“What next for my small business in a post-pandemic world?”
4 Steps You Can Take to Face the New World
The Covid pandemic has changed us all in material and mental ways. Many, including your loved ones, associates as well as customers, have gone through some form of mental health issues. It won’t be normalcy again in a hurry. There is a prevailing sense of apathy among many – languishing as the New York Times called it – a feeling of being unmotivated and uninvolved.
While the situation is far from over, the post-pandemic world will sooner or later dawn on us. What then? What happens to your small business? All back to normal as before? What can you do now to make it better for yourself?
Here are 4 simple ideas to help you move forward by taking action. Do any or all of them.
Action point 1: Get your business listed on Google
If you haven’t already, take some time to get your business listed on Google My Business. This is displayed on the sidebar of Google search results giving details about your business. For someone searching, your presence there can be timely and relevant. This is a free business listing.
Do a Google search for ‘free business listing on google’ and you’ll get the hang of it. It’s a simple and straightforward procedure.
Action point 2: Analyse competitors’ sites
Check out your competitors’ websites. What are they up to? What are they offering? You don’t have to think up everything on your own. You can get a good idea of what services are being offered, what’s being promoted, what are their prices and so on.
If you want to get serious about the numbers, there are paid software tools that can analyze a competitor’s website in seconds and spew out detailed information. There’s Ubersuggest and SEMrush among a host of others. Can be pricey though.
Action point 3: Improve your own website
Most people go to your website to check you out when they hear your name. We all do it. So take a fresh look at your site and make sure it looks clean and modern, has an effective user experience and is attractive. Clean up your homepage. Re-edit your services or offerings. A periodic site audit is a must, especially after you’ve learned what you can about your competitors.
What, you don’t have a website yet? You should! It’s difficult to think of any industry where a website is unnecessary. It’s the first place your potential customers head for to check you out. The impression your website makes has a good deal to do with your eventual sales. Get one built asap.
Action point 4: Do video
YouTube is everywhere covering every subject on the planet. If you can, get some “explainer videos” about your product or service (easy to make, not expensive) and promote them on YouTube. Once you upload them, you can link to them from your own website, so that your online customers can view them without leaving your site. There are many small ideas you can execute by way of simple videos that can be mightily useful to your customers.
Your videos need not be overly polished with lots of production value. They can be simply done – often with your camera phone and with your own (or your spouse’s) voice over. As long as your content is helpful and relevant, no one cares about a jazzy production style.
Use all or any of the above to get your business on the move. They are basic steps, nothing overly complicated. They will enable you to refocus on what’s really important and do something about it.
