What can we say except these are terrible times? COVID19 has really hit all businesses throughout Australia and the world in a way never imagined before.
All sectors have copped a beating; travel, food, cafes, restaurants, real estate, hotels, gyms everyone and every business has been touched by this horrid pandemic. Simply put, it’s stopped business in its tracks. Plus take a look at the unemployment it has created.
Also read:COVID-19 lockdowns have cost 1.6 million Australians their incomes, ABS survey shows
But all is not lost, there will be an end to this and there is light at the end of this tunnel. As of today 8th May 2020 we know that the PM is going to start easing restrictions with the lockdown and this will hearten most people who have been at home watching their business lose revenue, sales, and inquiries.
But, during this time one cannot wait and hope things will get back to normal without starting to work on their business. Now, while you have time on your hands is really the best time to look at what your business needs, what you have been putting off for ages, and what needs to be done to get the wheels of the business turning once we are out of this mess. This is not going to happen on its own and taking a proactive approach to your digital marketing and SEO is the best thing you can be doing.
So, I will list some key points that you should be doing to get your business back on its feet. This doesn’t have to be done all at once but you can take a slow approach to this and ramp it up if necessary if restrictions ease more quickly.
1) Take a look at your website and see if it needs a refresh. Go over all old content on all pages including all your old blogs and news articles. Give them the once over and update where necessary to make all information more current, engaging, and more relevant.
2) Look at your marketing budget. The first thing you might have done when the panic set in at the beginning of COVID19 was to reduce or cancel your marketing. Adwords, SEO, content marketing and your latest web project might have all been put on the back burner taking a wait n see attitude. That was probably a great idea at the time but now is the time to start reassessing your marketing budget (especially as the first Job Keeper payment has come through for most businesses). Get in touch with your SEO or web agency and look at starting your marketing again. Businesses will be back so it’s important that you are ahead of the curve rather than behind it. Businesses are going to be desperate for customers so it’s vital that your online visibility is strong. This can be all facets of the digital landscapes: Google, YouTube, Facebook etc. It’s critical that you don’t wait till COVID19 is over and then decide to start your marketing. Do this now, be the market leader and you will see how this has a positive impact on your business.
3) Look at all your communication material and see if it can be improved. What do your E-newsletters look like and can they be improved? Are you using an old CRM? Can you improve your sales processes and streamline your digital marketing to one agency? Now that you have the time, it’s a good idea to look at all of these things in a methodical manner.
4) What has happened to your Google rankings over the last couple of months and can you see areas where they need to be improved? Has your SEO agency been in touch with you and are they communicating what they have been doing during COVID19? Maybe it’s time to start looking at other agencies to see what they can offer you. Most businesses have their staff working at home and they are contactable. You have the time so do your due diligence.
Related post: 20 Questions Your Potential SEO Partner Must Know
5) Stay positive and look at this time as a time to work on your business model and ways you can fine-tune it to the level you have always wanted.
COVID 19 will not last forever. Yes, it’s here now and yes there may not seem an end in sight when things will get back to normal. But, it will happen and your business will open and it will be trading. But, don’t get too down about this and start looking at your marketing as a way of staying positive and keeping your finger on the pulse.
If you would like some other tips and ideas about how you can work on your business to get more clients during and after COVID19, please get in touch with us here at Hopping Mad Designs.