Companies that offer their customers mobile and digital payment options, and also have cybersecurity mechanisms for fraud prevention, are the ones that will be able to take advantage of their position in this context of e-commerce boom.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
The pandemic has considerably changed consumer habits, because of the quarantine decreed in the countries of the region, people prefer to spend more time at home, a phenomenon that forced companies to offer their customers online shopping options.
During 2020 and in the first months of this year, interest in online sales services has grown considerably. Research by CentralAmericaData shows that in Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras, interest in e-commerce services rebounded in the first quarter of 2021, and in El Salvador and Guatemala, the number of Internet searches associated with the topic has not reported significant variations in recent months.
According to specialists in the subject, customers currently prefer businesses and providers that offer multiple payment alternatives, easy to use and secure.
Security in online shopping is something consumers value. A Martesfinanciero.com publication states that "... it is imperative to implement prevention mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the transaction, but more importantly, to maintain trust in digital payment schemes in order to continue evolving the means and extending its benefits to the community."
The article adds that "... coming soon to the market will be Apps that will turn a smart phone into a point of sale to accept contactless cards and Apps that will allow transactions between individuals in real time, no matter where the funds are digitized."
"In order to move forward, payment models and ecosystems still have certain obstacles to overcome: obsolete infrastructure that does not allow real-time transactions, outdated regulations or lack of policies to democratize digital means of payment, false perception of the cost of digital transactions, speculators, oligopolies, fear or ignorance of the use of technology, fraud professionals ... and the list goes on," explains Karla Chamorro, vice president of Issuing Products, Acquiring, ATM and Risk at Evertec in Panama.
In the new normal, interest in e-commerce in the region's markets continues to rise, with Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama being the countries that recorded the greatest increases in interactions associated with the topic.
Through a system that monitors in real time changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
25% of the people in El Salvador who seek to purchase products and services online try to hire an educational service, 21% seek access to a financial service and 19% are interested in acquiring electronic equipment.
The interactive information system developed by CentralAmericaData, monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets of the region, with fundamental information to understand the new commercial environment that has emerged quickly.
Placing the most essential products on the website, establishing partnerships with specialized companies to ensure the shipping and delivery of orders on time, are some of the tips for companies to develop e-commerce in the new business reality.
How to reach customers, implement or enhance the digital sales channel in this context of health crisis, are some of the issues that reveal today to many Central American companies.
Less impulsive and more reasoned purchasing decisions and the search for product and supplier information on the Internet and social networks are some of the characteristics of consumers in the new business environment.
Given the spread of covid-19, health authorities in Central American countries have been forced to restrict the mobility of people and have chosen to close most commercial establishments.
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