eCommerce Opportunities for the Home Furnishing Industry During COVID-19

Let’s start by stating the obvious: COVID-19 sucks!  

Between the health crisis, the state of financial instability, and the lack of consumer activity due to Shelter in Place orders around the globe, we've all felt the effects on a personal and business level.  

But as marketers, it’s our job to discover opportunity.  

In this article, we’ll explore ways that home furniture brands can reposition themselves to create value for a COVID-conscious consumer.   

Working from Home: the “New Normal”  

There’s a very good chance that you’re reading this from home right now (unless you’re revisiting this article long after it’s been published, in which case, congratulations on making it through 2020!).  

If you’re considered a non-essential worker and have the privilege of being able to perform your job from your laptop, then you’re most likely experiencing the work from home lifestyle.  

For some, this is business as usual. Many companies that operate within the digital economy have been shifting towards a remote work model in recent years, not to mention the growing number of online freelancers and digital nomads. 

However, for the majority of us, we’re finding ourselves at home with our families, partners, or roommates, rock-paper-scissoring for the only desk in the house, or taking Zoom calls from our beds, couches, or kitchen tables.  

An Opportunity for the Home Furnishing Industry

Majority of the working population who’ve been displaced from their offices simply don’t have the conditions to work from home. There’s a huge market of individuals who don’t have proper desks, chairs, or lighting, and they require them to perform their job. 

These individuals are motivated to buy, and they’re looking to do so online.  

Source: Google Trends

Establishing Product-Market Fit During COVID-19

COVID-19 has ushered in a new market paradigm, with radical shifts in consumer behavior and a prevalent sense of hesitancy around purchasing anything considered non-essential.

As marketers, we are always seeking to find product-market fit. This means adapting your company’s offering to the market, and not the other way around.

So, while it may not be a great time to promote your furniture business’s line of chandeliers or decorative throw pillows, it is a great opportunity to highlight your brand's desks, chairs, and items that fit the Home Office trend. These products, which may have originally been secondary to your sales revenue, will likely become your core business.

Adaptation is key for survival, especially during acute moments of change like the one we are currently experiencing. Brands who can creatively adjust to fit the changing market and global landscape will be the ones who emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic successful.

You can apply this thinking to any business, not just home furnishings. Ask yourself: how can you reorganize your product catalogue to present people with the products they find themselves suddenly needing more?

Selling Furniture Online: eCommerce Best Practices

Now that you know where your sales opportunity lies, you need to effectively market it to your audience. Since all sales will be done online, you should start by making sure you’re hitting the three main pillars of eCommerce marketing.

SEO for eCommerce

Is your website, and especially its product pages, optimized for organic search for these home-office related keywords?

Check out this Guide to eCommerce SEO to make sure your site is meeting all the best practices.

Paid Media Marketing for eCommerce

There are a lot of Paid Media Channels that are specifically designed for eCommerce sales, such as Google Shopping or Facebook Product Ads. These sales-focused ad formats will help to reduce the number of steps on the path to purchase.

Before you start setting up your product feeds, check this list of must-do’s before implementing your Google Shopping campaigns.   

Analytics for eCommerce

Are your Web Analytics tools set up properly to collect and track the most important data from your website? And if so, are you able to extract actionable marketing insights from your analytics?

Transforming your raw data into an easy-to-read report can help streamline this process. Try using Free Google Data Studio Template, specifically designed for eCommerce Analytics.

FREE DOWNLOAD: COVID-19 State of the Market Report

Want to learn more about the impacts and opportunities COVID-19 is having on the home furnishing industry? Check out the COVID-19 State of the Market Report and discover where your brand fits in the current global context.

 

Codedesign is a digital marketing agency specializing in data-driven online sales and lead generation solutions for brands in a variety of verticals. Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our digital marketing experts.

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