Must-have Ecommerce (And Life) Resources for Navigating the COVID Pandemic

Take breather, because your business doesn't have to halt or slow down too much because of the pandemic.

If you subscribe to a service from a link on this page, Reeves and Sons Limited may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Your organization has been confronted with adversity before, but nothing like the COVID-19 epidemic. Some industries are completely shut down, while others are forced to find new ways to serve customers. Ecommerce is an unusual breed during these times, seeing as how people need to order products online. However, those same people are cutting back on their spending.

Whether you’re selling “essentials” like cleaning products or “non-essentials” like consumer drones, you’ve probably felt some urgency, curiosity, fear, or maybe a combination of them all.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of resources to help you navigate these strange times, especially when it comes to your business.

Some of the resources are about what’s being done by the larger companies in the business. Other links lead you to tips for working from home and making sure your business survives.

We’ll be updating this list of resources on a regular basis to provide you the most up-to-date guides.

Ecommerce Partner Responses to the COVID-19 Outbreak

Ecommerce platforms and other large software companies have all come out with statements or measures to assist their customers. The following are some of Ecommerce-Platform’s partners. If you use any of the systems below, feel free to check out what the companies have to say.

Shopify on COVID

Shopify has a pandemic page that looks more impressive than some media outlets. It highlights educational articles and videos for making sales during the virus, marketing your products, and getting more capital if times are tough.

Shopifyโ€™s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Itโ€™s a complicated time for all business owners right now. However, you donโ€™t have to wait until the pandemic is over before you begin building a presence online.

As one of the leading providers of ecommerce technology, Shopify has implemented a range of strategies to support small businesses in the month to come. For instance, the free trial available from Shopify has been extended from 14 days to 90 days.

On top of that:

  • Digital and physical gift cards are available on all Shopify plans: This means that your customers can continue to support you without purchasing physical products.
  • Small business funding is available in the US: If youโ€™re located in the US, $200 million in Shopify Capital is now available for small businesses.
  • Community support and live webinars are now supported: You can access a host of virtual meetups with other members of the Shopify community for help with growth.
Read more

Webflow’s COVID Resources

Webflow deals in making wonderful websites for online stores. They’re offering free ecommerce plans for several months, along with free templates to get you started with a site. Their aim is to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic.

Read more

Podia and COVID-19

Podia is a popular platform for selling online courses and webinars. The brand is offering free webinars, demos, product launch challenges, and much more to allow people to get into the course selling game.

Read more

Thinkific COVID Support

You can also sell courses on Thinkific. An entrepreneur growth fund is being compiled by the company, along with increased support services. Additional training should allow some newcomers the opportunity to make more money during the virus. They’re also giving out certain tools to help out with educational institutions, public health organizations, and events.

Read more

ShipBob’s Coronavirus Updates

ShipBob is a fulfillment company that many of our readers know about. The company has written out a solid plan for helping employees and merchants. They’re also prioritizing the fulfillment of essential items to assist in the fight against the Coronavirus. Each of the three fulfillment centers have their own updates to ensure that merchants know exactly what’s happening with their products.

Read more

SendInBlue Support Program

If you use SendInBlue for email marketing, the brand is giving away several months of their service for free. There are some conditions, so we recommend reading through this page to see if you qualify.

Read more

Useful Resources From Around the Web Related to Ecommerce and COVID

Are you being flooded with emails from blogs and companies about how they’re going to make things better for you during the virus? Yes, most of them mean absolutely nothing, but here are some resources with highly valuable information.

Klaviyo and Coronaviruses’ Impact on Ecommerce

Take a step back and become a forward-thinker. This interview explores what it takes to weather the virus and come out even stronger than ever.

Read more

Divante – What Ecommerce Managers and Directors Should Know In The Time of Coronavirus

Managers and owners need to know a few tips about changing their behaviors and embracing other types of businesses. What’s great about this article is that it shows how ecommerce businesses have seen all sorts of disasters in the past, all of which they’ve managed to beat out if the managers are smart.

Read more

RetailDive – Coronavirus is Hurting Store Traffic and Ecommerce Won’t Help Much, Analysts Say

This research talks about how retailers are seeing drastic drops in their sales. Apparently, some experts agree that turning to ecommerce isn’t going to stop the bleeding. However, there is hope.

Read more

The Retail Response to COVID-19 (From Shopify)

Do you run a brick-and-mortar shop? If that’s the case, you may get hit harder than the online stores. Shopify explains strategies for making short-term revenue to maintain a consistent flow of cash.

Read more

Strategies to Adapt Your Ecommerce Store as Coronavirus Impacts Shopping Worldwide (BigCommerce)

Explore ecommerce sales trends during this period in time. Check out the impact that coronavirus has had on a wide range of industries, and learn about how your store can adapt to these unknown influences.

