As a business owner, it’s important to be prepared for any situation you may encounter.

Due to the quick onset of COVID-19, you may be feeling a little lost about how to handle your business’s needs during this time.

To guide you through what to do with your digital presence, we’ve listed a few tips you can consider using to keep your business relevant online:

Let Customers Know You’re Open

With many businesses closing or limiting their hours, one of the most important things to communicate to your customers is if your business is still open during this time.

If you’ve changed your hours of operation, make sure to update is across all platforms, including your website, social media channels, Google My Business (GMB) listing and anywhere else your business hours are listed.

You also need to make sure any directories you utilize are updated as well. A few popular directories include:

• Angie’s List
• Yelp
• Trip Advisor

If you work with a digital marketing agency, it’s vital that you contact them with any changes they need to make to your account. Your agency should be able to help with any of your online needs, including updating hours and creating posts to let consumers know you’re open for business.

Show Up Where Customers Are Looking

Digital marketing can provide a lot of opportunities for your business to reach people at the right place and at the right time.

Local search marketing is really the first step to getting your digital presence in front of consumers. Believe it or not, 46 percent of all Google searches are looking for local information, so it’s vital that you show up when people are searching for a business like yours.

Introducing paid search by keyword is also another great option! Consumers still need grocery stores, home services, lawn care, pharmacies and other various needs. This is your business’s opportunity to utilize keyword targeting with paid search to reach consumers.

Last, but not least, is geofencing. By using geofencing, you are able to target consumers based on their location. For example, you can target people who have visited your business, live in a specific area and much more.

Keep Your Customers Engaged

While staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic, internet usage and online searches have increased drastically. As a business owner, you have the opportunity to keep consumers entertained!

Social media is the first place you can start!  You should be posting at least once a week on your social media channels. Post ideas include sharing community resources, discussing fun at-home activities and business updates.

The next thing you can do is create a Google Post! When you utilize this Google tool, website searchers can easily see business updates you post. Google recently made a COVID-specific option for you to inform readers of any potential changes to your business regarding COVID-19.

Email marketing is a great way to reach a lot of your audience at once. Ninety-nine percent of consumers check their email every day, meaning this is a great engagement opportunity for your business.

Final Thoughts

Staying consistent with your marketing efforts is one of the first steps toward consumers finding your business online.

Even though situations occur that cause you to consider pausing your marketing, we suggest not making any quick decisions. Stopping your marketing can actually hurt your business in the long run.

Keeping your business relevant online is easy when you follow the tips we mentioned above!

If you have questions about your digital marketing or feel it’s time to improve your online presence, we’d love to help! Fill out this form to get in contact with one of our local consultants to get started.