The future looks bleak for businesses of all shapes and sizes. As well as grappling with a whole host of logistical, budgetary and operational quandaries, there’s also the thorny issue of engaging your customers while attracting new people to your brand.
Consumer confidence is at an all-time low and with less disposable income to spare, consumers are less amenable to giving their trust to a new brand.
Indeed, you may be facing cash flow crises of your own as you struggle to do right by your employees despite crushing blows to your profit margins as the world hunkers down in an attempt to flatten the COVID-19 curve.
Still, does that mean your business can’t navigate the COVID crisis and come out strong on the other side? Rather than freeze investment in your business, you need to make smart investments to wow existing customers, attract new ones and get your sales growing again.
Online visibility
With most retail shops under lockdown, your customers are making practically all their purchases online. They’re more likely to use online research for even small purchases. That means they’ll be turning to Google and other search engines to find the kinds of products and services that you offer. Will they see yours first? Or your competitors?
While you may be loath to outsource at this time, allying yourself with a provider of SEO services is a good way to ensure you remain more visible than the competition on Search Engine Results Pages, and get a satisfactory ROI on your marketing spend.
Promotional codes
You know what everyone’s looking for right now? A bargain! Delivering targeted deals and discounts can mean all the difference between making a sale and losing one to your competitors.
Invest in the software to create and distribute unique, single-use promo codes and you can deliver targeted and ultra-relevant offers based on customer’s previous interactions with your brand. They’re a great way to get indecisive customers to commit to buy as well as targeting shopping cart abandonment.
Customer service
Right now, consumers are anxious, frustrated and in need of a little TLC. Even though your team may be working remotely, they’re perfectly placed to give your customers the attention, empathy and commitment to value and quality that they deserve. Now’s the time for your team to double down on delivering outstanding customer service, even if they can’t deliver it face-to-face.
Product quality
With limited resources and a less reliable supply chain, you may not be able to afford customers the product range that they have come to expect. But that’s okay. While you may not be able to offer range and quantity, you can (and should) double down on quality.
Focus your efforts on generating value for the customer, and the positive reviews will flood in. Speaking of which, be sure to incentivize customer reviews to build your social proof and increase your brand’s credibility online. Remember, consumers trust other consumers. The words they write can speak more eloquently than even the slickest marketing copy.
These investments can build trust and faith in your brand and help you to get through the crisis in better shape than competitors who are resting on their laurels.
