It comes as no surprise that hundreds of thousands of small businesses in the U.S. have had to permanently close since the pandemic’s entrance. With revenue being especially difficult to generate today, enterprises have had to restrategize their marketing and sales directions in an effort to remain relevant.
While a few industries are harder hit than some, there’s no denying how the amplification of the digital space continues to help businesses keep afloat and stay profitable. Pivoting your business game plan to embrace the new normal may seem like a painful obligation, if not an impossible endeavour. But when you’re able to embrace technology and seamlessly integrate it into your business practices, maintaining a warranted presence in the market shouldn’t be as difficult as you think.
Here are 4 ways technology can help your startup survive coronavirus.
Put a premium in content creation.
The modern world has long relied on the internet to accomplish daily tasks, but never have we collectively been dependent on the digital space the way we are today. As the novel coronavirus has suspended multiple enterprises from meeting in person, the urgency to bank on remote conferencing tools has been more evident.
Additionally, a new study cites that social media engagements have spiked to 60%, while web browsing activities increased to 70% since governments around the globe implemented stay-at-home orders. As such, putting a premium in producing better content is a wise strategy. Whether it’s a creative TikTok video or short-form blog, numerous forms of content are easy to publish. Meet your market where they are. Social media tools are a dime in a dozen. Check out Buffer, TailWind, Hootsuite, and Planoly for social media management tools. Meanwhile, Canva, PicMonkey, Magisto, and DesignWizard are terrific editing tools you can turn to for content creation.
Improve your brand’s e-commerce efforts.
In recent months, the shift to e-commerce has been tremendous, with restaurants and cafes jumping to the bandwagon, as well. If anything, the convenience of being able to shop online has allowed several businesses to continue to function despite the looming dread of the pandemic. Although the concept of ecommerce has long been around, studies note that several entrepreneurs are still braving sales in the digital space anxiously and unsurely.
Investing in useful websites suited for ecommerce efforts is a fantastic way to go. Given how so many things are available for orders online now, only time can tell how soon you can capture an audience with the right marketing practices. If you haven’t already, make time to take stellar product shots of what you have to sell. Work on your copywriting and make sure your brand fits the ecommerce space just right. Numerous content management systems like Squarespace, Volusion, and Shopify are wonderful options to get started. Still, no-code powerhouses like bubble.io and Adalo are even better platforms to begin your business’ ecommerce journey. Google which platform works best for you in this context or speak to experts who can help you set up a captivating ecommerce website in minutes.
Streamline customer service responsibilities.
Your business hours, product availability, and updated policies should be all the clearer today. Make sure to update your websites and see to it that your social media accounts detail what products and services are available, how much your pricing has changed, if ever, and what third-party services your customers can count on for deliveries. The pandemic is confusing enough. You want everything about your business’ messaging to be understood on the get-go.
Furthermore, setting up chatbots at a time like this doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Moving the majority of your business to the ecommerce space can potentially generate a lot of traffic, so unless you have dedicated team members who are tasked to respond to emails and social media queries, it’s best that you consider resorting to customer service tools like Chatfuel, Intercom, Five9, and Avoxi. Streamline all communication efforts and instantly improve your customers’ brand experience.
Improve your customer service communication efforts.
If what you run is a service-based business, you’re going to want to turn to reliable remote business tools such as Zoom and Google Meet for video conferencing. Examples of when these tools come in handy don’t just include meetings with teams and colleagues, but also consultations for medical concerns, insurance issues, and remote workout sessions. Appointment scheduling apps such as Vagaro, HoneyBook, and Calendly are fantastic apps you can use for virtual meetings, as well.
Let technology work for you.
These days, it’s virtually impossible for a business to remain afloat without being online. From marketing efforts to actual sales, it’s critical that entrepreneurs step up their methods of availability. Despite the day-to-day hurdles the novel coronavirus continues to challenge us with, leveraging technology to reinvent your business and keep your doors open is warranted in today’s context. Familiarise as many online tools as you can and keep growing your network. Times may be hard, but they’re not impossible to brave when you’re equipped with the right gear.
Have startup ideas and web apps you’d like to build? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out!
