How shops can keep sales going amid tighter COVID measures

The recent surge in Covid-19 cases in Singapore and corresponding tightening of safety measures means that shops should expect a drop off in foot traffic. We’ve been through this before though, and with some planning and quick actions, most stores should be able to keep sales moving while keeping safety top of mind. Here are X things you can do today: 

1. Offer a contactless way to purchase your products: Shoppers are going to minimize risks during this period. But they’re not likely to reduce purchases as the broader risk of an economic crisis has receded. In this environment, it’s vital for stores to offer ways for shoppers to make contactless purchases. In-store, this means offering PayWave, PayNow, or other contactless payment options.

2. Having a simple website where customers can find and purchase your products is another great way to offer contactless purchases. Fairmart is a great solution here as it generates product listings automatically. Integrated payments also allows customers to buy online and then either pick up in-store or organize delivery. Setting this up will only take 10 minutes and you can start today by signing up here.

‍3. Ensure that your product listings are SEO friendly: Search engine optimization (SEO) for your product listings is vital to ensuring that shoppers can find the products you carry. This involves having accurate product descriptions, high quality images, titles, and packaging that information in a manner that is easily parsable by search engines. There are a range of free tools you can use to assess the quality of your listings. 

This is a great way to stay competitive in a crowded online space, but it does take time to set up. However, if you’re using Fairmart then you’re in luck as we do this automatically for all the products listed on your Fairmart page! 

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4. Engage your customers on social media: Most stores have a social presence either on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Sharing updates with your customers about the safety measures you’ve implemented and alternative purchase methods is a great place to start. It’s also a good time to offer deals, discounts, or free delivery to encourage purchases. If you have a mailing list, send out a note as well to update them that you’re responding to the situation. Customers want to help too, so when you’re proactive it gives them a reason to purchase from your store as well. 

5. Update your Google My Business listings: Google My Business is that service we all forget about but it's vital in times like these since it lists out your opening hours and other business details for Google Search and Maps. Over the past year, Google has added a range of features specific to the pandemic including the safety precautions (see below). Make sure your listing is updated so your customers know how to reach you. 

6. Sign up to relevant marketplaces: Singapore is home to numerous major online marketplaces. Shopee, Lazada / Redmart, Qoo10, GrabMart, Deliveroo all have relatively quick sign up processes and while they all charge significant commissions, they do have access to large audiences that will drive sales. If you’ve got products on Fairmart, you can export these in the appropriate format and quickly publish them to any channel of your choice. Drop us a note here if you want to learn how.