{"id":82813,"date":"2020-05-07T07:11:20","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T14:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/?p=82813"},"modified":"2022-08-22T03:43:51","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T10:43:51","slug":"lessons-learned-from-covid-19-how-to-pandemic-proof-your-b2b-business-with-ecommerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/lessons-learned-from-covid-19-how-to-pandemic-proof-your-b2b-business-with-ecommerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons Learned From COVID-19: How to Pandemic-Proof Your Business | OroCommerce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pandemic has accelerated the pace of change in the business world. Business leaders are adapting to operate in an ever-evolving landscape where the only certainty is change. Are there any lessons to be learned from all this?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If recent experiences have taught us anything it is that a spirit of resilience and the ability to adapt are keys to operating in the new normal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now more than ever, digital tools such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/what-is-b2b-ecommerce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B2B eCommerce<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> play an instrumental role in protecting your business from future disruption and are a stepping stone to digital transformation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is a part of our COVID-19 series that includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Regularly updated look at the short-term <a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/covid-19-effects-on-b2b-commerce-how-you-can-respond\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">effects of coronavirus on B2B commerce<\/a> and the supply chain as a whole.<\/li>\n<li>Medium and longer term <a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/b2b-commerce-and-coronavirus-business-impact-and-long-term-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">impacts of coronavirus<\/a> on business, complete with a look at how actual businesses are coping with the crisis.<\/li>\n<li>Life after Coronavirus: how <a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/effect-of-covid-19-reopening-on-b2b-ecommerce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reopening trends will reimagine<\/a> B2B eCommerce, also regularly updated.<\/li>\n<li>A recording of our interactive webinar on <a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/webinar-recap-how-digital-commerce-protects-businesses-during-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to survive in times of crisis<\/a> with the help of B2B eCommerce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/post-pandemic-business-continuity-checklist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-84094 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/post-pandemic-checklist.png\" alt=\"Business Continuity Checklist B2B eCommerce\" width=\"740\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/post-pandemic-checklist.png 740w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/post-pandemic-checklist-720x97.png 720w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/post-pandemic-checklist-360x49.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lessons Learned by B2B Commerce Businesses\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even the most prepared businesses couldn\u2019t plan for the fallout from the pandemic. Disaster recovery plans tend to be heavy on recovering from natural disasters and data loss and not loss of business through disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But businesses are acting and reacting, and there are lessons to be learned. They are embracing technologies and new processes that maintain continuity and even enter new markets. We asked B2B businesses their lessons learned thus far and how they\u2019ve adjusted to new ways of doing business.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Flexibility and resilience are key<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The business owner that comes through this crisis is the one that learns to adapt. It\u2019s not enough to monitor the situation and look for ways to cut losses. You must think creatively, exercise agility, and take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Granted, for some businesses, online is not an option. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to build trust solely over a Skype call,\u201d admits <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/william-pinson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">William Pinson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a B2B consultant in the energy industry. What helped traditionally remote teams like Buffer is their focus on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.buffer.com\/trust-remote-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">trust, autonomy and responsibility<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This means timely recognition of goals reached, hands-off approach to management, personal relationship-building initiatives, transparency, and even displays of vulnerability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some businesses are taking the opportunity to adopt new technologies and learn new skills. They are reflecting on their ability to adjust to new norms, to consider how to better meet customer needs, and even reevaluate how they do business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDuring the outbreak, business owners who were accustomed to face to face interaction are now realizing another route is needed,\u201d believes Jeff Moyer, Director of B2B design agency <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.advancewebsolutions.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advance Web Solutions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cThis especially applies to the 50 and over crowd who have resisted more modern means of communication.\u201d Now, these employees must adopt digital technology such as video conferencing to remain effective.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Always look for new sales strategies<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re all focused on selling and staying on the cutting edge of our industries. For some, the crisis has changed the way they view the customer relationship. Even before the pandemic, the modern seller was focused on solving problems. It\u2019s a strategy that\u2019s taking hold in all corners of business. \u201cWe are mentoring, inspiring, educating [throughout] social media, email, outreach, and content programs\u201d, explains Steve Hammer, President of B2B digital marketing agency <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rankhammer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rankhammer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-82817\" src=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-together.png\" alt=\"lessons-covid-together\" width=\"751\" height=\"515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-together.png 751w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-together-671x460.png 671w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-together-642x440.png 642w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-together-306x210.png 306w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 751px) 100vw, 751px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentoring.