As local and federal governments continue to enforce social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, small businesses are at risk of losing customers. Reaching customers digitally is the best way to maintain customers during this time. With families staying home, how can you adapt your business to fit the needs of the self-quarantined?
Contacting Clients During Social Distancing
It is vital that you make it easy for clients and customers to contact you during business hours. With so many people working remotely, easy access via phone or online is a must. If you need to meet with clients, offer to do so via phone call or video chat. Services like Skype, Google Hangouts, Whatsapp, or Zoom allow for your business to connect with clients through video. FaceTime is Apple-only, but it is an option.
Check your business page’s Facebook Messenger and Instagram Messages. B to B companies should utilize LinkedIn to communicate with clients as needed. Customers may contact you there to see if you are open. Make sure that your Google My Business information is up to date, and is connected to your website. Ensure that the phone number that is correct, and accessible by you during business hours.
Deep Cleaning During Social Distancing
Maintaining a clean place of business is always important, but especially now. Have employees and managers maintain a clean place of work. Cleaning is important in helping prevent your customers and employees from catching coronavirus. Customers will appreciate walking into a clean environment, if they need to come out.
Educate Employees
Inform employees to keep work spaces clean, and to follow CDC and WHO standards regarding COVID-19. Discourage handshaking and other direct contact. Revisit your business operations to minimize external touchpoints. If any of your employees are feeling ill; tell them to go home, and stay home. If they can work remotely, instruct them to do so.
Remote Work During Coronavirus Outbreak
Services like GoToMyPC, RemotePC, and TeamViewer allow remote access to your office computers from the home. Find which of these services is right for your business, and you may be able to move office workers to a remote environment to accomplish their daily tasks during self-quarantine.
Take-Out and Delivery
New York City has received an executive order from Mayor De Blasio that all restaurants must switch to take-out and delivery services only. This order is meant to help reduce gatherings that may continue the spread of the coronavirus. The best way for your business to adapt to this is digitally.
Online ordering is an important tool to help consumers reach your business during social distancing measures. The easier it is for your clients to reach out to you, the better off you may be. Online ordering for pick up reduces wait-times for pick up orders, which helps reduce the risk of viral spread to your employees and other customers. Delivery persons should ensure that proper measures are taken to reduce spread of infection.
Retail and Social Distancing
While social distancing practices are not directly affecting retail stores, your business may feel some impact. With people trying to stay home, you may receive less customers throughout the day. It’s important to maintain a social media presence; to let repeat customers know that you’re still open.
Business to Business Services
With offices around the city closing their doors or temporarily moving to home offices, it is important for Business to Business companies to remain reachable. Offer customers video or phone conferencing in lieu of in-person meetings.
As conditions allow, BetterBizWorks will remain open to consult clients throughout this difficult time. Please contact us for any and all concerns regarding your online presence in the coming weeks.
BetterBizWorks, LLC Web Design and Internet Marketing is always here to help you with your web design and online marketing needs. We specialize in using these and other web design trends to help build your business a website that works. So contact us, or give us a call to discuss your online goals, at 212-904-0020.
