With the COVID-19 pandemic set to continue on and with no foreseeable end to this crisis as yet, it will not be business as usual for the near future. Many business policies are still changing by the day, usually depending on the developing situation and government restrictions. This, however, can leave many customers confused, usually with questions on their minds. As such, businesses should use the most readily available tool at their disposal — digital technology — to reach out to their customers.
Managing your online presence is easier said than done. At this point in time, having an online presence during the pandemic is crucial to a business’s survival. More than having an online presence, though, businesses must know how to manage it or turn to people that do. To help you, we have compiled some tips on how to manage your online presence.
Utilize Local Business Listings
With social distancing measures still in place, people will usually turn to local businesses for their needs to keep their trips out of the house short and effective. As such, one good online presence management strategy is to utilize your local business listings. This way, you can reach more customers in your area. It is important to have a Google My Business listing because this is the first thing that a customer will see when searching in Google. Always remember to keep this updated with your modified store hours and contact numbers to make it easier for customers to reach out and connect with you. You can also use these to inform your customers in your local area about any temporary closures.
Regularly Update Your Website
Most businesses did not see a need for a website before the pandemic. This was fine when it was easier to just walk into any store with few restrictions. However, because of the pandemic, more people now prefer to shop online, and without a working website, a business may not be able to keep up. Websites are your physical stores translated to an online space. This means that all your transactions will now happen here. As such, you should always provide the latest and most accurate information to your customers from there. One good tip in managing your online presence is to make sure that your product availability status is as close to real-time as possible. Your prices should also be properly reflected. Doing this will prevent miscommunication and potentially dissatisfied customers.
Don’t Miss Out on Social Media
After ensuring that your website is fully functional and updated, the next thing to do is go on social media. Social media is where people expect to be able to find anybody. Right now, if someone wants to find a business, they instantly search either on Google or on social media. It can be a vital tool for keeping your customers posted with the daily, weekly, or even monthly updates of your business, and often, it’s a surefire way for them to get in contact with you. You can even post about any events you’re having be having in the next few weeks, especially live virtual events.
Dedicate Pages for COVID-19
Another good online presence management strategy is to dedicate pages or sections of your website, your listing, or your social media accounts to COVID-19 related matters. With almost everything about our lives being touched and hampered by COVID-19, it would be good to dedicate sections to what your businesses are doing to help or how are you employees personally coping with the pandemic. This way, customers will be able to resonate with you on a shared crisis that we are all experiencing.
As you can see, you need to devote a lot of time and energy to managing your online presence if you wish to do it well. You can’t just fill your online platforms with information and hope it will do all the work for you. This is why it pays to find an expert to handle this in your stead. You need someone who knows which platform to use and for what purpose so that your message will effectively get across to the customer. At Advanced Digital Media Services, we can help you with managing your online presence while at the same time keeping your customers updated and engaged in your business. With us as your partners, you no longer have to worry about how to manage your online presence; you finally have the time to focus on other important business matters worry-free. Reach out to us by filling out the form below!
