Your average citizen probably does not realize the impact certain decisions in the business world has affected them. The primary concern for most is making sure they have enough money to pay the bills.
Gas prices rise, but they don’t logically consider of the higher grocery prices they would soon be paying. They just knew things were tighter now than they have ever been.
Unions demanded more money in contract negotiations, but they didn’t automatically understand how that might affect the sticker price of their next car or airline ticket they just hoped the car would last a little longer or a really great deal would come along.
However, when you work on a new business start up in a brave new world called ecommerce you begin to take notice of these pebbles tossed in the pond as you swim in. Suddenly it is much easier to see the ripples those small pebbles have created and you brace for the aftermath of the wake because there will certainly be a wake.
If you’re going to be in business ecommerce is a wonderful place to start because the overhead is often much less than a traditional brick and mortar small business and you likely have fewer employees and related concerns than a traditional store counterpart.
You will soon discover, however, that your marketing plan needs a ‘flex’ mode. This means very simply, the things you sell online may require certain shifts in marketing depending on regional or national economic indicators…. and the economy as well.
For instance, let’s say …
1. You sell decorative outdoor garden items.
2. Your current marketing plan has you developing content based copy on developing pleasing about gardening and the niche hobby topics
3. The economy is tough and gardens are not a homeowner’s priority
In this scenario there will likely be customers who would be looking for garden items for their home which they have found through your online content. However, what if you ‘flexed’ your marketing ideals and re-pitched the products as a way of improving the value of a home an individual may want to sell? This could have a profound impact on your ability to boost sales and increase your market reach.
You are selling the exact same product, but you recast the product to conform to a real need – selling houses. This need is expressed behind closed doors and at the local coffee shop. It ultimately is translated to the general business climate. There may come a time when you revise your approach once more, but that’s one of the best things about ecommerce, you can recast your sales approach when you need to. You will find that for the web based businesses this recast or re planning is a necessary marketing venue.
Some of the very dismal things that may be happening in the business world around you may present marketing opportunities you just haven’t explored yet.
When the economy deals a blow to your marketing objectives take some time to research if there may be new opportunities in a shifted marketing strategy. Many time adversity can allow ecommerce to flourish in new soil. Think outside of the box…. The only bad marketing idea is the one you didn’t plan or try.
Look for any and every advantage for marketing your product in light of changing circumstances and a softer economic tide. Change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. The greatest successes in business have very often been spawned of need and change.