of more specific insights and data, here.

More from Onimod Global

Contact Onimod Global today, we are here to help you navigate this uncertain time. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

To catch up on the latest digital marketing news and trends, click here.

Reopening Post Shut Down: Is it Worth it?

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As a business owner, you’ve likely been wondering what it would look like for you post COVID-19. While it’s not post COVID-19, states are starting to reopen and allowing businesses to reopen as well. Despite this, polls indicate the majority of consumers remain nervous about the virus. This raises the question for many business owners – is reopening worth it? 

Are Consumers Ready? 

A recent survey by the Washington Post found that while 56% of consumers are comfortable shopping in a grocery store, 67% are not comfortable with the idea of going into a retail store, and 78% would not go into a restaurant for a sit-down meal. Another survey by Fluent found that only 34% of respondents were comfortable with governors lifting stay-at-home orders. Despite those results, the survey also found that 60% of the audience feels “calm and collected or neutral” about COVID-19, while 38% are “nervous or very nervous.” 

These results are contradicting and confusing for owners trying to make critical decisions. This is probably due to consumers being confused themselves. People want to return to “normal” activities, but are concerned whether it’s really safe to do so.

Where Consumers Feel Safe

A survey from First Insights revealed how comfortable consumers are with going to different types of stores. Respondents were asked in which types of stores they would feel safe or very safe. These were the results:

  • Grocery stores: 54%
  • Drug stores: 50%
  • Big box retailers: 45%
  • Warehouse clubs: 43%
  • Local small businesses: 43%
  • Department stores: 37%
  • Shopping malls: 33%

Another contradiction was found when looking at smartphone location data. When Georgia reopened, location data showed more than 60,000 people came from neighboring states, to visit stores, restaurants, gyms, salons, etc. These data points suggest that even though majority of consumers claim they’re apprehensive about going to stores, there’s a sufficient amount of people that would still turn out for reopenings.  

E-commerce Continues to Surge 

There have been many surveys and other data indicating e-commerce will continue to grow even after reopening. E-commerce order volume has increased by 50% compared to 2019. Not only that, but 57% of consumers are shopping online more than before. And 65% prefer to do that shopping on a smartphone, rather than PC or tablet. New safety protocols on stores that do reopen may also cause enough inconvenience for consumers to find going to stores not worth it. For example, many stores are requiring shoppers to wear masks, some even requiring temperature checks, and some are only allowing shopping by appointment. While this is all for the safety of shoppers and employees, it may require too much effort for what it’s worth. 

Tips for Reopening 

No matter what, people will be going back into stores. Possibly in large numbers in those states that do open over the next month. Even with the regulations, details are complex and not always clear. Business owners will have to problem-solve and make their own plans on how they will keep their employees and customers safe. Here are some tips on reopening your business, including advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

 

  • Keep social distancing guidelines in place. Social distancing, meaning keeping 6 feet of distance between people, can be difficult in the workplace. But this will likely be the new norm, for a while at least, and it’s important for keeping employees and customers safe. Consider these efforts to ensure your business can properly social distance:

 

      • Rethink desks, displays, and workspaces to create proper distance. 
      • Consider staggering work hours to limit the number of employees there at a time. 
      • Limit the number of seats in common areas. 
      • Use tape to mark 6ft intervals where people wait in lines. 
      • Post signs in or around the building that promote social distancing and advise those who aren’t healthy to please not enter.

 

  • Encourage employees and customers to wash hands and use sanitizer frequently. By now, we’re all well-aware of the efforts that are necessary to help prevent the spread of the virus. Washing and sanitizing hands is crucial. Consider installing signs around the workplace that encourage employees and customers to wash/sanitize their hands:

 

      • When they get to work/enter the building 
      • After sneezing, coughing, or blowing their nose
      • Before and after eating 
      • Before and after touching their eyes, nose, and mouth
      • After interacting with coworkers and customers 
      • After touching displays and other equipment 
      • After visiting the restroom 

 

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces multiple times a day. This not only keeps employees and customers safe, but it can help customers breathe easier knowing anything that they touch has been cleaned thoroughly moments before. This includes doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, tables, desks, keyboards, remote controls, elevator buttons, toilets (including handles), faucets, sinks, cash registers/point of sale (POS), displays, business equipment, phone etc.

 

  • Provide PPE to employees and create a policy that addresses guidelines and proper usage. Depending on the state where your business is located, you may be required to supply your employees with gloves, masks, etc. Even if your state doesn’t have requirements, it may be in your best interest to provide your employees with them anyways.

 

 

Final Thoughts 

The decision to stay closed or to reopen is ultimately up to you. At this time, it’s difficult to know when to do anything. You know your business and your customers best. If you believe they’re eager and ready to get back outside, reopening may be a smart business decision. If you can see that the majority of your customer base is still very apprehensive and nervous about the current state of things, staying closed may be the better option. When you do choose to reopen, make sure you take the time to prepare and protect yourself, your employees, and your business. Rushing things will not help your chances of doing well as we all face the next steps. 

More from Onimod Global 

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

How To Link Your PayPal And Google Merchant Center Accounts

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Google announced last month that it will now be allowing free listings in Google Shopping search results. Google also released information that retailers can integrate PayPal with their Google Merchant Center accounts. That integration is officially live!

This means that retailers and brands using PayPal as a checkout option on their site can now link their PayPal account to the Google Merchant Center which will apply to all products for listings across Google. If you’re new to Google Merchant Center, the PayPal connection can also speed up the merchant verification process.

Where to start with PayPal integration

To integrate the PayPal platform is quite simple. Just follow these three simple steps from Search Engine Land:

  1. After you log into the Google Merchant Center, select tools in the upper left navigation.
  2. Select “linked accounts” under the settings menu. Here you will see the option to link your PayPal account.
  3. In order to have your products eligible to be listed on Google Shopping, Search, Images and elsewhere, you will need to opt into Surfaces across Google.

And that’s it, easy and efficient for everyone involved. Total win-win for retailers and shoppers alike.

Why This Integration Matters

At this moment, PayPal is the only integrated platform. Google says there will be more options for integration payment platforms in the future for retailers to choose from. When there is integration of a variety of payment platforms, it significantly lowers the barrier for entry for merchants to list their products on Google shopping search. This helps retailers expand to new unpaid channels and helps Google broaden the universe of products it can show users. Another win-win!

Bill Ready, President of Commerce at Google, also mentioned in the initial announcement additional information to make e-commerce more accessible:

We’re continuing to work closely with many of our existing partners that help merchants manage their products and inventory, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, to make digital commerce more accessible for businesses of all sizes.

More From Onimod Global

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.