How Will Coronavirus Affect Your Dropshipping Store?
This article is written in terms of letting you know the effects that COVID-19 may have on the dropshipping business model. For accurate information about COVID-19, please contact the health organizations or relevant government agencies for more detailed instructions.
With the continuous spread of coronavirus around the world, also known as COVID-19, countries are taking measures to limit the spread as well as keep people safe in the country and international.
One of the current safety measures is closing the borders of countries, stopping the operation of factories and restricting travel. Community health and safety is the biggest priority right now.
So how are the measures being taken so that COVID-19 can affect your businesses, specifically those of dropshipping dealers?
Manufacturers, suppliers and shipping companies are experiencing disruption to all their operations. This certainly affects companies across the globe, including dropshipping stores.
If you’re a dropshipper, you’re probably worried your items will be delayed. Let’s take a closer look at what you can do in the current context.
The effects of COVID-19
With many manufacturing facilities and shipping companies having operations that are restricted or temporarily closed, you should consider that orders are delayed and consider whether to continue running ads and take orders. You should also discuss with your supplier to see if they can guarantee timely delivery. If they are still doing everything in the right way and on time, there is a possibility that your order will be delayed due to the disruption of the shipping companies in the destination country.
At this time, good customer service will be a great help in your business. Being frank and honest with your customers about the current situation is very important. Please tell them in advance about late delivery or even refund for paid orders.
Emma Reid – Australian Dropshipper has issued a general notice to all customers about the possibility of shipping delays and receive very positive feedback from customers. Please tell customers sympathy and explain about this situation that is happening to all businesses.
When will the factory start working again?
During this time, throughout China factories were gradually returning to work after more than 2 months of closure, but until it is fully operational again it is uncertain.
Even when the factories in China began to re-open, having many shipping companies still reduced or suspended operations. As a result, some cargo stations are also being shut down due to too little cargo volume.
The Air transport has also been affected, with many specialized transportation services canceled, as well as a significant reduction in passenger services.
What happens if my product ships from Europe?
Not all products are shipped from China. Many products are also packed and shipped directly from warehouses in Europe or the US.
Many European countries are closed, including Italy and Spain, which means many workplaces have been closed, including warehouses. If you get products from warehouses outside of China, discuss to suppliers if the order can still be received and fulfilled.
In US, the situation is changing day by day. Many recent travel restrictions apply to people traveling from Europe to the United States. At the time, the impact of these restrictions on trade and goods isn’t clear.
Do goods pose risks to customers because of the virus?
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), there is no evidence that COVID-19 was transmitted through imported goods and packages.
Although the virus spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets due to coughing or sneezing, they usually cannot survive long on the surface. A recent study showed that the virus can survive up to 24 hours on cardboard. This means that the possibility of spreading COVID-19 from products or packaging that has been shipped for days or weeks at very low ambient temperatures.
So what can I do?
You may feel depressed with the current situation. But despite all that, there are many things you can do now to help your business. Chris Wane – a dropshipper says: take this time to learn as much as possible about dropshipping, advertising and re-design for your store and brand because once all of this goes away over, you will be in a great position to starting again.
Keeping yourself busy is also a great way to get rid of this worrying time. With that in mind, here are a few things that you can prioritize doing.
Take advantage of free time due to disease
We all have tasks that must be completed but not by priority. Well now is the perfect time to complete them. Take advantage of the time you normally spend creating ads or completing orders to do some of the following:
Building a social network channel
Building a social media channel is hard and time-consuming, but it is also great for building your brand. If you already have a brand, follow the same businesses to learn how they build brands, increase the number of posts or open an account on the new social networking platform.
If you’re new, you can test potential products on social media to see which is best. For example, Rodney and Kory have extensively tested some niches by opening separate Instagram accounts for each potential product. Eventually, they realized the fantasy game market was a viable product, and they built their store on that product. And, once they started selling, they had an audience thanks to that original Instagram account.
Email marketing
If you’ve ever collected email addresses but haven’t done much in email marketing, now is the time to change that. Don’t forget to create automated emails for abandoned shopping carts to encourage continued shopping. Do a full research on email marketing to restrict customers from accessing the website without leaving any benefits to you.
Also think about other systems you can adopt to help you maximize your time and business in the future. Advanced sequences, chatbots and marketing automation platforms are all examples of things you can start right now and that will save you time in the future.
Write blog posts and search engine optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization can bring a lot of traffic to your online store but be often overlooked. If you have free time, research how to optimize your current website, such as the homepage, product page, and blog. Optimized blog posts not only bring visitors to your online store, but also help establish your brand and add value to your online store.
Set up home office
Do you do most of your work in bed or on the couch? Although it is very comfortable, but it is not the most effective way to work long term. Take this opportunity to rearrange your bedroom or living room into a home office, which can not only work but also create a working environment to increase work efficiency.
Develop skills needed for the job
Developing skills is always a good idea, especially when you have more free time. Whether you are a newbie or a dropshipping seller, there is always something you need to learn to further improve your skills.
Taking the time to research every aspect of your business will benefit you in the long run, so think of it as an opportunity or an investment, instead of something you just do to kill time.
Whether you take a course, watch videos on YouTube, or read articles and ebooks, find information that can help your business in one way or another. And don’t be afraid to study your field of study – whatever you care about, someone will have the answer for you.
Finally, wish you a safe and fast season with the things you need for your future business to be successful!
