Post-pandemic sales: how to improve them?
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the economy hard. In an uncertain scenario, markets have changed habits, consumers go through other processes before deciding on a purchase, many business models have become obsolete, many have suffered losses… However, change is always an opportunity for growth. The pandemic has accelerated the growth of online businesses. Before this event, some doubted that in the future all purchases would be made online, but now that future seems imminent. Of course, this is not all the Covid-19 has left. So the changes don’t force you to close your business, we propose these tactics to adapt to the new times and have better post-pandemic sales.
Study the new consumption habits of your market
As we mentioned earlier, people changed their consumption habits. For many, the pandemic gave them a lesson in personal finance. Those who used to spend without thinking have now become accustomed to being more cautious. For others it has opened up the world of online shopping and facing the current panorama they are not yet willing to return to physical stores. Sales from the pandemic were affected at all levels.
But having this general information is not worth it. You need to know exactly what changed in your target market. I mean, you’ll need to do some new market analysis. Perhaps the habits of consumption for them did not change so radically, but there are subtleties that you are overlooking, you have to investigate. For example, if your target market were people between the ages of 40–50 and many are already encouraging to buy online, you don’t want to be left behind. Or if for example, now they only consume businesses that have deliveries to home, you will have to adapt. Attention must be paid to the needs of the market and to what now drives them to buy.
On the other hand, has another sector been added to your target market? You might be a more attractive business for more people than you think. For example, if you are a company dedicated to cleaning and disinfection products, you are more relevant than ever, for almost everyone. You have to take care that you are not neglecting a market. Check who are your new customers, are there some who have left, others who have returned? Pay close attention.
Finally, take into account that the panorama does not paint to improve soon. So many purchases that did not represent difficult decisions before have become risky. Keep up with the budget cuts that many have implemented post pandemic.
Review your catalog of products and services
The next thing you have to do is make sure your products and services are still relevant to the markets. Many products had a significant rise in pandemic sales, others instead went down. An obvious example is the Cubrebocas and the antibacterial gel, while the restaurants and hotels have suffered a lot. That’s why it’s important to review what you’re offering and make sure it remains a necessity in this new landscape. if you want to learn more about how the pandemic affected different industries, read this article: The impact of the coronavirus so far: the industries that struggled or recovered.
Certainly fewer people are in a position to travel or eat out. But this does not mean that you should declare bankruptcy, you can adapt. How many restaurants to continue sales during the pandemic began offering home deliveries? You have to be creative, think outside the box so you don’t let the pandemic end sales. Of course, this is a simple example that has been proven to work, but what is left for the hotels? That’s a much more difficult problem, so most have opted to sell “escapes” to the local population and offer security measures against Covid-19.
Now, if you don’t belong in these sectors, you still have to do a review. Probably among the products and services you offer there will be some that are not as necessary right now as others. try to make a hierarchy. Ask yourself what is still a need for your target market, if they are coupled with their new consumption habits. Having a catalog adapted to these new times will ensure more sales before and after the pandemic.
Keep good communication with your customers
Something that has helped many businesses maintain their sales during the pandemic has been to have good communication channels with their customers. In the face of change, what customers want is some kind of certainty. Is it still safe to buy your products or hire you? Will current conditions not affect your performance? Customers are interested in knowing all this before making any kind of purchase.
Now more than ever, it’s important to improve your customer service. By what means could your customers communicate with you during the pandemic? And currently? If you only have a phone, it’s not enough. To achieve pandemic and post-pandemic sales, you need your buyers to be able to reach out to you. Have a chat, email, social networks… You need all these tools so that your customers feel confident in you and decide to make deals with you. Otherwise, your sales will go down.
In addition to improving your customer service, you need to make sure you are very honest, transparency should be your priority. If you have had to shut down a service or discontinue a product, notify your customers. Make sure there can be no order errors not completed by those types of errors. If there is a logistical process that has changed, also communicate it. Only then will you be able to achieve effective communication with your customers and you can have sales after the pandemic. It’s all about building good relationships of trust.
Are you on the line yet?
This is a key tactic for achieving sales during and after the pandemic: having a website, making online sales. As we mentioned in the introduction, more and more people are turning to online shopping. That’s why you can’t stay behind, you need to adapt your physical store to online trade. (Services businesses are no exception either).
Having a website isn’t about quantum physics either. Many services can help you develop a website, for example, check out these: 5 Best Website Creation Sites. But in addition, there are many companies dedicated to website development that can design something especially for you. It’s a small investment considering the sales you can achieve after the pandemic.
More than a whim or a status trait, having the ability to sell online has become a fundamental tool in these times. That’s why, while not neglecting your physical business, you should consider that having a website is the next big step for your growth. Don’t be afraid to move at the speed of the future, you can get much more if you innovate in your business models.
New marketing strategies for pandemic sales
Now, this might seem obvious, but our marketing strategies can’t be the same. If the pandemic changed the consumption habits of our market if some of our products and services are more or less relevant if you have to have a website… the marketing must also adapt to this whole new panorama, Otherwise, even if we apply the changes we will not be achieving our target market or growing.
Having an online presence requires specialized marketing to be relevant in social media as well as search engines. That’s why it’s important to learn how to optimize our content for SEO. Here you can find many free tools for this: SEO Tools. And if you’re still lost in the topic, read this article: SEO FAQs — All You Need To Know On the other hand if you’re wondering about paid ads, that’s a different topic and a lot more expensive than SEO optimization. Review the pros and cons here: Invest In SEO Or SEM PPC?
On the other hand: DO NOT make “funny” ads with the theme of the pandemic. It is still a delicate issue, many people have lost loved ones to the disease. Keep dealing with the issue tactfully. Instead, take a hopeful tone, your customers will feel much more comforting. In your advertising talk about the improvements you’ve made for them since the crisis and how they’ve been your priority. Good ad management will help you close more post pandemic sales.
Have an emergency plan
Just as the pandemic left many people with better financial habits, it could also be the case for your company. What happened to your company when the pandemic started? Were there any financial mistakes you noticed? Did you have an emergency budget? You should not feel bad if you were not prepared, was the case of most, but from it, we can learn.
What the pandemic showed us is that the only thing we can expect is the unexpected. That’s why having a financial and process execution plan in case of contingency is important. It’s as important as doing fire drills. This type of prevention will make your company stronger to withstand bad times, give more confidence to both your partners and employees, and your customers.
That’s why to ensure post-pandemic sales, it’s also important to learn from the past and consolidate strategies that make you stronger in the future. Having savings to pay for operational expenses in times of crisis, insurance, and other options to operate remotely are some of the actions that can be integrated into your contingency plan. Of course, everything should be adapted to your type of business.
Conclusions
The pandemic has been a period of good and bad change, all of which are a driving force for innovation. That is why it is important to integrate tactics and strategies that allow healthy post-pandemic sales to continue. There are small changes that can be implemented to get green numbers out of the crisis. It’s all about keeping an eye on the market and adapting to its new needs. You may need to change your business model, prioritize some products or services over others, have a better online presence and customer service, or set up an emergency plan.
How did your business experience the pandemic? Tell us in the comments, we can all learn from everyone’s experience.
