Bottom Line Up Front: E-commerce isn’t just a phase. It’s here to stay. We break down why it has staying power, how it can benefit your business long-term, and how to make sure you’re positioning your digital presence to meet your consumers’ needs.

When it comes to business operations, the pandemic changed everything. Regardless of industry and company size, and regardless of location and offerings, businesses everywhere were left with no other choice than to shift their day-to-day productivity to the world of virtual.

Why? Because consumers and employees alike were at home. That meant operations and sales had to be taken care of remotely (wherever possible), and that in turn meant a giant leap towards e-commerce.

But as months went on and consumers realized just how fast, simple, and painless online shopping was, the notion of businesses making a full return to brick and mortar stores, fully stocked showrooms, and in-person customer service got weaker and weaker.

Not only were customers loving the e-commerce buying experience, but businesses were learning about its perks too. And once they got a taste, it was easier for them to imagine a new reality — sustained.

But still, there was hesitation. Hesitation about giving up past norms, about investing more in digital practices, and about being so quick to commit to a new shift — because the fear was that, no matter how popular e-commerce was right at that moment, it could still turn out to be just a fad.

Just a trend that shot to fame fast and, for all we know, will disintegrate in the air just as quickly.

But here’s the thing: e-commerce isn’t a fad. It’s not just a trend-of-the-moment, and it won’t disintegrate faster than we can blink. Because it’s an innovation that actually makes our lives — as consumers and as businesspeople — easier.

It reimagines what’s possible for the retail experience. And by prioritizing the needs of consumers, and by streamlining the operations of businesses, e-commerce succeeds at making itself indispensable — especially in this new normal we’re all now apart of.

That’s true for businesses and industries en masse, but it’s particularly true for the world of decorated apparel. The world where customization, creative process, and individualized service are crucial to every sale. 

We’ll break down just why e-commerce will be an industry mainstay for years to come — and what’s in it for your business — below.

The Context of E-Commerce

When the world went into quarantine, e-commerce became the heart that kept our society beating. It allowed businesses a way to adapt in an impossible situation, and it allowed consumers a way to carry on as normally as they could, having access to all of the things they might’ve otherwise purchased on foot.

But, very quickly, the concept of e-commerce switched from a necessity to something we enjoyed — and even favored. The more we browsed, shopped, and explored online, the more it dawned on us how easy — and customizable — the experience was.

There was no more driving in traffic, waiting in checkout lines, or showing up to a store only to find that they didn’t have what it was you wanted. There was no more rushing to get to the mall before it closed, feeling pressured to make a decision on the spot, or exposing yourself to unnecessary risk just because you wanted something new.

E-commerce put the control back into our hands, as consumers. It prioritized personalized, simple, and risk-free buying — and that was something consumers everywhere couldn’t ignore. They had the power to browse at length, get orders delivered right to their front door, and “self-serve” their own customer service, which meant that their needs were getting met instantaneously — and not dependent on store hours, employee knowledge, or stocked inventory.

And that couldn’t be — and wasn’t — taken lightly by businesses. 

During the pandemic, every business that could did shift their sales strategy online. But now, as our vision starts to get clearer looking out at a post-COVID world, we’re seeing big companies make moves to turn that shift permanent.

Take Tesla for example. The company, which just overtook Toyota to become the world’s most valuable carmaker, has vowed to close all physical stores — instead making the purchases of cars only possible through e-commerce.

Buying a $20 t-shirt seems like an easy product to house in an e-commerce store, but a $35k+ car? That showcases just how confident business leaders like Elon Musk are in the digital retail experience.

E-Commerce & Decorated Apparel

So we’ve got the context, now let’s get into some specifics. How, exactly, can an online-only strategy benefit the businesses inside our industry — and what can we do to ensure we’re giving our consumers the exact experience they want?

We’re glad you asked.

When it comes to the digital model of sales, where your products are being browsed, inquired about, and purchased online, many of your operations become streamlined. That means that you’re saving time, saving money, and actually increasing your team’s productivity. How? Through these three main factors.

