These are unprecedented times and everything we thought was normal is now being rapidly re-defined. It’s a time to adapt, appreciate & embrace what is on offer in all directions of life as humanity tries to find its way through this global plague that has affected lives at all levels. The threat of a global recession is a very real and palpable threat to the way we are going to live going forward into this decade.
Over the last few weeks the closure and slowing down of businesses everywhere, including ours, has given us the opportunity to take stock, consolidate and redefine priorities. A time to understand our team, staff, brand and ourselves on a deeper level, bringing consistency in connection, digitally, through regular Zoom meetings & virtual training etc. Remote working it’s something that we are very much used to, but of course we miss the face-to-face interactions and meetings with our clients. Nothing beats physical connection at the end of the day, but one must adapt and learn to thrive in the digital world during these times and beyond.
Digital online behaviour has now seen a massive shift and this is a global phenomenon. In this many businesses are going to lose customers and business unless they become adept at adapting. Whilst some businesses might hunker down and adopt the ‘wait and watch approach’ now is truly not the time to sit on the sidelines.
Those who front foot this and are able to invest more in revamping their technology or their digital strategy are the ones who will be able to successfully ride this wave- this wave of uncertainty.
It’s about being ready to meet the future and start to live it now – especially when people’s confidence and ability to buy new products/services come back into the swing of things.
Currently one of the biggest malleable resources we have is Digital: Software, Technology like AI, ML, AR & VR etc and we are responsible for how we use this to serve humanity in all areas of life and not just for self gain.
Challenging times are an opportunity- and this is what we have here going forward as the world is being reset on many levels. Either you are a part of this global movement or you are not.
Businesses – especially small businesses – across the world, that rely on in-person activities to thrive, have had to upend their normal marketing strategies just to be able to survive. It’s also important to understand that your consumers still need you and the more you stay relevant as a brand/service/product by continuing to be seen via virtual advertising/social media/digital marketing the more you will gain loyalty and salience from consumers- because if you don’t your competitor(s) surely will.
This is uncharted territory and the only thing that will help anyone survive is flexibility when it’s not ‘business as usual’ anymore.
This is the time to-
EXPAND YOUR MARKET-
If your existing clientele is not currently able to make use of your products or services, one can think of offering services that are different from the regular to help keep your customers engaged and your business afloat during this period. Consider strategic tie up with other brands. Community is important at this time.
For example, although many dine-in restaurants/food shops are offering online services and click and collect, most brick and mortar businesses need something more personal.
If you have a business model that involves people coming in to interact with you, one of the ways to do the same online is by Creating a Google Form (link this to- https://www.elixirholisticconsultancy.com/services/digitalstrategy.html ) on your website where one can actually ask the same questions that you would ask when a customer walks in.
Another way is to offer a Facetime Browsing option where (if you have a toy shop/children’s shop for example) you can walk the kids at home through your shop and let them select what they or their parents would like, to keep them busy during ‘lockdown’- and then offer curbside pickups or deliveries in and around the neighbourhood. Many fitness studios and physical fitness instructors have now gone virtual via Instagram, Youtube and Zoom (link these to https://www.elixirholisticconsultancy.com/services/videocontent.html ) and these are great ways to expand one’s market and also online brand visibility– SEO (link these to https://www.elixirholisticconsultancy.com/services/seo.html )
STAY CONNECTED-
Even though some businesses would have lost their customer base, this is a great opportunity to build your digital strength and stay connected to them as you will need them coming back to you once they can. It’s about being remembered the most during adversity. How a brand reacts or responds and what does it bring through, in terms of creative ideas/tapping into what it’s customers and target audience want or need at this time.
As we move further into a more confusing, isolated and restricted state our digital tools, strategy and resources become even more pivotal to not only access key information, work and shopping tasks/errands but also as possible sanity keepers if we choose wisely.
- Email marketing strategy + Content Marketing strategy are great ways to stay relevant and staying in the hearts and minds of your customers. Creating high quality content is something you can do by yourself, on your own schedule. You can send it to your email list and post it on social, keeping your customers engaged during social distancing. But it will also serve you in the long run, especially if you keep SEO in mind.
