In recent months, we have all been focused on getting through the pandemic in a healthy and safe way. If you’re a small business owner, you’ve also been trying to survive and thrive, whether it’s creating or updating an e-commerce website, selling a new product that’s in demand, or offering delivery or pickup options to customers.
The pandemic has forever changed some of the ways we approach and market to customers. Are you up to date with this new economy or will you be left behind?
This week, I’m sharing some ways to improve website content to help you get from COVID-19 crisis mode to recovery mode, and beyond.
Here are 5 things to focus on to help improve your website content:
1. Remain empathetic.
Empathetic marketing is essential if you want to reach your customers in an authentic way.
According to this ongoing study, 76% of people have adopted new habits, behaviors, and routines during the COVID-19 pandemic. And of those surveyed, 89% said they plan to keep at least some of their new habits.
Put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Be kind and understand the emotional level your customer is on right now.
Whether you’re writing witty blogs to help people use your products or offering additional customer service support to answer questions quickly, provide valuable content and support that’s more relevant to your target audience.
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READ: “The Importance of Empathy-Based Marketing” on our website:
When I say the word “empathy,” what do you associate it with? Kindness towards a family member going through a difficult time? Support your partner when he has had a bad day? However, does a business-related example come to mind?
I guess a lot of people don’t associate “empathy” with buying or selling. Unfortunately, many brands don’t either!
But as we move forward from COVID-19, empathy-based marketing isn’t just the right thing to do, your customers now expect it.
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2. Review your SEO strategy.
It’s important to think of SEO as an ongoing opportunity, and as we come out of home confinement, it’s time to re-examine it. From the keywords you’re targeting to your metadata, are you reaching your potential customers in the most effective way?
It’s no surprise that organic searches for health-related keywords are on the rise. Also on the rise are online fitness classes like Daily Burn, a provider of video exercise classes. Data shows their traffic is up 310% as quarantined people look for ways to exercise at home.
To choose new keywords, think about the questions that people will ask you. For example:
- Do you offer contactless delivery?
- What time do you open?
- Is curbside pickup available?
We direct the SEO strategy of a client to virtual offers. Kim Mittelstadt of Blend Image & Style decided to close his in-store location due to the COVID-19 crisis and instead provide makeover services online. As a result, we added more keywords related to his virtual services, expanding the reach of his brand to a more global audience.
By using the right keywords in your site content, you can make your website unique and increase relevant traffic.
3. Update your photos.
As part of your empathetic marketing strategy, you should also do a sweep of your photos. If you’ve switched most of your services to virtual, for example, having a crowd of people in a conference won’t send the right message.
One of our clients, The Young Actors’ Theater Camp, which has offered in-person theater camps for young people for the past 19 years, had to quickly post a landing page outlining their virtual camp offerings this summer.
Similarly, if you originally changed your site copy to reflect virtual services and now go back to seeing customers in person, you may want to replace those photos with images that show you interacting with customers in your store, for example .
4. Dive into your data.
One of the best ways to get ideas for website improvement is to find out what your visitors like and don’t like by taking a close look at your data. By looking at Google Analytics, you can see how visitor behavior influences your statistics.
You’ll be able to see things like how much time people spend on your site overall plus on particular pages, where your traffic is coming from (say, a Facebook referral or someone typing in a keyword you rank for), and what content is the most popular. (and less) popular.
Hiring a boutique marketing agency is an ideal form of personalized attention, as well as gaining the deepest insights from your data, allowing you to better serve your customers.
5. Educate your audience.
One of the best ways to improve your business website is to give people timely answers to their questions. And I’m not just referring to your marketing materials like your blog or sales pages.
Having a dedicated FAQ page that provides people with the answers they are looking for is a good idea.
For example, WorkSafeBC has created a detailed resource that supports workers and employers who have questions and concerns about returning to the workplace after self-isolation.
Remember, it’s not just about getting back to business as usual, especially as we venture into local restaurants, pubs, lounges, and retail stores. People are going to be concerned about your health and safety, and the more you can reassure them, the more successful you will be.
Like anything, proper planning as we emerge from the pandemic is critical to the success of your business.
Communicate often and honestly with your customers, look for ways to continually improve your website content, and be sure to use empathy-based marketing.
I hope you will implement these strategies as soon as possible to better position your business as we emerge from this crisis. This is your chance to move forward as a successful small business owner, and these website improvement ideas can definitely help.