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cProspects want to be ready for when normal returns and be the first to show value.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The economic downturn is a time to get closer to customers. Now is the perfect time to strengthen existing relationships and work on efficiencies. \u201cWe\u2019ll all come out stronger on the other side, and we need to give customers service that matches or exceeds their expectations,\u201d thinks <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/andrewmaff.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Andrew Maff<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Founder and CEO of marketing consultancy BlueTuskr.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Having an online presence is essential<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While some B2Bs were already capitalizing on digitization initiatives such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B2B eCommerce software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, others were caught off guard. Companies that shied away from the investment due to slow decision making or channel conflicts are forced to play catch-up just to start selling online quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those seeing growth in their online performance are likely to continue to see growth. \u201cIf it\u2019s working now, it\u2019s going to work better as the world returns to its new normal,\u201d admits Hammer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many businesses, the current budgeted costs will be moved to later periods in the year. When they start buying again, clients will expect real performance. It&#8217;s a big shift in mentality, where digital investment received little attention in B2B. But if there&#8217;s any lessons learned, it&#8217;s not to let up on what works. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Stay connected and listen closely<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When times are difficult, cooperation and collaboration with other people &#8211; even if they are not your customers or in the same industry &#8211; can get you on everyone\u2019s radar. Nellie Akalp, CEO and Founder of B2B document filing service <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/corpnet.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CorpNet.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> did just that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe went back to the basics and simply asked everyone how we can help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-82818\" src=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-help-next-door.png\" alt=\"lessons-covid-help\" width=\"750\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-help-next-door.png 750w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-help-next-door-720x276.png 720w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-help-next-door-360x138.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[<a href=\"https:\/\/global.nextdoor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With some powerful feedback from clients, we are able to find loopholes and opportunities to come out with new products, she continues. \u201cThis approach will allow us to stay open through this pandemic and also create long-term new revenue for when the country, and world, gets back up and running.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Siloed data and processes are dangerous<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In times of crisis, your decisions are only as good as the data you use to make them. That\u2019s true for any other day of the week, too. But in a rapidly evolving environment, those who detect trends first can better plan for contingencies and create alternative pathways for the management of people, goods and services. If data is siloed, then the right customer, inventory, supply, and demand data may not be in the right hands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post-crisis, businesses will focus on improving the resiliency and efficiency of their infrastructure. \u201cWhile strengthening our virtual systems and tools is an effort to improve how efficient our internal processes are,\u201d says Siddhartha Gupta, the Chief Executive Officer of B2B online assessment software <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mettl.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mettl<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cwe also realize our business messaging can be disrupted even further into the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Learn how to effectively work remotely\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many jobs in manufacturing and distribution simply cannot <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oberlo.com\/blog\/work-remotely\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">work remotely<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But for employees that can, it\u2019s important to help them to do their job better as they work from home. This may include arranging deliveries of equipment to their home or adjusting work hours. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These moves may have felt huge just months ago, but not anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82819 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-working-remote.png\" alt=\"covid-working-remote\" width=\"750\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-working-remote.png 750w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-working-remote-651x460.png 651w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-working-remote-623x440.png 623w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-working-remote-297x210.png 297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[<a href=\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/state-of-remote-work-2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cE<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mployees and employers will be comfortable with working from home around 50% of the time\u201d, predicts <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Melissa Cadwallader of public benefit corporation <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zenbusiness.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ZenBusiness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">N<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ow that even the most old-school have seen firsthand how their companies kept operating with employees working remotely, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cadwallader believes<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the business world will be more welcoming to these changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Explore new marketing tactics<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fewer businesses are advertising so that means less competition. At the same time, more people are staying bigger at home on the internet providing a larger audience. Now\u2019s the time to build brand awareness with digital marketing tactics! The lack of expos and tradeshows may reduce your networking opportunities, but with digital marketing at least your competitors aren\u2019t standing right beside you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMarketing through the internet is, after all, a great way to maintain social distancing!