Read more

Coronavirus Spurs a Wave of Suspect Websites Looking to Cash In (The New York Times)

Unfortunately, with all disasters come people interested in capitalizing on the misery of others. Yes, we all want to make money, but some people (both rich and poor) are more willing to leave morals by the wayside. The New York Times gives tips to avoid those sites and hones in on the tricks being used.

Read more

A Statistical Roundup of the Coronavirus Impact on Marketing and Ecommerce (Econsultancy)

Are you wondering how marketing teams are handling the virus? Would you like to see the stats on how demand has dropped or increased for certain products? Take a look at this article to see some interesting, frightening, and sometimes encouraging stats from the virus.

Read more

Coronavirus Impacts eCommerce, Business Travel (PYMNTS)

Here’s an article that focuses more on the travel industry. It also compares how other ecommerce businesses will fare because of the impact on the travel world.

Read more

Coronavirus Affects Online Retailers (Digital Commerce 360)

Sales are up for health products. The same can be said for masks (duh). Delivery delays are imminent. Lots of online retailers have a negative outlook on what’s happening in 2020. All of these stats and ideas are compiled into one informative piece.

Read more

Ecommerce in the time of COVID19: Mobile App Revenue For Food & Grocery Sector Skyrockets (PlobalApps)

Take a look into how grocery stores and food delivery apps are handling the influx of customers. This is a nice case study on how to handle your business when you see a peak in demand. Maybe this is what you’re seeing right now, or maybe it’ll help you in the future.

Read more

How the Coronavirus is Impacting eCommerce (Rakuten Super Logistics)

Rakuten covers excellent tips about how to stay informed, make changes that are realistic, and to communicate your plan to everyone who matters in your organization. In addition, you should always stay on top of the suppliers.

Read more

New Data on How COVID-19 Will Impact B2B Tech Spending (TrustRadius)

B2B tech buying is an interesting area since businesses still need software and websites and apps to make money. Check out this analysis by TrustRadius to see which software is being cut and when businesses are deciding to stick with the software they truly need.

Read more

How eCommerce Brands Are Innovating During The Covid-19 Crisis & 6 Things You Can Do To Grow Your Business Right Now (Plobal Apps)

We like these types of articles since they’re proactive. Learn about several ways you can grow your business right now. It may not involve actually selling, but rather focusing on marketing, improving products, or working to build your customer base.

Read more

Resources for Working From Home and Handling Isolation

Having trouble adjusting to life and work being at home all the time? Many of us at the Ecommerce-Platforms team usually work from home. But this is a different story. We all need some guidance on what to do with our lives and how to stay active and work diligently.

How Remote Work Can Impact Our Fight Against Climate Change (Taskade)

Learn about the importance of the internet, how remote working affects climate change, and read some amazing case studies from Xerox that relate to the environmental impact of remote workers on the world.

Read more

Working Remotely: Tips from 100+ Remote Workers & Leaders (HelpScout)

Who better to learn about remote working from than the people who complete this type of work every day? Here’s a long list of ideas, thoughts, and strategies from professional freelancers, contractors, and work from home warriors who have the experience and knowledge to share with newcomers.

Read more

Crisis Communication Tips for Customer Service Teams (HelpScout)

One of the toughest parts about the pandemic is that customer service teams have to handle flustered customers. Even if your industry has nothing to do with providing goods for the virus, people are on edge. This article covers the steps your customer reps should take.

Read more

9 Tips for a Successful Work-from-Home Day (Active Campaign)

From finding a quiet work space to over-communicating, here’s a work from home guide that’ll get you excited to wake up in the morning.

Read more

Coronavirus and Remote Working: A Practical Guide 10 Years in the Making (Medium)

Read about a remote-oriented company that’s grown over the course of ten years.

Read more

The Ultimate Guide to Remote Work (Miro)

Take a look into remote working from a beginner’s standpoint. Check out how flexible schedules thrive and why remote work is often considered the future of employment.

Read more

Do Not Touch Your Face!

Finally, a bit of fun. Having trouble not touching your face to prevent the spread of germs? This site turns on your camera and alerts you whenever your fingers start wandering towards your face. Genius!

Read more

Continual Updates

Like all business owners, we’re taking this one day at a time. So, we’ll keep you updated with any new information that comes out about the virus and how it affects online businesses. If you have any questions about anything at all, let us know in the comments below.

Joe Warnimont

Joe Warnimont is a Chicago-based writer who focuses on eCommerce tools, WordPress, and social media. When not fishing or practicing yoga, he's collecting stamps at national parks (even though that's mainly for children). Check out Joe's portfolio to contact him and view past work.

Comments 0 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rating *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.