The COVID-19 outbreak forced so many people home, within a matter of days. All of a sudden everyone is being asked, or required, to stay at home.
If you own a retail space that cannot open, or isn’t receiving the foot traffic it used to, online sales may be your next pivot point. But where do you even start?
Good news- we just wrapped up a whole e-commerce series over on McNary Marketing & Design back in 2019 and we’ve shared all the tips, tricks, and details you may need to get started. (You can see all the articles here.)
Ready to move fast?
If you need to just start selling, now, there are a few options out there that make that easy.
If you already have a website using WordPress, we recommend checking out WooCommerce, which provides so many options and features, but is also simple enough for just throwing one product or option up today. You can read more about what we recommend here.
If you’re starting from scratch, you may want to check out Shopify. We’ve used it with our clients and it’s another option that has lots of features, but is nimble enough to get going immediately.
Getting Up and Going
As you start diving into the details of your new online shop, you’re going to start seeing all the options. Don’t get bogged down. Our best advice as you’re choosing the features is to design your storefront with:
- 9-12 products or categories (at the most) and
- The ability to scroll over or click to learn the details about each product.
Click here to learn more about taking your store to the next level with features you may want to consider.
But It Doesn’t End Here
We don’t know how long this “new normal” will last, but most agree it’s going to be with us for a while. It has the potential to change us – and change the way you do business. Don’t think of your new store as just a survival technique for today. Think about the new way it can support your business. Put together a marketing strategy, including Pay-Per-Click or SEO.
Owning a business presents many challenges, and sometimes quick pivots are what keep us afloat. If you’re ready to sell online, jump in. There are so many opportunities to succeed in this digital space, with so many available features and platforms. Sometimes, it just takes moments like this to make us take the leap.
