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These popular trends may have enough staying power to last well into the future. While the Covid-19 pandemic has had its fair share of negative effects, it has also been responsible for a number of positive cultural shifts, especially in the e-commerce space. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing forced consumers online and caused companies to pivot, adapt or fail — and that meant major digital changes were made to the traditional shopping experience.  But while many business owners (and customers) are ready to get back to normal, nine leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council list some of the pandemic-era e-commerce trends they think will stick around for the foreseeable future and why they’ve been such valuable changes to the retail status quo.

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Offering a top-notch customer experience is more important than ever, but you need the right strategies first. When designing a better customer experience, many organizations today are focusing on convenience. Whether it’s companies finding inventive ways to deliver their products or working to make their customers’ lives easier, convenience has a positive effect on customer satisfaction.  But to make sure you’re delivering the best overall experience, you’ll need to start with a few simple steps. Below, 10 Rolling Stone Culture Council members each shared one thing leaders can do to maximize convenience and create more happy customers.

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As people slowly gather together again, customers will expect new experiences from venues. Entertainment venues were hit particularly hard by the pandemic, and as restrictions lift and venues start opening up again, business owners and patrons alike are understandably excited to get back to a more “normal” routine. But after everything that’s happened, will customers want more of the same or will they expect a few changes? As each business owner makes this determination for themselves, there are a few ways they can adapt or innovate to freshen up their old model and give customers something even more exciting to look forward to. Below, 12 leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of these strategies and explain why they’re good ways to find new success in the coming years.

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Free apps, tools and products still need to be highly appealing to entice users to keep coming back. When a platform is free, you might assume everyone will want to take advantage of it. However, if a customer isn't spending their hard-earned money on that tool or app, it can also be just as easy for them to forget about it. It can be difficult to encourage repeat engagement in the era of app overload, but there are a number of ways you can get users to engage with your business’s free platform. Below 11, members of Rolling Stone Culture Council shared the techniques that have worked for them. Follow their recommendations to build a loyal base of repeat users.

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The pandemic required a quick pivot to online events and new ways of thinking about revenue. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses, organizations and artists shifted their in-person events to the online realm. Because these live events were often a big source of revenue, hosts had to figure out how to monetize their new virtual content. However, they quickly learned that making money from online events wasn't always as simple as it seemed. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members shared challenges they've faced monetizing online or virtual content. Here are some lessons they’ve learned about successfully bringing in revenue from digital events like webinars, conferences and concerts.

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Scaling your business is a good goal, but it's important to approach growth smartly and sustainably. For many smaller or newer businesses, one of their greatest long-term goals is to scale their operations. As eager as they may be, however, acting too rashly or hiring talent just to fill spots might have unintended negative consequences. Instead, it’s crucial that companies thoughtfully consider their scaling process and go about it in a sustainable manner. This is especially true in the culture space, an industry filled with potential up-and-coming competitors. If you’re looking to scale your business the “right” way, follow these top tips from the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council.