Online shopping has been on the rise for years, but the coronavirus pandemic kicked the trend into overdrive. Amazon recently reported that its Q3 revenue in North America was up 39.3% year over year. And brick and mortar chains have been seeing dramatic gains in online sales this year: Best Buy, for example, reported that its Q2 online sales were up 242% year over year, and Target saw a 195% jump in e-commerce. Even as societal lockdowns are loosening, many consumers are not giving up the convenience of one-click shopping from their sofas.

Promotional products pros who’ve invested in technology – with user-friendly, e-commerce enabled websites – have been the most likely to survive during the pandemic – and will be the most likely to thrive in its aftermath.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, ASI staffer Theresa Hegel speaks with Marshall Atkinson, a decorated-apparel industry veteran turned success consultant about the power of online stores and how to market your business on the web.

Podcast Chapters
1:35 How the pandemic accelerated the "retailpocalypse." 
5:20 What's the purpose of your website? 
9:08 Does your site work with voice search? 
16:20 One-third of Amazon's sales come from the "People also bought" section. Does your site have that functionality?
21:30 How to create "stickiness" on your website using SEO listening tools.
25:35 Drive engagement with quality content and simple contests.
28:42 Create a B2B podcast with your customers as guests.
35:12 People like to browse in stores, but they also like convenience.

Atkinson had a wealth of ideas to share about improving the online experience for customers. Distributors and decorators should take an honest assessment of their website (perhaps consulting an expert) to make sure it’s easy to navigate, not too cluttered and that the “shop” button is impossible to miss. Avoid the temptation to throw all your products onto the front page of your site, and instead choose one or two hot items to highlight there. You can always rotate them out for something fresh later.

Use search listening tools like Answer the Public to find out your customers’ pain points and questions, then answer them with key word-rich blog posts on your site. Atkinson went into detail on how to use search listening to improve your website in a blog recently posted on his own site.

Creating engaging content on social media that drives followers back to your site is key, whether that’s through a fun contest (asking people to vote on their favorite sweatshirt color, for example) or by starting a B2B podcast that features your own clients as guests. The true value of social media for salespeople, Atkinson adds, however, is in the private, direct messages. Once you’ve established a rapport with someone on their main page, you can send a DM to get more personal and find out how your business might be able to help them.

Though there will always be a place for in-person interaction and brick-and-mortar browsing, online shopping is not going away – even after the pandemic does. It’s crucial to invest in technology and improving user experience, because if you don’t, your competitors are, and you’ll be left in the dust, Atkinson cautions.