Marketer Carlos Beirao da Veiga praises the benefits of pivoting to e-commerce in a post-COVID world. He urges his clients to upgrade their online positioning by balancing digital and traditional advertising. A Portugal native, Carlos Beirao da Veiga provides superior marketing services to clients in Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
“I advise entrepreneurs on how to market precisely for the post-Covid world in which we live,” Beirao da Veiga says. “The role of e-commerce has grown immensely. The Covid-19 pandemic caused social changes, shifts in consumer behavior, and a thirst for online shopping. With the right strategy, it’s a wonderful time to be or become a digital entrepreneur.”
Considered a pioneer of modern marketing, Beirao da Veiga operates a popular Portuguese marketing agency, Da Viega Consulting, which creates innovative campaigns and marketing plans for clients. One of Beirao da Veiga’s many talents is the ability to help businesses choose a strategy. In 2022, he urged his clients to understand that e-commerce includes online advertising and brand building that help companies connect with customers. There’s more to it than just selling products online.
“According to Entrepreneur magazine, three out of four consumers and sellers report a preference for digital options,” Beirao da Veiga. “The pandemic galvanized online business and pushed it into the forefront sooner than expected.”
Carlos Beirao da Veiga Stresses the Importance of a Digital Presence
Change, while challenging, is essential to create business opportunities. In 2022, an entrepreneur needs only the right product and mindset to succeed, as there’s never been a better time to lead a digital business to success.
Carlos Beirao da Veiga reminds his clients that shoppers typically order online because it’s a breeze compared to driving to a brick-and-mortar store. The ease and convenience of online shopping dominate consumers’ list of top reasons to shop online, with around half of their primary motivations directly related to these factors. This information, gleaned by Oberlo, a dropshipping app for Shopify, illustrates the growing importance of the digital sector to any company’s bottom line.
Opportunities Related to E-Commerce Growth
Brick-and-mortar was sluggish before the pandemic, Carlos Beirao da Veiga notes, adding that it now appears to be declining. Studies show fewer new storefronts are opening in 2020 than in any of the three years prior. Even more surprisingly, 60 percent of interactions between consumers and businesses now occur online.
In 2018, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that employment in e-commerce would continue to increase and include a wide swath of job types. In 2020, e-commerce sales increased by 43 percent, reaching nearly $250 billion, and sales will continue to grow in 2022. Numbers show that the total e-commerce retail sales for 2022’s second quarter were about $257 billion, an increase of almost 2 percent from the first quarter of 2022.
Carlos Beirao da Veiga Champions E-Commerce
While many businesses operate brick-and-mortar stores and sell online, shoppers enjoy going to the online “store,” where the company is open 24 hours a day and products are less likely to be out of stock. Customers also enjoy perusing all the product choices at once.
Not driving all over town to different stores is also a bonus. Plus, customers can buy items from all over the country and worldwide from the comfort of their homes.
Carlos Beirao da Veiga says, “Customers discover an array of benefits to shopping online, but businesses can also benefit from operating this way.”
Carlos Beirao da Veiga points out that e-commerce is associated with lower business costs. Also, businesses on an e-commerce platform can learn more about their customers’ desires through digitally derived customer data.
“There’s a strong argument for opening an e-commerce business or using one to buttress an existing brick-and-mortar location,” Beirao da Veiga says. “Obviously, by going solely digital, the business owner doesn’t have to put capital toward maintaining a physical storefront. Also, a sole proprietor can operate an e-commerce business until it reaches greater success.”
How E-Commerce Helps Small Businesses Expand
Carlos Beirao da Veiga says e-commerce is beneficial for small businesses to expand beyond their geographical locations. And since anyone can teach themselves to understand search-engine rankings, business owners who gather rankings data and more can better compete by getting in front of new customers.
“Understanding e-commerce better will serve the end consumer better,” Beirao da Veiga says. “Business owners can learn to market their products better and keep their customers happy by studying customer buying habits, demographics, and preferences.” For more, follow Carlos Beirao da Veiga on Twitter.