We all had big hopes for 2020. It was a start of a new decade and after all, it was the year on every vision; remember, when everything said ‘in 2020’? It’s also the year where the first two digits match the second two digits, which happens only once in a century.
If you are a small business owner, you probably had high hopes and all the right strategic plans in place for this year. Not only did the pandemic make all those plans instantly obsolete, but also pushed back many businesses to ground zero. Eight months into the pandemic, everyone is left with so much pain, financially, emotionally and physically.
So how can we ever recover from this, is a question you need to ask yourself? What most small business owners don’t realize is, you haven’t lost your customers, they have just changed the way they buy and what they buy.
Your sales landscape needs to change
The world was slowly shifting towards social selling and online marketing. The pandemic has accelerated the shift, shaking the markets and dropping those who do not embrace the change. Even if you are just a hot dog stand on top of the road, you still need a digital presence because people are going to look you up on the Internet, see what you have to offer and read what other people have said about your food.
Sheer necessity of transformation
Social media platforms play a huge role in consumer buying behavior. A recent research by Price Waterhouse Cooper revealed that social media influenced 78% of consumers in some way when purchasing, while nearly half said that reviews, comments and feedback on social media influenced their buying behavior.
Online presence
Businesses of every size need an online presence. People turn to the Internet to find everything and if you are not on it, you don’t stand a chance in the game. If you are really good at what you do, word of mouth will keep you alive for a while. But if people can’t validate what they hear about you by reading about it online, those leads won’t convert to sales.
So what do you have to do?
Market your existence (website, social media, ads)
Build a good mobile friendly website, create a Google listing, have a social presence by posting actively on social media, blog often and run targeted ads
Build you credibility (reviews, groups)
Invite your customers to share their views about your product, be authentic and transparent. Second, listen to customers, prospects and fans and engage with them. Lastly, respond to any questions you get in a timely manner. You could also use brand ambassadors to speak for your product or service.
Remarket - Remind your customers (emails, text, social media)
There is so much noise in the market; you have to keep reminding your customers about your business and the benefits it offer. Sending customized emails, text and direct messages on social media are great ways of remarketing.
Give an incentive to buy
Sometimes, customers need a push to make that final decision. Sometimes, they have the intension to purchase, but is just distracted. A discount or an offer will help to make a quick turnaround.
A website is an investment
Most small businesses put off building a website or creating a social media strategy simply because of the cost involved. But once you have a good website and strong social media presence, you will realize that it was never a cost, but an investment. Not only will they increase your sales, but will also bring down the cost of sales because they make sales for you around the clock, with no blackout dates.
This pandemic made digitalization more a necessity than a choice. Have you started your transformation yet?
The Redberries design and develop user friendly, beautiful and mobile optimized websites at prices that small businesses can afford. Get in touch with us today to see how we can take your business online.