COVID 19 -How to Stay Home and Keep Your Business Running

Emily Andrew • 26 March 2020

In these unprecedented times many businesses have been forced to close their doors to the public and face the uncertainty of the future. However, with more people at home and relying on the internet, now is the time to be proactive if you can.

We have some tips for you on how you can improve your online presence which may even offset any fallout that your business could be facing.

Keep Your Customers Safe

If your business relies, or now relies in the case of cafés and restaurants, on the pickup and/or delivery of goods then it’s paramount that you can keep your customers safe.

Offer minimum exposure during checkout – promote contactless payment or encourage your customers to pay online.

Reassure your customers that you’re taking all the necessary precautions on the preparation and/or delivery of your foods.

Email your customers to tell them about your safety measures and update them on what you’re offering.

Create Digital Content

Just because you can’t see your customers doesn’t mean that you can’t stay connected. There are loads of great ways to engage with your audience using your website and a bit of creative thinking!

Blog Posts

Newsletters

Videos

Webinars and online meetings

Ramp Up Your Social Media Presence

With Joe Wicks teaching PE to nearly 1 million children each morning and music artists like John Legend performing concerts from their front rooms, it is clear that social media platforms are the place to be.

You can use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube to keep people up to date with the latest news from your business and connect in real time with your audience.

Prepare Your Website

Have your services changed? Are you no longer available on the office phone number? Make sure you update your website with any related messaging so that your customers know how your business has responded to the current pandemic.

Add features to help schedule (or reschedule) your appointments.

Add online payment options, online checkouts and sign up forms to keep your clients up to date.

Consider Larger Projects

If you’ve been thinking about redesigning or launching your website, sorting out your SEO or planning your social media strategy this may just be the perfect time. Often the day to day of running a business can get in the way of taking it to the next level so why not take this opportunity to get ahead!

If you are able to invest your time into these projects then you will be straight out of the gate when customers are ready to return.

If you want to talk to us at any point please get in touch. We may be working from home but we're available at howdy@cotswoldweb.co.uk if you need any help at all.

< Older Post Newer Post >

Get Proposal

Get Your Free Marketing Plan

More Posts.

A woman is sitting at a desk using a laptop computer.

The role of user experience (UX) in SEO success

20 January 2025

While different disciplines, UX is becoming increasingly important to SEO success. It isn’t a direct ranking factor in SEO,

silhouette of a person against a backdrop of computer text

The impact of AI on SEO: How to stay competitive in the age of algorithms

19 November 2024

Heading 1 Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a huge impact in many areas of life and SEO is no exception. While it has made online searches easier for consumers, keeping up with it and staying ahead as a business can be challenging. As Google integrates advanced AI into its search results, businesses must rethink their SEO strategies. Understanding the future of SEO in the context of AI is essential to appear high on search rankings and remain competitive. Traditionally, search engine optimisation (SEO) has relied largely on keyword optimisation and link building. If you sell garden products, you would make sure the phrase ‘garden products’ was used frequently throughout your website. You would also look to get some links back to your site from other websites – maybe other businesses in your local area or in a complementary sector. These traditional SEO methods are becoming less effective. AI means search engines like Google and Bing have become better at understanding the intent behind a search, through machine learning algorithms analysing huge quantities of data, as well as natural language processing. Natural language processing doesn’t just understand the words in a query, it understands the context and intent behind it. AI can even understand synonyms, slang and regional variation in language! When someone searches for something online, AI can analyse, interpret and predict their behaviour. So businesses have to adapt their SEO strategies to changing algorithms to stay competitive. You need to have a deeper understanding of your target audience and produce content which meets their needs and answers their queries. It is about providing the best answer to the questions your audience is asking, because AI algorithms are skilled at recognising content which meets the search intent of users and provides value. This means that content which is designed to meet specific needs, answer questions and provide the solutions to problems is more likely to rank higher in searches. AI algorithms will prioritise content which resonates with users on a human level – with every paragraph adding more value and depth. This aligns with AI’s preference for content which engages and informs – and also helps build a stronger connection with your target audience. In addition, AI is making voice searches (e.g. Alexa) much more effective. Voice searches tend to use more words than online searches e.g. ‘find me healthy snacks for pre-school children’ rather than just typing ‘healthy snacks’ into Google with no context. This aspect of AI will continue to grow in importance and become even more widely used.