Everyone is online now. Even grocery stores, long the in-person holdout, caved to ecommerce during COVID.
So the very first thing you should do is get an online store up and running.
Out of the box platforms like Advantage CSP and Shopify can get you there quickly and easily, while larger organizations may require more development resources to integrate supply systems, inventory management, and more with a customer-facing front-end. Regardless, getting online is absolutely essential..
Give people the option to buy online, pickup in store
Even if your store is still a big part of your organization, make sure you’re offering some sort of alternative option for those who want to buy your products but want lower engagement. Contactless pickup is a good option, especially for smaller businesses who don’t want to invest in the logistics necessary for shipping and fulfilment.
Get a tap payments solution for in-store shoppers
Cash is no longer king - plastic has stolen its crown.
If you’re offering an in-store experience, make sure you’re upgrading your terminals to support tap to pay as a contactless option. This is especially important for those organizations where most of the transactions are going to be less than $100 (a common tap limit cutoff).
It may also be worth considering self-serve terminals to again reduce the amount of human-to-human interaction required.
Adapt to new media consumption patterns
As the patterns of our lives changed, so too did the pattern of our media consumption. To make sure you’re still getting in front of your target audience, you need to adapt your media strategy and offering accordingly.
For B2C companies, this might mean reducing your out of home and radio spend and reinvesting in things like influencer marketing, paid social media, and podcast advertising.
For B2B companies, this largely means shifting money out of events and into other, digital avenues like email marketing, sponsored digital content, and search engine / paid social campaigns.
For both, it’s also an opportunity to double down on brand — is your brand strong, could it be better, and how are you going to fix it? Branding will matter more and more as digital channels saturate with the influx of cash and price out all but the highest spenders.
Build contactless teams
One perk of the pandemic is that remote work is normalized. So take advantage of it! If you’re struggling to make a key hire, widen your search parameters to your timezone, then country, then the world. Not only is it unlikely we’ll return full time to in-person offices any time soon, people have also become much better at working remotely, building home offices that work for them. So remove geography as a barrier for your next key hire.
Invest in contactless
Finally, make sure you invest in contactless. This world of contactless life isn’t going to disappear when pandemic fades. Norms are being set now that will stick. So don’t ad hoc every solution. That time has passed. Make sure you’re making sensible, long-term investments in your contactless organization that will drive growth long into the contactless future.
Bullet point summary
- Get an ecommerce store up and running ASAP
- Give your customers the option to choose their level of contactless
- Get tap payments set up in your store
- Redistribute your marketing and media to suit new consumption patterns
- Build the best team you can — regardless of location
- Double down on contactless — COVID might fade, but the changes it wrought won’t
