Four tips to help businesses to attract online customers during quarantine

The state of alarm that has been declared in Spain, as well as other countries, due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of people being confined to their homes all around the world. Due to the resultant closure of the vast majority of shops, the need to purchase goods and services from home has led to an increase in online shopping.

In Spain alone, online shopping has increased by 12.5% during the first days of quarantine, according to UNO, the Logistics and Transport Business Organisation. In light of these statistics, the option to go online could be a lifesaver for many businesses trying to survive this crisis. For those who already offer online products or services, Easy Payment Gateway recommends to follow a series of guidelines to attract more clients during this period:

1. Allow for payments to be deferred. Alternatives such as “buy now pay later” or offering immediate financing without intermediaries are very attractive measures for online shoppers in the current climate. Although this is not a very widespread trend at the moment, Spain’s National Market Commission has demonstrated that, in sectors such as travel and fashion, the delayed payment solutions can increase the average buying rate of a ticket by up to five times.
2.  Widen the range of available payment methods. It is highly recommended that your e-commerce provides the user with their preferred secure payment options. From bitcoin to electronic wallets, the options required by consumers are becoming more and more varied. For this reason, Easy Payment Gateway offers 240 different payment methods, of which 190 are considered alternative. Similarly, this includes 35 card processors from all over the world, a valuable option given the current situation, with payments coming from other countries where consumers are also seeking to shop online these days. These solutions guarantee that you are offering their local payment methods to clients, which are adapted to suit both their personal and geographical needs.
3. Transparency in terms of delivery times. Nowadays, being satisfied with this service is fundamental when it comes to attracting and retaining customers. In this sense, keeping the current circumstances in mind, it is vital to inform the client that delivery times may be affected. If a late delivery occurs, even if they have been notified of it, a good option is to provide the user with compensation on future purchases.
4. Be flexible with returns policies. The general uncertainty created by this state of alarm is a factor that must be considered when it comes to managing returns policies at this time. Extending the exchange and cancellation policy timeframe, allowing your customers to change their mind or get their money back, may be the key at this time. In sectors such as travel or accommodation, many airlines and hotels are already doing this. The ideal is to provide them with some sort of voucher equivalent that can be used at a later date.