It’s important to remember that about two decades ago, online stores were virtually unknown. In fact, even before the pandemic hit us, there were still many businesses that had not transitioned to e-commerce. Whether it’s because of budget constraints or logistics, some businesses feel that online stores will not completely overpower brick-and-mortar stores, that face-to-face interactions will beat the impersonal characteristics of e-commerce. Oh, were we ever wrong?
The past year showed how much things can change in a few short months. E-commerce is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s already a “need to have.” Businesses that do not have an online store will suffer, maybe not now, but in years to come. They will feel the brunt of consumers who no longer feel comfortable dealing with people face-to-face, especially if the internet exists to make their lives more convenient. That being said, it is also time for professionals to take a look at how they can profit from online stores.
Instead of working a nine-to-five job or freelancing for many clients, why don’t you find a niche for yourself in this growing e-commerce industry? If you think e-commerce is big now, wait until the world settles and people realize how easy, convenient, and fast it is to transact everything online. Physical stores will be emptied, and businesses will migrate online.
Photographers
The pandemic has particularly not been great for photographers. Since they couldn’t go out to get inspiration, hold exhibitions, and meet with clients, they were forced at home to tutor photography enthusiasts virtually and book private small gatherings. But one thing they haven’t learned yet is to offer their services to small business owners with e-commerce sites. If you cannot find a client, sign up for a marketing agency for photography that will connect you with potential customers.
Whether it’s retail, gadgets, or what-not, small business owners are looking exactly for the kind of services that photographers can deliver. They need you to beautify their products so their target market will come knocking on their doors. More than anything else, visuals are essential when the target market can’t even come in to see the products in person.
SEO
Yes, e-commerce needs search engine optimization (SEO), too. Perhaps, they need it more than any other website—blogs and corporate. If you’re an SEO expert, then you are much needed in this regard. Online stores are usually not optimized for search engines, so they don’t get as much traffic from their target market. Your job is to use the proper keywords and formats that will make Google’s algorithm believe that your website is the best choice for what they are searching for.
Marketing
Marketing online businesses is complicated because there are so many that business owners don’t know about how people think and behave while they’re online. Sure, there are trackers to measure how one behaves on social media, but these are limited to what these tools can collect and analyze.
Marketing specialists have a deeper understanding of what consumers need, so they should also target e-commerce businesses. Now more than ever, online stores need a better representation of themselves on the internet. Without marketing, forget about generating profit to keep your business afloat.
Cybersecurity
Are you an information technology expert? Then, your services are exactly the kind that online stores need. Cybercriminals often target online shops because people transact on them using their personal and financial information. They do all sorts of things—phishing scams, duplicated websites, and fraudulent emails—to get into the system and steal the information.
When online stores lose their customers’ information to cybercriminals, it will be a huge blow to their business. No one will trust them again. It will take a long time before they can regain that confidence and loyalty.
Mobile App Development
Online stores are not enough. For a business to truly get in the game, they need a mobile app, too. That is why mobile app developers have been on a roll since the pandemic began. Businesses started to realize that it would be hard to compete in their respective industries without a dedicated app. An app will help them reach out to their customers, offer them better products and services, and gather feedback from them.
It’s a whole new world today because of the pandemic. Businesses should not rest for one minute when they are trying to survive not only the pandemic but the competition as well. These are the services that are critical to their success during and after this worldwide crisis.
