Expanding Business 2020 before VS after Coronavirus outbreak

At the beginning of the year all these articles on how to expand your business in 2020, the new trends, the new how to’s were a great inspiration to as all.

Little did we know how things were about to change.

The business and economic environment took a major hit due to the pandemic outbreak. Objectives, strategies and even services had to change in order to face the new challenge. Most of activities moved online, from business meeting to shopping and everything in between. This is why having a comprehensive digital strategy has now become more important than ever.

 

Tips for maintaining and expanding your business online

1.      Website

It takes a few seconds for a visitor to decide if they want to explore a website further or bounce to the next one. Especially with so many options available online, it’s more important than ever to create a website that sparks interest and keeps visitors engaged. Web designers need to have a thorough understanding of their users and work towards the right balance between their experience and the website’s purpose.

Why is this important? We’ll let statistics talk for us:

• 48% of users indicate that the website’s design plays a major role in determining the credibility of a business;
• Responsive design has helped 62% of companies increase their sales;
• 94% of people say that bad design makes them not trust a business;
• 47% of users expect a site to load in maximum 2 seconds;
• Cutting down the loading speed from 8 to 2 seconds improves the conversion rate up to 74%

All in all, you have about 10 seconds to make a good impression on a visitor.

 

Here are some design trends and fundamental elements that can turn a website into a 24/7 sales tool:

• Include some type of video on your landing page. This provides a much more dynamic for the user, grabbing their attention and increasing time spent on the page.
• Creativity is much appreciated by users, regardless of their area of activity. Custom illustrations that provide a unique take on images set the scene for a stronger brand-customer relationship to be formed, the users ending up spending more time on your website and clicking through the content.
• Minimalism extends its popularity beyond furniture and fashion, gaining ground in the digital environment. A minimalistic approach to web design will direct your visitors to the indispensable and essential aspects of your business. This facilitates user navigation, offering a clean and to the point experience for your prospects.
• As mentioned in the statistics above, loading time is a decisive factor in how a website is perceived by users. Because it only takes a few seconds to create a first impression, it’s essential for your website to load fast.
• Your site needs to be mobile friendly considering over 50% of website traffic comes from mobile. Designing it with the mobile user in mind will improve conversion rates and increase traffic.

A professional website will bump you up in search engine ranks, increase traffic and improve overall conversion rates, which in turn increases sales. Now more than ever is crucial to have a functional and high-performing website as it becomes the epicenter of your business

 

2.      Copywriting

To be able to expand your business it is essential to have leads. Successful lead generation comes from crafting content that follows the customer journey as they move along the sales funnel. The first step is identifying the pain points, or the needs, to get people at the top of the funnel, followed by convincing them why your solution is best when they reach the middle of the funnel. At the conversion end, the content needs to be about reassuring for the final decision.

The efficiency of content that converts is based on how well your buyer persona is defined. Knowing and understanding thoroughly your target audience will help you create valuable and relevant content that sparks their interest and their intention to further convert.

Take into consideration your customer’s current concerns and address them in your content. This will show your audience you are also interested in them, creating a positive brand association.

There are several ways to frame your content and this a list of some of them:

• How to’s
• Case studies
• Opinion posts
• Company news
• Guides
• Interviews
• Newsletters

Regardless of the format, remember to adapt your message to the segment of the audience you want to reach, as different stages of the sales funnel are interested in different information.

Great content is supported by a comprehensive social media strategy, which follows next.

 

3.      Social Media

Social platforms are great for connecting you with your customers and reaching your target audience. With a broad variety of available options on how to spend your time online and limited time to do so, users tend to have a preferred channel. This is where understanding your buyer persona comes in handy once again. Find out where your target audience spends more time and how to adjust your content to generate engagement.

 

A few rules of thumb for boosting your engagement

• Don’t post only about your products. Use funny content every once in a while, to generate interaction in the comment section.
• Respond to comments ASAP. Especially these days when online communication is key.
• Use images, videos and gifs to capture attention and retain it.
• Keep a close eye on your DMs. Show you’re there for your customers.

All in all, happy customers are essential to expand your business. The current situation limits interaction with customers to the digital environment, so make sure you have a high-performing website, a tailored content strategy and an impeccable social media presence.