- Update your website. It’s a great time to deepen your brand awareness and connection with the outside world, as well as making your online brand experience more user friendly. How is your page speed for example? Considering that there are people out there who have more time to look at your website- how does it load on mobile or desktop? Page Speed is a critical Google factor and one of the biggest reasons as to why people leave your site. Slow websites (both mobile and desktop ) cause your visitors to leave and stop your website ranking in search engines. This is a great time to boost your website and remove any lags. Yes your customers and target audience has more time on their hands but they may have a lower attention span. There are many brands, including your competitors, that are competing for people’s time and attention right now.
You can test your page speed using Google’s PageSpeed Insights without leaving your browser.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-EzIQ2jIxy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
- Online Reputation: Now is the time to build your brand’s online reputation- a reputation that can stand the test of times- especially during challenging ones, like the present.
https://www.elixirholisticconsultancy.com/services/online-reputation-management-london.html
How are you being seen on Google? Where are you ranking vis a vis your business on the world’s most popular search engine platform?
- Ecommerce + Data Analytics: This is the time to Optimise your E-commerce business. Retaining Customers, Building Trust, Becoming Agile with your shopping cart and customer pathway, looking at areas of your E-commerce site that takes time and money but does not optimise on your returns, and intelligently approaching data are ways to stay connected and stay competitive in a market that has now rapidly shifted. Through the use of Funnels & Automation, we can free up your time to do more with your business. Developing exceptional online customer services without sacrificing on your brand’s values is a process we can support you with.
https://www.elixirholisticconsultancy.com/services/data-analytics.html
TECHNOLOGY VERSUS THE COST CURVE- Invest now in your Business’s Future
What foundations can we deepen today to blunt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and steer the future in a more stable and sustainable direction?
In a globalised hyper connected world where over a billion people subsist in less than a dollar a day, one of the ways to build stronger economies is to ensure that we do everything we can to make our businesses work, to expand our reach, to get our products and services reach out to a wider audience beyond just our neighbourhoods or cities or countries, and thus generate more livelihoods, more wages/salaries which in turn will have a positive impact on humanity where the earning potential for each and everyone actually increases. Staying open – and responsive – to whatever needs to be done is a key aspect here
While business is slow, you can use the time to figure out what you can streamline for when your business is back in action. For starters, identify what processes you can identify and streamline. If you’re not sure where to start, these are a few kinds of tasks that can be looked into:-
- Understanding now more than ever what kind of customer your business is selling to online and what more can you offer in this new redefined scenario.
- How to understand if your homepage/landing page is actually being seen by the customers that your business needs? Are new customers being introduced to this?
- Understanding how Google Ads/Facebook ads work and how campaigns can specifically target your ideal customers to help impact your revenue stream.
- Which marketing automation tools/features can actually get you online sales- and are not just hype.
- Ecommerce strategy that makes your brand ethically stand out and developing high lifetime customer value/ digital brand loyalty that help you gain future clients.
- Do you have Google Analytics & or Google Adwords setup for your business & do you understand how it works?
- Building Authority, Expertise and Trustworthiness. This covers a lot of parameters- high quality content, backlink authority, and security, author authenticity and internal linking strategy.
- Managing Online Reviews
- Conduct website audits to know your business strengths and weaknesses: these audits also tell you where you rank in terms of the competition. Do you have website errors? Does your website take time to load? What is your Google authority; what is your page speed; what part of your website needs work etc?
(FYI: As an offer to support businesses- we are offering all of the above services at 50% of the usual fee)
Bringing clients to your business is what we do best!
Since we started we have consciously challenged the status quo in the digital services industry and the cost of our services is reflective of the quality of our experience, work and integrity and in these hard times we have also been adapting just like everyone else.
To us here at Elixir that alignment where we are part of the process in driving great outcomes for societies, communities and countries everywhere is what matters. It’s at the core of our existence and our sense of purpose and mission.
As business owners watch their businesses and the economy under threat, companies need to consider that it is prurient to invest more in strategy, R&D and on digital/technology during such times. Knowing that the market will eventually rise up and those who have innovative and up-to-speed digital marketing tools will drive the future demand, where it’s all about values and ethos.
‘True connection for us is building the sort of long-term relationships with our clients that bring about productivity with a purpose and commercial success’– Chetan Jha (Co-Founder Elixir Holistic Consulting- UK)
Our brand founder and author of this blog Chetan Jha is leading not just change but also innovation across the board through best practises that echo compassion understanding and reflection. To know more, email us: [email protected]