Online Shopping Shatters Old Records on Black Friday 2020
Economic Woes Didn’t Stop Online Shoppers
Many experts were wondering how holiday sales would turn out in the wake of the pandemic. With many stores having to change their policies due to the influx of Coronavirus cases, there was significant doubt as to how well the economy would perform. In addition to changing the physical shopping experience, experts also wondered if the economic situation would impact how much households were willing to spend.
Miraculously, statistics indicate that holiday sales did not just exceed expectations–they overcame them.
The small businesses who prepared to switch their business model with eCommerce SEO did exponentially well. We’re excited to see the consumers helping out the small businesses through tough times in 2020. These sales numbers are encouraging a ton of businesses to completely stay up with the times in terms of their digital marketing.
The Lead-Up to the Holiday Weekend
Black Friday and Cyber Monday saw a lot of trouble leading up to the holidays. Coronavirus cases continue to spike in huge cities. Businesses are forced to either close or limit the number of people in the store at a time. Due to some states having to go back down into lockdown, manufacturers had to reduce the number of products they could produce.
All of this was occurring with the fact that households are still suffering financially. Many people are still out of work. Those that are able to return find themselves either working part-time or being forced to stop as businesses are closed again and again.
Despite economic uncertainty, this did not seem to stop holiday sales.
Thanksgiving saw a significant rise in sales. However, the majority of those sales came from online sources. In fact, compared to past Thanksgiving days, this year saw an increase in online sales by 20%. The amount raked in through online stores was $5 billion.
Interestingly, half of the online transactions that took place were conducted on a smartphone.
Those retailers who offered curbside pick-up for those who ordered online sales also had a stronger conversion rate in their sales.
Black Friday saw similar growth. They had an identical increase in online sales. Consumers ended up spending $9 billion despite their financial insecurity. The number of people who used their smartphones to pay for purchases was 40% of the total consumer base.
Small Businesses Flourished
Luckily, small businesses saw a good deal of sales. Their sales increased by 500% compared to what was happening in October. That would continue into Saturday with revenue growth of 300%.
This means that small businesses that made the investment in switching to online sales and service were able to bring in substantial financial growth.
The Smartphone Angle
Perhaps one of the most interesting trends of these holiday sales is that most of them were conducted by a smartphone. This only further confirms that consumers are relying on their smartphones to purchase goods and services over other platforms. Small businesses that want to continue to engage their consumers and bring in sales need to ensure that they have a website that is mobile-friendly or design an app specifically for their company.
Switching to an eCommerce & Online Service
By making your website SEO-friendly and having a mobile site available for smartphone users, your business can have just as much success as some of the other small businesses that made the investment. Building a competitive edge in the market is important moving forward. Businesses panicked in 2020 because their “offline” sales weren’t ready to be online.
SEO Locale is a premier SEO company in Philadelphia that provides top-notch digital marketing services. We’ve been doing digital marketing for decades and can help you pivot your company to a better 2021, contact us today.
Holiday 2020 is Do or Die for Many SMBs
The COVID-19 pandemic hit small businesses the hardest. Big box stores frequently have investors and savings and even help from the government to rely on. Small businesses, on the other hand, don’t have easy access to these resources. Many had to shut their doors. A few managed to hang on, but they’re facing a crisis coming into the holidays. Most business owners was not prepared for online order or eCommerce and struggled once COVID-19 came crashing down on the United States. Here’s why small businesses need to do everything they can to make a sizable profit during Holiday 2020.
The Impact from the Coronavirus
For months, several businesses had to shut their doors to their customers. Lockdowns kept businesses from running their operations. Customers and workers were unable to utilize their services or make an income. Yet some businesses still needed to pay their employees to keep them on board. Others had to keep paying health insurance premiums and other bills even though they weren’t bringing in any profit to cover their expenses.
This has left many small businesses in the red. With the virus still hitting many cities hard, small business owners are hoping that the virus remains contained enough that they can keep their doors open to the public.
Yet many reports have indicated that the majority of shoppers will be doing their holiday spending online. Small businesses that haven’t utilized certain SEO strategies may not see the kind of profit margins that they need to survive the new year.
How Small Business Owners Can Take Advantage of Holiday Sales in 2020
More than ever, it’s important for small business owners to adapt to the times. Consumers are worried about big crowds in stores. Some states may not even allow stores to accept that many customers within them at a time.
To ensure your small business can receive the profit it needs to get back on its feet, you need to have strong traffic on your website. The best way to acquire that traffic is through SEO or search engine optimization.
SEO involves the process of using strategies and tools to increase your ranking on a Google search. Proper honing of your SEO score can land your website on one of Google’s first few search pages. By showing up sooner in a Google search, consumers are more likely to visit your website and make a purchase.
It can be tricky nailing down the particulars of SEO. While experts know a few key strategies that can dramatically increase your SEO score, much of the algorithm is still a mystery. To ensure your website performs as best it can, you need the help of SEO experts.
Contact Us to Increase Your Score
Start preparing for the holiday sales today by contacting us to increase your SEO score. We’re ranked as one of the best national SEO agencies out there. Let us save your business.
What Will Happen to Apparel Stores Since Covid-19 Hit?
COVID-19 shook the entire planet this year. Businesses in all industries have been deeply affected, but the apparel industry is one that has been hit the hardest. Since the pandemic, physical retailers have shut down, and billions of dollars worth of clothing orders have been canceled.
According to the “Impact of COVID-19 Scenario on European and the US Apparel Market” released by Wazir Advisors, apparel consumption in Europe and the US is likely to be 40-45% lower than the 2020 projected consumptions.
As businesses begin to slowly reopen, one thing is clear: the apparel industry will show lasting changes due to COVID-19.
- Will retailers survive?
- What does the future of the apparel industry look like?
- Will retailers convert more marketing efforts online vs traditional?
In this post, we explore what will happen to apparel stores following COVID-19.
Converting to eCommerce
Brick-and-mortar stores suffered as a result of the COVID pandemic. Those who relied on digital selling have faired better. While apparel spending is down by 50%, an online strategy is paramount for any apparel stores looking to rebound after the pandemic. Our client Cut The Shirt decided to shift to all online sales during the pandemic and sales are doing very well regardless of the industry being down. Pivoting your eCommerce digital marketing will be more important than ever,
Even after stores reopen, consumers will be hesitant to enter physical stores and touch clothing in-person. While a digital strategy and eCommerce SEO is not a guarantee for success, brands that sell online will lose less revenue. Prior to the pandemic, the transformation to online retail was already underway. While many apparel retailers were already in the process of creating a digital experience, the pandemic serves as a catalyst to quickly digitize sales to online channels.
Fewer Small Businesses Surviving Post Pandemic
Small apparel retailers face the biggest risk of closing following the pandemic. Small businesses do not have the same resources and reserves as many larger corporations and are failing to survive the effects of COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic, over 100,000 small businesses have closed for good, and many more face corporate mergings post-pandemic.
Small businesses are essential for the economy and provide competition against large corporations, but small apparel companies are facing difficulties similar to those from the 2008 financial crisis. During the pandemic, shoppers were sticking to essentials and turning more to online retail than in-person stores. Smaller boutiques and retailers struggled to get local support and may not survive post-pandemic
There is no doubt that COVID-19 will leave a lasting mark on the apparel industry. Few small businesses will survive the economic downturn from the pandemic and many apparel businesses will shift harder to online sales for direct-to-consumer relationships. The future of apparel stores is not clear, but we can expect a few major changes.
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