March 21, 2020

Many great business are built on the premise of Location, Location, Location. With the advent of store closures and socially distancing, more customers are moving to online shopping. The key to business survival is to move the business online and continue to engage with customers. Below are a few key steps that can transform business online faster.

Create or improve web presence

Websites are front doors to the Internet world. Customers, suppliers, vendors and other stakeholders use the website to learn more about the business, product and services, and make purchase decisions. It is important to keep the business website up to date providing latest and greatest information. Few things to check are:

Business information – latest business information including registered business name, doing “business-as” if different, address, etc.

Contact Details – provide latest contact details – email, telephone number, Skype Id, Slack channel, etc.

Operating Hours – if the operating hours are changed, provide the days, hours and timezones.

Updated product list – if you are operating with limited products or scaled down menu list, share updated product list.

Where to find or buy your products – if you are using other marketplace platforms (Amazon, eBay, Shopify, etc.) or delivery apps (Doordash, Grubhub, Favor, Instacart, etc.), be sure to list and link it from your website. Some apps takes lesser commission if the traffic comes directly from your site.

Delivery options – provide clear information on the delivery option – in-store pickups, direct delivery or third-party services.

Responsive design – ensure the website is responsive to different devices – web, mobile, etc.

Having good website is key to online success. The websites can help retain you existing customers and acquire new ones.

Create an online storefront

If your business involves physical products, then it is time to create an online storefront. Amazon, WalMart, InstaCart are hiring hundreds of thousands of employees as more customer transition to online shopping. From quick solution like Shopify to more customized e-commerce solutions, there are multiple options available. Few things to consider:

• Website theme – ensure the theme reflects your brand, color and images
• Product catalog – product descriptions, pricing, images, options, inventories, etc.
• Payment options
• Delivery options

Having a personalized storefront helps engage with customers directly and provide multi-channel shopping experience thus increasing overall revenue.

Ensure your business can be found over the Internet

Businesses that heavily relied on the location to drive traffic will face difficulties as people are locked inside homes. It is time to focus on digital marketing. From Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Social Media Marketing there are several channels that you can leverage to expose your business to the World quickly. By taking a few quick steps, you can establish omni-channel presence.

• Identify your customer segments. Find the channels and media that your customers are using the most. This is key to establishing proper strategy.
• Establish target keywords
• Create account, pages, content and backlinks
• Measure and continuously improve

By exposing your business to different channels would improve brand awareness, drive traffic and improve sales. You can also use the marketing channels to engage and service customers.

Track and measure progress

As you move the business online, it is important to track and measure the progress. There are many tools available in the market that can help you to collect, track and analyze web performance and audience. Google analytics provides a wealth of insights such as website traffic, demographic details, behaviors and attitudes.

By having proper insights, you can better understand your audience and tailor your marketing campaigns accordingly.

Collaboration & support tools

As customers, employers and other stakeholders are working remotely, you many need a few digital tools to engage and service them. This may include video conferencing, chats, emails, file sharing, productivity apps, etc. There are many productivity and collaboration suites such as Microsoft Office 365, Google G Suite, Zoho, etc. that provides array of applications that makes collaboration seamless. These suits are easy to subscribe and use.

Remote connectivity

Working remotely requires safe and secured access to infrastructure, files, data and other resources. Depending upon your infrastructure and software tools, you may nee a Virtual Private Network (VPN), Secured Connection (SSL), Secured FTP, Remote desktop solutions to connect with remote infrastructure. Alternative, using the Cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, etc. would make accessibility easier.

Integrate and/or automate

In today’s technology driven world, there are many different software applications providing niche solutions such as calendar, scheduling, order processing, payments, inventory management, etc. If you are spending too much time performing manual tasks or working with many different application silos, this may be a good time to integrate the apps and automate as much as possible. There are many integration and automation tools available in the market that are easy to use. By integrating and automating the tasks, you can reduce the manual interventions, increase productivity, and increase efficiency.

In summary, the situation is rapidly changing impacting business and customers. The tried and tested model is changing rapidly. If your business is not online or at different level of digital transformation, it is time to make quick changes. Some are do-it-yourself (DIY) and some requires specialized talent. FreelancingTeams has several hundreds of specialized teams that can help with your specific needs. We are here to help! Please contact us, if you need any further assistance.