Marketing often has plenty of hurdles to overcome for businesses, but in 2020 probably the biggest hurdle for ALL business is the covid19 pandemic. It is a tough time out there for a lot of businesses and an overwhelming feeling of frustration and concern is becoming apparent. It’s times like these that people often need some guidance and so we’ve decided to list out a few areas in which you as a business owner can look to improve your digital marketing, even in the toughest of times.
There is still lots of opportunity
Believe it or not, there is plenty of opportunity out there, even with things seemingly being awful for online marketing during covid. With all that is going on, businesses are changing their mindset and although some businesses are adapting to the changing times, other businesses are simply folding or pulling as many financial resources in as possible, meaning they are spending less on their marketing efforts.
This opens up the doors for businesses and people who are prepared to think slightly outside the box and to adapt with the times. Not all marketing channels will be relevant to all businesses, but while your competitors are putting up roadblocks and panicking, it opens up doors that may not have existed prior to now.
Google Ads are cheap – Really cheap!
This is a trend that started to happen when the first wave of covid hit Australia and has continued after regulations have tightened over the last few weeks. Paid advertising has become an extremely competitive space, but the pure strain on businesses marketing budgets has meant that a lot have either reduced their Google Ad spend or stopped it entirely.
Remember, with the current restrictions in place, a lot more people are spending a lot more time online, so this gives you a pretty good case for increasing your ad spend. Sure, take into consideration that there is a level of “survival mode” going on and people aren’t going to be throwing money away until things clear up, but why not take the opportunity to bring more traffic to your website for cheaper while you still can?
If you have a solid Google Ads strategy and spend the right amount of money during this period, it has the ability to become your most profitable avenue.
Ecommerce is the trend
Ecommerce websites are exploding during these times as the accessibility to physical stores is becoming more and more limited, so focusing some energy into ecommerce is becoming a MUST for some industries.
There are some businesses out there who just can’t go to ecommerce, it doesn’t suit their business model or doesn’t make sense to their potential customers, but for those who can utilise ecommerce, you should! With a large portion of people sitting at home and scrolling through the internet, it is more than likely that if you have a good product and can market it effectively, right now would be a good time to start an ecommerce business or start selling your products online.
Also think about what people want at this time, is there a way you can create a promotional campaign like “free shipping” or “30% all products” to help boost people’s interested during these times? If you are creative enough, there might be a flurry of ecommerce purchases coming your way.
Conversion time!
If things have quietened down for you, this could be a great time to be focusing on your websites conversion rate. Have you been neglecting your website or putting off that design update you’ve been meaning to invest in? Why not do it now?!
There are some things in business that get pushed back in our list of priorities and the user experience and updating of our website for better conversions is often at the top of the list. When you have so many other tasks to focus on day to day, it is difficult to justify investing in the time to make a website “look and feel” better. You need to ask yourself – “does an improved conversion rate matter to us when we get to the other side of this pandemic?”
The answer really should be:
Take this time to refine what your audience is looking for, assess the data and make some plans to optimise your website and improve how people will convert in the future. It could mean that post-covid your website is more functional and higher performing then it ever has been.
Give SEO a go!
Not doing Search Engine Optimisation? Here is an amazing time to upskill and give it a go. There are thousands of free and paid courses online explaining how to do SEO and there are also agencies who can help you out with implementation, but looking to improve your rankings now will actually pay huge dividends on the other side of things.
There are always things you can be doing with SEO that should be an avenue you look into during this period, but the main three are:
- On Page Optimisations
- Off Page Optimisation (backlinks and authority)
- Content
In Summary
The breakout of covid can be a frightening time for businesses and to be honest, some industries have been crippled and this is not the time to be thinking about marketing or anything digital related. For the businesses that can still operate and are looking for a solution to help them during this period, the above mentioned opportunities could be a great starting point.
It is going to take some grit and determination for businesses to succeed during this period, but those who think strategically and are prepared to spend digitally for a return will come out on top. If you need help with your digital marketing strategy, click here to get in touch.
