COVID-19: A Boom in Ecommerce Traffic Means New Challenges for Retailers

It goes without saying that the coronavirus outbreak changed the way the world does ecommerce. Not only do consumers rely on online shopping to get crucial supplies, but retailers also face a surge in traffic that can make even the most prepared brands feel overwhelmed.

Here, Virtucom Group takes a closer look at the unique challenges retailers face amid COVID-19 and how our team can help your brand meet them.

Unprepared for the Surge

Increased web traffic means increased demand in more ways than one. With a 30% surge in online spending in the United States between early March and mid-April, social distancing measures force many ecommerce executives to face challenges such as:

Strain on internal resources

Keeping up with a diverse assortment has always been challenging. Today, many companies face the reality of doing so with a smaller team. This often leaves remaining employees over-tasked. The cost and logistics of onboarding additional resources may seem unmanageable, but help is needed – often desperately.

Rush on time-to-market

Increased demand should be a welcome surprise to retailers, but with it comes more pressure to get products online faster. Factor in the time constraints faced by internal product content teams, and it can be tempting to cut corners and publish product pages with incomplete information and content taken from data feeds or straight from manufacturers. While it’s crucial to beat competitors, rushed item onboarding and setup could lead to negative consequences in the future.

Low SERP ranking

With more time at home and brick-and-mortar stores temporarily closed, shoppers rely on online retailers like never before. However, increased demand doesn’t mean shoppers can easily find your product pages. 75% of online shoppers won’t see your products if you’re not on page one of the search engine results page (SERP). If your ecommerce strategy doesn’t currently emphasize search engine optimization (SEO), you could lose sales.

Consequences of Incomplete Product Pages

Complete, accurate, optimized product pages have always been essential. Today, a dramatic increase in online shopping makes them more important than ever. When shoppers visit product pages with missing or inaccurate data and content that fails to engage, retailers will face:

• Cart abandonment: Shoppers might think they’ve found what they’re looking for on your product pages, but when the information they seek is discrepant or incomplete, they’ll be tempted to look elsewhere. There’s no guarantee they’ll come back once they leave your page – especially when they find the product on a competitor’s site with accurate, engaging content.
• Higher return rates: When incorrect data appears on your product pages, shoppers may not realize it until the goods arrive at their door. And after waiting through longer delivery times to receive their essentials, online shoppers expect products to arrive as promised. If their expectations aren’t met due to bad data on your product pages, they must begin the purchasing process all over. At this point, trust in your brand is lost, and it’s unlikely they will shop with you again.

Don’t Panic – Virtucom Group Can Help

COVID-19 is having a significant impact on the global economy, and retail in particular. Thankfully, our team leverages more than 20 years of experience in ecommerce to guide brands through trying times like these. Our in-house, on-shore specialists can supplement the efforts of your staff, ensure timely onboarding of complete, accurate product data and engaging product content, and help you avoid the fallout of an insufficient ecommerce strategy.  

More information about our ecommerce solutions is just a click away. Contact Virtucom Group today, and a representative will be in touch to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.