No More Passive Customers

Without a physical storefront for pedestrians to stop into, casual shoppers don’t have anywhere to browse inventory, ask your staff questions, or otherwise take up your time. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be ridding your business of these potential shoppers for eternity — in fact, just about the opposite. Because e-commerce stores offer (or should offer) consumers the information they need to pick out their products, answer their own questions, and otherwise turn into serious & active customers, you’ll only be interacting with them once they’ve decided to move forward in the buying process. So you’re not just waving goodbye to whole swaths of customers. You’re actually waving hello to those customers — but only when they’re ready to make a purchase.

Ideal Space

Without needing to dedicate space to showing off products and interacting with customers, you have the capacity to turn your entire space towards productivity. Whether that means transforming your current studio (and swapping your retail showroom for more industrial production space) or moving your team somewhere else lower-cost entirely, not having to greet consumers and showcase products gives you much more room to add equipment, boost efficiency, and save money.

Self-Served Service

E-commerce allows for your consumers to progress through their buying journey independently, giving them a sense of control while saving you time, money, and the frustration of an endless back-and-forth. If your digital presence contains customer service elements like FAQ pages and detailed listings of offerings — and even customization tools like an Online Designer — then you’re equipping your customers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions… without asking for your help. That means that your team will be spending less time dealing with customer service interactions (or that you can even reduce the number of customer service reps you have on staff), which in turn means that you’ll have more time to engage with other elements of your operations — resulting in increased productivity and reduced costs.

So it’s clear that shifting to the online model has some definite perks, but what else is crucial to consider when it comes to our customers’ ideal buying experience?

Well for starters: options.

Consumers love to feel like they have the ability to pick and choose what they want, and that type of customization potential is just as important in their offerings as it is in how their offerings are acquired.

Let’s talk order fulfillment — when a consumer places an order, the more options you can give them for their delivery, the better. Of course the geographic proximity matters here, but if the customer is local and you have a workable storefront (or warehouse), consider giving them the option of curbside pick-up or delivery. That way they’ll be able to choose the option they’re most comfortable with, and you’ll be adding a layer of customization that, maybe, your competitors aren’t.

Beyond shipping, another great example of offering consumers options is the opportunity for appointments. If your business decides to go completely remote, these appointments can be conducted virtually; if there’s room for you to take in-person appointments (that are scheduled in advance), then that’s also easily manageable.

The point of these appointments is to give your customers the face-time they might want, while also putting control into your hands. You decide how many appointments you take, what sort of project scopes you’re open to, and what’s involved with the meeting — maybe you’re only taking appointments for large orders, or maybe you’re only taking appointments for repeat customers. You set the rules as it works for your business — and then watch as your consumers take note of the option.

A Few More Notes

In the past few months, countless apparel decorators have voiced how pleased they are with the switch to virtual — many of them just as surprised with their own admission as you might be.

But here’s the thing: they’ve been saving time. They’ve been saving money. They’ve been more productive during working hours, they’ve dealt with fewer (if any) passive customers, and they’ve optimized their day-to-day operations to make room for more efficiency, more creativity, and more sales.

And they’ve also seen the real-world effects of investing in their digital presence. Having an online store that empowers customers to self-serve their own customer service, having digital marketing practices in place that send targetted customers their way, and overall showcasing what makes their business unique in a vast digital marketplace have all worked to increase sales opportunities — all while teams went about business as usual.

So getting a strong e-commerce store up and running, and setting digital marketing strategies in place so consumers know where to look and how to get there, are just as important. (To make sure your digital marketing know-how is up to date, check out our free industry-specific training course.)

And that takes us back to the beginning. E-commerce isn’t just a passing fad, and it isn’t just a trend-of-the-moment. It’s an innovation that has changed everything, and it’ll continue to redefine what operations and sales look like for years to come.

But we also know that there are still decorated apparel businesses out there that benefit from their strong, in-store retail foundation. And that’s okay too. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach here — as long as your business is functioning optimally, taking stock of its creative options, and not shying away from innovation, then you’re doing things right.

So consider where you’re at now, and then imagine what’s possible for your business given these new tools, strategies, and outlooks. Because e-commerce is here to stay.

The question is, what are you going to do about it?