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Post pandemic change drivers in e-commerce have provided many lessons across the market. From brick-and-mortar retailers to e-commerce, SMEs and major brands alike have had to quickly rethink how they engage consumers. Behavior and shopping habits have changed, and now for the first time ever the ability to shop online has become essential. In this post, we’ll examine the main post pandemic change drivers for e-commerce, and look at how brands are finding opportunity in adversity.
2020 upended lives around the world, changing daily routines and habits in drastic and sudden ways. Everything from what we do, to how we conduct business, and how we shop has had to change almost overnight.
For retail, consumers are flocking to online shopping. The transformation has forced even traditionally brick-and-mortar stores to focus on strengthening their online presence. On the other hand, brands without one are scrambling to cushion the impact of plummeting sales at physical locations.
Some say these shifts will be permanent, but truly it is anybody’s guess. For now at least, the fact of the matter is that in a global pandemic e-commerce is not just a luxury, it’s essential. Let’s look now at the primary post pandemic change drivers to e-commerce, and deeper into how brands are leveraging professional product photography to find opportunity in adversity.
A change driver is an event relating to either internal or external pressure that shapes change in an organization. This might include strategy, roadmaps, operations, services, and more.
In e-commerce, the main post pandemic change drivers can include but are not limited to the following.
Any business in today’s climate will have to address these primary post pandemic change drivers. For many, it might even be a make-or-break moment. Only by catering to the current demands of the times will brands cushion any declines in revenue they might be facing.
Brands and businesses who overcome post pandemic challenges will discover vital lessons in flexibility and sustainability. However, the sad fact of the matter is that many SMEs and small businesses won’t survive post pandemic. In fact, many around the globe have already gone out of business, citing Covid-19 among the primary reasons.
How quickly and efficiently businesses address the change drivers, particularly in e-commerce, will ultimately determine their chance for success in the current market. Consumer behaviors and shopping habits are shifting rapidly, so we all will have to learn as we progress. This means leveraging all available assets, adjusting strategies accordingly, and agile planning.
With any business, people want to buy from real people. It’s not the brand; it’s the idea and the face of it. It’s the real value of the product, its usefulness, and the thought put into it.
In stores, you have a sales team or a representative to convey this information. Online, your product content has to do it. Your product content has to speak for your brand. It also needs to show the brand is authentic and consumer-centric, rather than profit-centric.
Remember, consumers still want a face to the brand, even when shopping online. This means your product images should be just as helpful as a sales team would be in-store. They should convey all of the information about products that consumers are looking for, leave nothing to the imagination, and in general act as a change drive to prove you’re more than “just a brand”.
In e-commerce, putting consumers at the driving wheel has always been critical. Strong product content puts consumers in control of the product experience, replicating the feeling of actually being in-store as much as possible.
Post pandemic, this can be crucial for sales, especially when dealing with products that consumers are used to physically inspecting before making a purchase.
This is where brands are leveraging professional product photography such as spin product images, 3D models, and even AR / VR shopping apps to give consumers that in-store feel online. Professional product content allows for detailed inspection of even intricate or complex products, deep fields of zoom, and high-resolution imagery to show consumers you care about their product experience.
Even if it’s by utilizing online marketplaces like Amazon or Ebay, there is no excuse in today’s market not to establish an online presence with professional product photography. When you can’t host images on your own website, online marketplaces can still host for you. They support professional product images, spin photography, and even 3D models.
If you have your own webshop, you might want to consider investing in some equipment and software for professional in-house product photography. In a post pandemic market, with more consumers online than ever, there can be high ROI for not only the tools but also for the product images you create.
The emphasis now is on digital product presentation and immersive product experiences. These are some of the most significant post pandemic change drivers and e-commerce, and the situation might likely be like this for some time yet.
At PhotoRobot, our mission is to help businesses get the most out of their product photography. Our line of robots and suite of software for automation and control simplify processes, streamline workflows, and ensure you get picture-perfect product images online quick and easy.
To learn more about PhotoRobot or leveraging product photography as a post pandemic change driver in e-commerce, contact us today to schedule a free 1:1 consultation.
