The Coronavirus is impacting our way of life in innumerable ways. Schools are closing, Events, Sports leagues are being postponed, some even cancelled, and sadly most small to medium businesses are on the brink of having to shut down permanently. There is no doubt that the coronavirus will impact businesses and economies adversely and one may conclude that the Covid-19 only brings with it pain to society at large.
However, depending on how you look at it, one might argue that it is creating a multiplier effect on what was already a growing shift towards online buying behaviour from the traditional in-store buying behaviours. Younger generations were already living predominantly digital lifestyles. Opting for their devices over the real world, buying online and making purchase decisions based on internet searches, most Gen Z’s had already started living the life we will all be expected to live going forward. The Coronavirus outbreak is just going to take it to a whole new level and if you own a business or influence one, now is the time to really think hard about how your business is investing in its online strategy and whether it is prepared for this new world.
It doesn’t matter if your products or services are designed for in-store experiences, now is the time to re-think how your business can evolve to ensure it survives this changing dynamic. Whether it’s creating new product lines, better leveraging content marketing and social media strategies to keep customers connected to your brand, or even thinking bigger about new business ideas that capitalize exclusively in a digital world, you’ve got to think differently. In this article, we will discuss three possible strategies to consider.
Online shopping website
Right now subscription-based delivery services and remote focused technology offerings are exploding in growth as more and more people choose to shop and make their buying decisions from the comfort and safety of their own homes. For example house bound consumers in China turned to online groceries for their daily food supply. According to French retailer Carrefour, vegetable deliveries increased by 600% over the past month. Chinese online retailer JD.com reported that its online grocery sales grew 215% to 15,000 tons during a 10-day period between late January 2020 and early February 2020. From these stats only, we can see that there is an increase in online shopping for basic household items, so if you have a business now is the time to invest in an E-commerce website or App that will allow your customers to place orders and make purchases from the comfort of your home.
Geo-Search Engine Optimization
Global travel has reduced significantly due to the world wide lockdown and people now rely on services and facilities that are close to home. In the rare times that people do leave their houses, they are looking for nearby destinations for services and supplies. So you want to make sure your website is using Geo SEO strategies and is optimized for “near me” searches. Geo-Search Engine Optimization will help customers near you to find you first. At a time when everyone is looking for more convenience, this gives your business a chance to provide assistance during a critical time for customers. Secondly, given a situation where someone wants to buy online and get the products delivered to their doorstep, they also want to order from the nearest supplier, hence having your online store optimized for “near me” searches will put you in front of more online potential clients.
Online advertising
With more people at home in front of their screens, online advertising is another great opportunity for businesses to connect with their customers and gain a competitive advantage. As more countries come on board with national lockdowns, cost of pay per click advertising is likely to decrease as bigger corporations shut down and cut back on spending, therefore reducing the amount of money an advertiser pays a publisher for every ad. This will give the smaller business another opportunity to scoop up that lost market share from others who are pulling back during this time.
This list of opportunities is not exhaustive but is summary of the many services we at Solution Space can do to help you keep your business afloat during these trying times. Solution Space is a Data-driven digital marketing agency that understands small businesses in Africa and is geared to help small businesses on the continent survive the pandemic. Get in touch with us HERE and let’s discuss how we can keep you in business, but most importantly, STAY SAFE guys!