The past year has brought about a great deal of change in the ecommerce industry. With demand being higher than ever during the pandemic, businesses have become heavily reliant on SaaS (Software as a service) for their daily operations. As they begin to unlock the world of capabilities that these tools can provide, they continually evolve to improve their ecommerce business.
Will this trend continue as we look ahead in 2021? I say yes, and here’s why.
By the end of 2021, nearly 73% of businesses will be using all or mostly SaaS solutions, with the average employee using at least eight applications. In the coming months, offices will reopen, and the world will slowly return to some sense of normality. This critical time will shape which businesses thrive and which survive.
According to a recent EY Future Consumer Index study conducted early pandemic, 60% of U.S consumers visit brick-and-mortar stores less, and 43% shop more often online for products they use to purchase in-store.
The smart owner knows how to stay ahead of the competitive curve by using SaaS to their advantage. Whether it’s a more streamlined approach to how you run operations or communicate with your customer, these applications can be a game-changer and not only save you time but grow your business.
Consider these three buckets that the pandemic has redefined:
THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Tailored and targeted
The modern consumer expects more from their online shopping experience than ever before. It all begins with the first point of contact and continues in every step of the buying experience. Brick-and-mortars simply cannot compete with the level of attention that online shopping provides when it comes to interaction.
With automated marketing campaigns, businesses now have a complete 360-degree view of their customer. Capturing data through their journey develops a new depth of understanding that product cross-sell campaigns, abandoned cart retargeting, and effective SMS campaigns can leverage.
GEOGRAPHY
Sell and deliver anywhere
One takeaway from the pandemic is that most consumers still expected timely delivery despite service disruptions from COVID-19. This puts businesses in a precarious scenario; how do you still meet demand when you’re short-staffed and dealing with production delays? The wrong move can lose your customer base and hinder brand loyalty.
The easy answer comes down to clear communication with customers. Give them real-time package tracking and order look-up; ensure that notification happens if and when an order change occurs. By ShopPad’s own metrics, we’re seeing increased usage month over month for one of our most popular apps, Tracktor, which does just that.
STAFF MANAGEMENT
Growing pains
As your business scales, your staff inevitably grows. From project management to intercommunications, you’re leaving money on the table if you aren’t using SaaS apps to create clarity between departments and driving key results.
Applications like Slack and Asana create a new opportunity for businesses to own their operations. Gone are the days of guesswork and project ambiguity; these types of applications give you a new sense of transparency and decision-making.
If you’re looking for a place to start, the LinkedIn blog has a great list of the Best SaaS Products Ideas You Should Try in 2021.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Recent reports expect the demand for SaaS to increase 9% over the next four years, and businesses have embraced the fact that they can now do more with fewer resources than ever before.
All signs point to this not being a pandemic trend but an operational necessity that addresses the ever-changing commerce industry.
Ryan O’Donnell
CMO @ ShopPad
