The past two years have been extremely challenging for business owners. Many businesses have been forced to close down, and others have had to lay off some of their employees to cut down on costs. One of the drastic changes caused by COVID-19 is the changing business landscape. With lockdowns and people living in fear, many have shifted to online buying, which is uprooting traditional retail.
While eCommerce is not a new concept, COVID has greatly accelerated its growth. Many businesses have moved their products and services online to suit the changes in consumer behavior. This has also made the space more competitive. In all this chaos, Steven Ridzyowski has managed to succeed. During the pandemic, he has grown his business to a team of over 30 with 100+ clients across various platforms. He shares with us how he managed to thrive amidst the pandemic.
Steven Ridzyowski is an entrepreneur and a member of the Forbes Business and Young Entrepreneur councils. He is the Founder and CEO of Ecommerce Marketing Agency, a top agency helping companies and brands find their way in eCommerce, and he has also recently launched Sell Your Brand, a marketplace where buyers and sellers connect.
According to Steven, one of the things that gave him the upper hand was his experience working in different sectors. Steven has been in the eCommerce and digital media buying space for more than 15 years. He’s had various businesses ranging from affiliate marketing and selling ringtones to owning multiple online businesses. Steven’s experiences have enabled him to master product research, trends, and effective marketing strategies.
The pandemic has led to massive changes in product trends. At the onset of COVID, most people were buying goods in bulk. To cut down on spending, people also adopted a system of purchasing only what they need, not what they want. With bulk buying, demand exceeded the supply, and people had to wait in long lines to get their hands on particular goods. Combined, these circumstances put a lot of pressure on brick and mortar business owners. Together with his team, Steven decided to use a different approach.
By taking the time to understand the product trends and to conduct a proper marketing analysis, Steven managed to stay ahead of the trends. It didn’t take long before he got his hands on winning products, which greatly helped his clients scale their online stores.
Additionally, Steven says he invested in marketing. The move to digital platforms was so abrupt that many businesses were caught off guard. This shift also made the industry highly competitive. Even though Steven was a pioneer in the eCommerce space, to make his brand more visible, he prioritized direct marketing and social media. On top of that, their exemplary customer service helped get more repeat customers.
In the first few months, with the lockdown in place, product shipping was affected, and there wasn’t much the business owners could do at the time. Steven said that, during this difficult time, proper communication between them and their customers, trust, and strong relationships helped ensure that everything continued to run smoothly.
