How to Get Your Business Online Quickly to Keep Selling During a Crisis

If you can’t deliver your products, you don’t really have an online business

The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing more customers online, giving businesses an opportunity to get online quickly or enhance their online presence to make sales. “There are a number of things to consider in order to start selling,” says Tyler Lockyer, Business Advisor, BDC Advisory Services:

1. Build your product catalogue

Your products need to move from the store shelf to a digital catalogue, Lockyer says. You need to show customers what your products are and what they look like. That means you need an image, description and product attributes, such as colours and sizes, he says.

2. Who picks, packs, and delivers your orders?

“Do you have a shipping supplier? Can you print shipping labels? At minimum, I would think about your fulfillment process,” Lockyer advises. “How are you going to manage the delivery of those products?”

3. How will you receive payment?

If you’re going to be selling primarily online during this period, how are you going to accept payments?

4. Fees, pricing, and policies

Lockyer says you will need to consider how your new business expenses, such as online transaction fees or unrecoverable fulfillment costs, could affect your product pricing.

5. How will you deal with customer service?

Lockyer says you may have entirely new questions from your customers that you aren’t used to responding to, and in a new format. Someone will need to monitor questions that come from your online store.

6. The importance of technology

If you’re already online you need to make sure that your website is transactional, Lockyer says. There are several options available that require varying amounts of technical support in order to get online. Growing your business online equates with higher revenues, direct communication with customers and easier access to global markets, says the recent BDC study, Expand Online. The study found that four out of 10 Canadian SMES with an online presence sell, receive and take orders online. Consequently, 60% of Canadian SMES are missing huge growth opportunities. Getting online fast can make a huge difference to your business at this time.