e-Commerce is having a before and after moment because of the global pandemic of COVID-19. Faced with the impossibility of attending physical stores to make purchases as was traditionally done, many customers migrated to digital platforms to purchase products and services. With this acceleration of consumption through digital channels, logistics processes have had to adapt and accelerate their operations in record time. A stopover is no longer scheduled at a convenience center since goods are delivered directly to the addresses determined by the customer.
For Alfonso Cossío, head of SAP customer experience, “the acceleration of e-commerce opens a window of opportunities for industries that, due to their traditional business model or because they are in the early stages of their digitization process, had not explored their possibilities. Especially relevant are the initiatives launched from B2B sectors with a timid digital presence, such as the automotive sector. What has been learned from the current situation has become a catalyst to define the foundations of the sales model for the coming years.”
The Future of e-Commerce
The digital acceleration in the customer purchase and delivery experience has made them omnichannel customers. Customers who adopt different behaviors depending on the time of purchase and opt to use the platforms that allow them to complete purchases faster and with less friction.
Faced with this evolution of the omnichannel customer, the stores will adopt a showroom-type layout in which the customer will seek to test the product directly, and if it is available, will request its delivery. As a result, even products such as clothing, makeup, and fragrances, which normally captivate the customer through sensory experiences, will migrate towards a digital experience where companies will have to innovate to overcome the physical shopping experience or combine it.
On the other hand, buybacks will tend to be 100% digital. Once a customer makes their first digital purchases, his products arrive correctly, and the entire experience meets his expectations, the customer will replicate purchases through the digital channel more frequently.
Succeeding with the digital experience is the new “moment of truth,” those elements representing the customer experience as they walk through the purchase cycle, receive the goods or services and re-purchase, and as it happens through a journey and not at a specific moment they might be difficult to replicate. In building that “moment of truth” as “real” as possible, companies are resourcing to Artificial Intelligence features that adapt the online shopping experience to the customers’ environment to hit that sweet spot when merchandise arrives at their doorstep.
The e-commerce acceleration has, of course, impacted the software development industry. All companies have transformed into tech companies, either to move forward a digital transformation or to add functionality to their existing products. At Mahisoft, we have seen an unprecedented demand for software developers as we continue to support current customers with their ongoing businesses.
Consistency is King
Currently, customers are using e-commerce for up to 35 percent of their purchases. Therefore, businesses that offer a strong digital experience will probably hold on to their customers and attract others. This will help them better weather the storm from the upcoming economic downturns.
Consistency is king in digital transformation. A company that offers e-commerce must consistently convey its message, interact with customers, and provide a consistent and reliable form of financial transaction to become a trustworthy guide for their customers.
COVID-19 is one of those seismic events in history that tie humanity together with an emotional string that impacts beliefs, mindsets, norms, and behaviors. Most of the advances we have seen in e-commerce create new and permanent routines that will serve as the basis for the new normal.
