Today Boris Johnson returned to the lectern outside No10 Downing Street to address the nation. He gave an indication of progress however it was clear that we have a way to go before social restrictions are lifted, which means more weeks and months of uncertainty for businesses affected by the pandemic.
As we all continue to adapt people are having to reconsider their working practices and shift how they operate. In a recent webinar I was advised to ‘think of this time as your pre-season training’, and it was a lightbulb moment. In sport, footballers spend months in training and make sure they are fully prepared to be picked for the upcoming season, ready to perform at their best. Right now you have the opportunity to do the same, to take stock of how you worked before, see where there might be opportunities for change, and get ready to move forward.
I’ve seen a lot of local businesses experience great success by making simple changes to how they operate, and by taking advantage of online access to customers. A tiny, old-style sweet shop on my road closed its doors and developed a simple website, which now takes orders for home delivery and the team is busier than ever! A beauty salon has been offering online ‘how to’ videos and selling professional products through Instagram, creating income and keeping their audiences engaged, and this is the key. Even if you can’t provide your usual services right now, you can still provide value that makes you relevant and keeps your customers close, ready for when the restrictions lift.
There are a number of business admin tasks that you can focus on to ensure your business is shiny, fresh and ready for action come game time. Let’s take a look at some of them here.
Review your website
Your website is your shop window and will create that all important first impression for visitors. You might need to update the wording to reflect the current situation and make it relevant or review your key words. A few simple tweaks could make all the difference, and making regular changes or uploading blog posts will boost your SEO too. This helps Google find your site more easily for people searching your key words.
Refresh your branding
Your brand reflects who you are, as an individual and as a company – does it do that well? If it’s a bit tired or too generic it won’t help people remember you, so consider a refresh. Are you professional, playful, a leader? Have confidence in your business and get yourself a brand, image and content that reflects you, so you are ready for those ideal customers to be dropping into your inbox.
Prepare your content
I hate to sound repetitive but I honestly can’t emphasise this enough – you have to keep talking. Emails to your client list, social media posts, blogs, videos; all this content is so valuable in maintaining your presence ready for when your customers can come back again. We are in a changing situation and you need to maintain a degree of flexibility but you should plan ahead, plot out your content and the subjects you can talk about. Give people insights on how you are making changes, staff stories, testimonials, your expertise on how to carry out activities you’d normally be doing, community activity, anything to make sure people know who you are and continue to connect with you.
It can be tough to stay motivated right now, but these activities will all affect how people view and engage with you, and will help make sure they come back and buy from you in the future. It can be hard to know where to start communicating in a crisis, so if you’d like some advice on the best options for your business, I’m always happy to help.