\u201d says Lonny Kocina, Chief Executive Officer of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Media Relations Agency<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAs the crisis continues, there\u2019s going to be a market for stories that take people\u2019s minds off their troubles\u201d, he continues. Instead of worrying about protecting themselves or when toilet paper will be available again, people are seeking out fun, interesting stories as a means of relief.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8. Rethink your supply chains<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from the human factors brought on by the stay-at-home orders, the crisis also highlighted a lack of capability to manage supply chains. Businesses relying on tier 1 suppliers have been working with limited visibility in inventory, production, order and fulfillment status. Secondly, sourcing alternate supply sources has been slow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pandemic accelerated pre-existing plans to reduce supply chain dependency on China as well as to reduce risks of the ongoing <a href=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/supply-chain-crisis-and-b2b-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supply chain crisis<\/a>. This is particularly the case in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/national-security\/491119-momentum-grows-to-change-medical-supply-chain-from-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">medical<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and manufacturing spheres. As we return to a normalized state, the talk of homegrown alternatives to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/economy\/china-economy\/article\/3081415\/coronavirus-china-faces-fight-hang-foreign-manufacturers-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chinese manufacturing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will continue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82820 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-china-exports.png\" alt=\"coronavirus-china-exports\" width=\"743\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-china-exports.png 743w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-china-exports-693x460.png 693w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-china-exports-663x440.png 663w, https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/lessons-covid-china-exports-316x210.png 316w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[<a href=\"https:\/\/iap.unido.org\/articles\/managing-covid-19-how-pandemic-disrupts-global-value-chains\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe imperative for greater supply chain resilience versus the attractiveness of China as a manufacturing location is the defining tension that [brands] will need to navigate\u201d, explains Manisha Mirchandani, Director of Strategy at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlantic57.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Atlantic 57<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In either case, businesses should stay alert during rebound. Companies that move quickly will take advantage of demand that their competitors might have overlooked. Businesses will need to keep a close eye on unexpected costs and logistics disruptions while maintaining profitability.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is your B2B eCommerce platform ready?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s face it: eCommerce has become the sole channel for ordering everything from essentials to services, including B2B products. Businesses that survive will start exploring new markets, business, and selling models such as B2B2C, D2C and B2G. Lessons learned? Now is the best time to review your existing B2B eCommerce processes in light of higher customer expectations.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">B2B Customers prefer mobile-friendly shopping, ordering, and payment experiences, especially if they are coming online for the first time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers tend to leave stores with loading speeds greater than two seconds. Make sure every page is optimized for fast loading speeds on all devices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As inventory changes, make sure it is quickly and accurately reflected in the storefront. Inaccurate stock, pricing and shipping data will drive customers away.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sales reps that do not have access to customer accounts or cannot easily locate customer data may have trouble supporting their accounts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A single source of truth helps companies maximize efficiency and stay productive. Digital commerce systems must integrate and synchronize between ERP, PIM and CRM applications.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lessons Learned: Ready to Leverage B2B eCommerce?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the ongoing pandemic has given brick and mortar businesses many reasons to turn to eCommerce, established online merchants are also realizing that having a simple web store is not enough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Businesses are realizing that their platforms must not only help them sell more efficiently, but it must also help their customers and their customers\u2019 customers purchase efficiently too. Most importantly, this crisis presents opportunities to expand to new local and global markets, and sell to new customers using B2B, D2C, B2B2C, and other eCommerce models.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>So what can we expect in the future?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Returning to business as usual will be a difficult proposition in the immediate post-coronavirus era. Leaders must carefully assess entire business systems and plan for the actions that will put the company back on the path to growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For B2Bs, eCommerce will remain a revenue-generating lifeline and a way to maintain relationships and customer experiences that brick and mortar wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers on their own cannot.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pandemic has accelerated the pace of change in the business world. Business leaders are adapting to operate in an ever-evolving landscape where the only certainty is change. Are there any lessons to be learned from all this? If recent experiences have taught us anything it is that a spirit of resilience and the ability [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39578,"featured_media":82815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[210],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-82813","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-b2b-ecommerce"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lessons Learned From COVID-19: How to Pandemic-Proof Your Business | OroCommerce<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For the first time ever, B2B businesses share some powerful lessons learned. How to emerge out of the coronavirus crisis? 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