The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting businesses everywhere. Even in places where stay-at-home orders and quarantine measures haven’t been implemented, people just aren’t going out. Nobody wants to go where there might be a crowd. This is making it hard for many businesses, particularly small and local businesses, to keep going. Fortunately, you aren’t out of options. If you’re a small, local business trying to keep alive during the Covid-19 outbreak, here are three things you can do to help boost sales.
1. Try Mobile Monkey
CDC guidelines suggest that you stay at least 6 feet away from people to avoid risking contamination. Fortunately, the internet lets you communicate people without getting anywhere near them. More people will be wanting to talk online than before, though, so you need to be prepared to handle the extra volume of traffic. That’s where a chatbot can help you.
Mobile Monkey is a chatting app that integrates with both your website and with Facebook. You’ve probably got a business email that you’ve been using, but surprisingly, chatbots like Mobile Monkey are 4 times as effective as email in getting responses from customers. You can program them to answer FAQs and direct customers visiting your Facebook or website to desired pages, offer discounts and deals, suggest products, and if need be connect them to customer service representatives for more direct communication. It’s faster than email and can direct your customers without them needing to speak to someone directly.
Incorporating Mobile Monkey as you post and advertise may give your business a boost in sales during the slow times, like the current outbreak. Properly implemented, they can help you come back stronger than ever before after things return to normal.
2. Get Customer Reviews
We’ve said before that online reviews are the word of mouth marketing of the internet age. It was true when we first said it and they’ve only become more important to online marketing since then. Currently, Google has turned off some of the features of its online review system in some areas of the country as a response to Covid-19, but unless your business is completely shut down, reviews are still hugely beneficial to you.
If your business is running a bit slow, consider calling up past customers and asking for reviews. You’d be surprised how willing customers are to give you a review if you ask – they only need a reminder. You can also use automation to send text message reminders. With automation apps like SoTellUs, we’ve seen increases in online reviews as high as 2-4 times the standard response. These online reviews will not only help you attract sales during the pandemic, but will keep you relevant. When the crisis ends, those reviews will boost your search results, making you turn up more often in Google. You’ll bounce back from the slow down much faster than before.
3. Get Creative
Social distancing doesn’t mean that we’re not buying anything. People still need and want things, they just want to avoid going out. That leaves you with options. If you have the capacity to offer digital products, you’ll see your sales increase. If you can manage delivery or pick-up, people can buy from you without needing to break the social distancing guidelines.
Those aren’t the only options. Youtube and Facebook have options for live videos that will let you engage with your customers better. Offer giveaways to people who get more involved. Digital coupons, promos, and discounts can help you get some quick cash. A 25% discount for the first 10 items purchased when customers buy in bulk will really get people interested. Sure, it cuts a bit of your profits, but sales at discounts are better than no sales at all. You can use Zoom to schedule follow-up meetings with existing clients, or employees to keep them informed of the situation without cramping them into a small office or meeting room. Have some extra TP? Offer free rolls as a giveaway!
Okay, that last one might be a joke (or it might not be!), but you get the idea. Look for clever solutions to let customers keep buying without breaking the health and safety guidelines. Your customers will be grateful for any way you can find to keep giving them the goods and services they love without risking their health.
Need Some Help?
The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event for this generation. While not as deadly as the Spanish Flu of the 1920s, this is the first time that our health care system has been tested in several generations and it’s created situations no one was prepared for. It can be hard to know what to do. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Atlas Internet Marketing prides itself on its ability to find clever and effective solutions using the internet and other digital methods. Best of all, we’re willing to offer you a free consultation.
We’ll help you brainstorm ideas for situations like this. For small and local businesses, we can offer you training on how to do everything we do, and we can help you implement and manage all of these processes. There are plenty of solutions out there and we’ll help you find them. With a little time investment, you can start making a positive change, not just for you, but for your community. Give us a call today!
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