An unprecedented situation the whole world is currently facing due to the vast spread of coronavirus, with the government’s shutdown of all retail businesses apart from those selling essentials (food, chemists), is creating serious challenges to most businesses in the UK and across the globe. So how can a company continue business in current conditions? Thinking outside of the box and finding a way to take your offerings to digital platforms is the way to survive the coronavirus shutdown.

Whilst the initial reaction of many companies is to cut costs, stop all marketing activities and wait until the coronavirus crisis is over, what they don’t realise is that this decision has a lot of flaws, and can seriously damage their business.

Creating and maintaining an online presence is now more important than ever. With the majority of people having to stay at home, they are spending more time online than before (Vodafone reports a 50% surge in internet usage in some of the European countries). Being active online as a business will help you with:

  • Retaining your current customers by providing useful, insightful and interesting content, and customer support. Even if you can’t physically serve your customers at the moment, keeping them engaged during this time will help retain them until the coronavirus restrictions have passed.
  • Staying ahead of the competition. With many companies deciding to go on a complete shutdown until the situation changes, now is your chance to stand out and offer online users the support they need.
  • Thinking ahead. No matter how bad the situation might seem at the moment, it will pass in a matter of a few months and we will see an increase in demand across various industries. Those who take action now will be ahead of the game.

stay ahead of competition

 

Now that you know how staying active online can help you, let’s look at the examples of actions to take as a company to continue business throughout the coronavirus shutdown.

  • Take your offerings to digital platforms. Can you partner with an existing marketplace or a delivery service to get your products to your customers? Create an Amazon store? Run webinars? Introduce gift cards? Or invest in an e-commerce website that will give your customers an easy way to purchase your products directly from you? Read more about e-commerce here.
  • If you already have an existing website, taking this time to refresh its design and add new functionality is also a good idea which will help you stay ahead of the competition.
  • Invest in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). SEO is an ongoing process, it takes time to see the results of the efforts. With more online searches and less competition, now is a great time to start working on building a strong SEO foundation that will help your website rank higher and get more traffic in the months to come. Read more on the importance of SEO here.
  • Build a strong Social Media presence and engage with your target demographic. Now is the perfect time to create that connection and build a strong relationship with your existing and potential customers. Users turn to Social Media for news, updates, and entertainment. Become a thought leader. Become a source of inspiration. Be relevant, be pro-active.

These are just some of the ways to continue business throughout the coronavirus shutdown. To discuss more ideas and how we can help your business prosper at this difficult time, please get in touch with our friendly and experienced team.

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