OK, so it’s getting real. Schools closed in Ireland. Major events cancelled across the UK. Staff advised to stay at home and a general sense of uncertainty across all markets and industries. Here’s how businesses can combat COVID-19 with an effective digital strategy.
Businesses will suffer
The virus is already effecting businesses across the UK & Ireland. COVID-19 has been the “icing on the cake” for companies like Flye Be. Claiming they simply couldn’t cope with the impact of the disease.
Yesterday, the UK FTSE 100 closed with it’s worst plunge since 1987.
So, how can digital help?
Well, let’s face it – the show must go on. Businesses need to continue generating revenue. And they must reduce overheads during uncertain times. Here’s just a few of the problems facing businesses and how digital can provide some help…
Reduced footfall.
Retail outlets are already seeing a massive reduction in footfall into their stores. 1 way to combat this might be to work on your e-commerce solution. More people will be staying at home. And more people will be making purchases online. You should offer at least some way for your customers to make purchase or pay deposits on line.
Cashflow problems.
During uncertain times, customers and clients may withhold payments for a little longer. You can make it easier for them to pay by offering online payments. You can send email reminders and simply ways to pay online by creating a page like mywebiste.com/pay.
You could also start selling products and services online.
Cutting costs
Reduce your marketing and advertising spend by taking any budget from magazines, newspapers, billboards, radio, &TV and moving it to digital. Your budget will go further and you can target your audience better.
Staffing problems.
Many staff can be “self incubating” and working from home. Unfortunately these uncertain times may even call for a reduction in staff and a slimming down of your workforce.
Keep your sales & marketing alive (regardless of staff) by outsourcing this to a professional team at a fraction of the cost. The outsource team can carry out social media campaigns, website updates, SEO and more. This will help bolster sales during difficult times.
You may need to recruit quickly when the worst is over. There’s no faster or better way to do this than with a good digital strategy.
Offers & deals
Restaurants, shops, travel companies, hotels. (pretty much every sector really) will see a reduction in sales. You can combat this by offering promotions and deals to help get sales back on track. A digital team can help you with newsletters, social media campaigns and more.
Keeping stakeholders informed
You’ve got staff, investors, customers and stakeholders. All of which will want to know your plans for Corona Virus. Keeping your stakeholders informed will do you well in the long run.
A digital partner can help you with press releases, social media campaigns, website articles and more – to keep your stakeholders well informed. This will also build trust.
You should at least have a digital partner.
A digital partner (That manages your website, social media & digital content) will allow you to react quickly to anything that happens. You can shift company focus, launch new products, get more sales online, get paid faster, recruit quickly, keep customers informed and market your business in the most cost effective way.