POST-COVID TECH TRENDS IN ONLINE TECH SECTOR
Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated catastrophic and adverse effects on the world. As a result, people experience loss of human life, disruption in economic development, or an increase in unemployment.
The World with COVID
The administration of each country set up lockdowns. They imposed strict rules and regulations to keep a tab on the spread of this deadly virus. Working employees are no more secure with their jobs. Moreover, schools and universities are hustling to complete their curriculum with web classes.
In addition, social distancing is the new directive. Supermarkets, grocery stores, and different e-commerce businesses are trying to follow contactless deliveries. They are ensuring to serve the essential commodities after a strong sanitization check.
But there’s another side to the coin. With so many hardships, comes a silver lining – Welcome the much-awaited technological revolution!
The Tech Trends
COVID-19 has led to many new technological innovations. All of us are now in a world more unique than the world that existed before COVID. Coronavirus has made us realize the significance of the binary world. It has led digitalization to empower different organizations, industries, and the lives of people.
The pandemic is the most extraordinary stimulus for the digital transformation. It has helped to introduce a huge number of advancements in the digital world. With that said, we are already experiencing various improvements on the front of self-operating processes to increase profitability amid social distancing.
Consequently, it stands imperative for building and accepting a vital framework to utilize this digitized world. The online tech sector is booming. Certainly, we have to stay up-to-date with the most recent innovations. Because these modernizations are going to be an integral part for any business to stay on track in a post COVID-19 world.
Let us look at some of the most significant tech trends that will rule the online sector post COVID.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence will be incredibly valuable for the ones who are associated with retail and supply chain industries. That is to say, the AI will enable the organizations to distinguish new purchasing behavior. As a result, it will help to furnish their online customers with more prominent and personalized encounters.
The doings of customers had become the most unpredictable in recent times. However, artificial intelligence will progressively contribute to estimating the behavior. Thus, it will help organizations to come up with ideas for viable harmonization. One such example is Chatbots. Having an electronic assistant on your website will give 24*7 assistance to the customers. It is going to be one of the ‘must-haves’ during and after the pandemic.
Integrated Inventory Management Software
Clients anticipate integrated experience over different gadgets and streams in this omni-channel world. Hence, retailers will have to embrace a cross-channel content strategy with some robust retail procedures. Along with this, the companies will have to imbibe company-wide inventory management systems to stay beneficial.
After the economies re-open, stores will become amazing spaces to improve client experience. There will be an enhanced demand in laying out in-store pickups and planned methods of reverse logistics.
By using loyalty programs, clients can purchase everyday items from their electronic gadgets. The robots will receive and pack the orders to make them ready for pickup. Contrarily, the clients will have the choice to peruse and purchase things directly from the shop. Thus, these insurgencies will draw an ideal mix of experience. Nevertheless, it will create an opportunity for the busy shoppers to save some time.
Subsequently, innovation will empower retailers to offer an integrated experience to clients. That will include observing, revitalizing, and restocking items periodically, and keeping a tab on the indifferences in pricing and Stock Keeping Units (SKUs).
E-commerce-friendly POS Systems
Most business owners have switched to e-commerce for making significant improvements in their sales. This change has helped them to avoid being shut down during COVID-19 crisis. After the pandemic, entrepreneurs with numerous physical and e-commerce stores would find the need to synchronize both offline & online proceedings, stock keeping, and promotions. Thus, e-commerce businesses and POS incorporation will be an ideal arrangement later.
Order Management Software
Before COVID-19, most of the sales were carried out together in both online & offline modes. In the current situation, there is an increase in online buyers. Most of them purchase online to avoid being struck by the deadly virus and obey government regulation. As a result, a strong process for the incoming and outgoing of SKUs would be needed giving rise to Order Management Systems.
An Order Management System enables:
- stock visibility
- order arrangement
- returns analytics & management
- upgraded capacities
During this crisis, customer purchasing practices have changed. Retailers are seeing more customers attempting to purchase from e-commerce stores or online facilities. Buyers are effectively acquainted with the tendency of making mass purchases online.
Consequently, these new practices are stressing current frameworks as retailers race to deliver the orders in the given time frame. Furthermore, the nature of these practices are nowhere getting slowed down. Retailers should gear up to see some unevenness in e-commerce sales.
Voice e-Commerce
In this growing digitization and technological improvements, the use of virtual assistants such as Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, etc. has subsequently increased. These sensitive applications can comprehend your discourse and respond to the question. As a result, there is no need to open any screen-based application or program to connect with such voice partners.
Voice-helped innovations have made its way to make deals through voice recognition innovation in e-commerce& retails. It is referred to as “voice commerce.” Yes, it is the new trend. Customers now use voice commands to discover items or any necessary data, rather than punching in an inquiry or query.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
The exact cure for COVID-19 hasn’t been found yet. Yet, social distancing has been proven to prevent oneself from getting infected. As technology is a rapidly advancing bubble, it has not stayed far from social distancing. “Contactless” is the new norm.
Retailers are well aware of the fact that even when the lockdown impositions will be relaxed, customers will prevent themselves from visiting crowded stores. That will make them lean toward contactless shopping, welcoming Augmented and Virtual Reality as the new revolution.
Companies that require on-site visits of the customer, such as real estate or interior design firms, will enjoy implementing this technology. The clienteles can have a virtual tour of their future homes without stepping out of their house. Therefore, there will be a drop in physical visits, but clients would get an in-store experience directly from their home. Nevertheless, it will ease the process of the customer’s decision-making process.
Takeaway
Each business has been severely affected because of the pandemic. We are still unsure when we can go back to pre-COVID times. However, e-commerce and online businesses have gained popularity during these challenging times.
To keep up with the pressing challenges, e-commerce owners will feel the need to have Inventory Management Software, Orders Management Software, and other technical requirements integrated into their websites or applications to ensure a smooth and effective working style.
Contact Kartkonnect for customized tools, marketplaces integration, webstores integration, distributor dropshipping solutions, and much more!