Lots of people are making the best of the lockdown: working from home, gardening, baking bread or learning a language, waiting for normality to return.
But if you are self-employed, running your own business, you’ll be wondering what “normal” is going to look like. Will you still have any customers when lockdown ends? How will you find new ones?
If your business depends on your online presence, now is the time to take an honest, critical look at whether your website is ready for the hoped-for economic rebound. Does it need a content refresh to attract the new business you’re going to need and to keep your current customers loyal?
Keep on blogging
Now could be the time to update web pages and add new content and one easy way to get started is to blog. When you can’t connect face-to-face with your customers or business contacts, blogging is a valuable channel of communication to remind the world you’re still going and let them know what you’re up to.
Written well, your blog can make your website stand out and establish your expertise. Use your blog to lure visitors to your site and reuse it on social media. Done well, your blog lets you:
- Build connections: Businesses aim to develop a deeper relationship with customers to keep them loyal and coming back. Being bold with your content, sharing your businesses story and allowing customers a unique insight will deepen that connection. If you’re going that extra mile for your community, let people know and share your challenges.
- Update customers: Let customers know how your business is running during lockdown and as we ease out of it, the services you are providing and the changes you are making. Keep in touch to keep people informed so they know how they can utilise your business.
- Show your expertise: Sharing information and know-how can help you stand out and establish your reputation as an expert, but lockdown provides an opportunity to take this further. Many people have taken to their websites to share videos of demonstrations to help customer in the absence of face to face support. Going further shows your commitment to your customers’ needs.
- Build customer confidence: Keeping your blog updated with regular content will build customers’ confidence that your business remains active and planning for the future. Let them know you’re up and running and ready to help.
- Improve SEO results: Keeping your website active with users is always important in improving your SEO results. Don’t lose ground now when people are turning to online content more than ever. Keep website content fresh to help with SEO
Seizing the opportunity of a big increase in internet users
My post, 10 good reasons you should be writing a business blog, covers why a blog is a great idea but in summary, blogs provide an opportunity to showcase your business as one that understands its customers’ needs and adapts in changing times.
According to a recent newspaper article, daytime broadband internet traffic has gone up by 90% since the lockdown started. That represents a huge opportunity to those businesses prepared to embrace it and engage with an expanding audience over the coming months.
Bill Blogs
Is your website not generating as many leads as you’d like, you’re struggling to find your blogging voice, or you simply don’t have the time to write your own content, then contact Bill at bill@billblogs.co.uk or ring 07981 269162.
