*Ariane Marta
With the pandemic scenario that we are experiencing in the last months, companies and sectors that are associated with technology have gained even more strength and consumer confidence. An example of this, is the e-commerce market that has been growing in recent years and, with the requirement of social isolation, further accelerated this process. To get an idea, in Brazil the sector has grown 47%, according to a survey conducted by the Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association (ABComm), in partnership with Konduto.
The option of delivery, that many companies have adopted in order to offer a virtual service, became the only possible way to keep business running amid the coronavirus crisis. In this scenario, customers have also contributed to the acceleration of the online world, since they changed the way they consume services and products and started to appreciate safety in not having contact with the virus, in addition to practicality and comfort.
Even with so many advantages, working with e-commerce also requires specific care and strategies – just like any other business. Despite the ease of making an online sale, who has a virtual storefront faces great challenges, how to set pricing, hire digital marketing strategies, manage the online store processes, separate products, take to the post, besides issuing invoice. There are many processes that need attention.
During pandemic, the logistics and inventory part is also another very complicated factor, because everything is being disputed now. Therefore, a common mistake that many consumers may notice right now are large and even small e-commerce stores advertising products, but having to reimburse the consumer because the stock ran out. In addition to management and logistics, a reserve of funds must be taken into account to make the store differentiated in order to attract and attract consumers' attention in a different way, thinking about the competition issue.
Safety and good service is essential in a digital world
In the same way that the entrepreneur has in mind that it is necessary to invest in a physical store, it is also necessary to invest efforts to maintain a virtual store – much needed for the life of a business during and after the pandemic. In this sense, the security, that was already fundamental, has become even more important when it comes to a digital world. Therefore, to build a good e-commerce you have to bet on a secure platform, for the site not to be going through oscillations, because there is nothing worse if you want to buy a product and the site is down. In addition, the consumer experience counts as much as the service in a physical store.
Therefore, following the profile of consumers with the arrival of invite-19, it is already possible to understand that the trend for the coming years is that e-commerce grows more and more. Just as we choose an environment to open our business and study the whole scenario, these stores also need a specific assessment and business plan. Therefore, I advise those who want to undertake with the help of technology to study the product and market and think of good partners, not only in the area of accounting, but also when it comes to digital marketing and technology.
*Ariane Marta is an accountant and Director of Brascont Contabilidade