When hard times hit you’re going to see a drop in the number of people on your site and in the number of purchases made on your store. People are going to be afraid to spend money and make any purchases that they could deem unnecessary.

Your customers might not have the finances to make large purchases or they could be concerned about where the products they’re buying are coming from. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not surprising that customers would worry about who’s handling their packages.

All of this might make you lose hope and be fearful of what the future is going to bring for your business.

But there are a lot of things you can do to help your business stay afloat during times of hardship and difficulty.

Here are a few ways in which you can change your approach to business and tackle these hard times head-on.

Don’t lose hope in your business

Whatever you do, don’t lose hope in the business you’ve built up over the years. You’ve survived in the online market for this long and you’re not about to give up now.

As soon as you decide it’s all over – it really will be. This isn’t time to roll over and play dead, it’s time to stand up and do everything you can to stay on top of things.

Keeping a calm, cool attitude towards your business will not only make your employees feel more comfortable, but it’ll also make your customers feel safe buying from you. If your customers see you doing business as normal then they’re going to feel safer buying from your shop.

If you’re losing customers and it’s because of a sudden shift in the economy then it’s going to be a shock to the system. However, this doesn’t mean you have to stop marketing to your customers.

The more you back yourself into a corner, the worse your situation is going to get.

There are lots of ways you can keep your audience engaged in what you have to offer, even in rough times like these.

• Post engaging content on your social media accounts to connect with the online customers
• Offer free shipping on purchases within Ireland to encourage customers to buy what they need from your shop as soon as possible
• Update your website to make sure it’s user-friendly and can be easily accessed by your customers
• Send vouchers and discounts around to customers who signed up for email marketing or subscribed to you on social media
• Post competitions and giveaways on social media to encourage people to check out your site but to also create a positive online environment for your customers

Having a good attitude goes a long way

Always stay positive! We know, that’s easier said than done and when things look bleak, it’s difficult to see the silver lining.

We know it might be a bit hard to stay happy and on top of your emotions in times of stress and hardship but it’s the only way to get things done.

Try to not spend too much time reading all the horrific newspaper headlines and don’t listen to the news every hour of the day. Filling your head with constant updates about the current situation of the world will only make you overthink your situation and make you feel helpless.

You’re not helpless and neither is your business – you’ve got this!

Stay social and keep your customers up to date

Staying social isn’t just good for your business it’s also good for your personal wellbeing. If you run your company’s social media accounts then interacting with customers will help give you a sense of normality.

You can talk to your customers by answering any comments, questions, or concerns they have about your products. They might be wondering if you’re still shipping out orders or if you’re going to have certain products in stock.

Keeping your customers aware of what you’re doing with your business will make them feel more relaxed and give them a break from the melancholy of the world outside.

Because of this, they’re more likely to continue to make purchases with you if they see that you’re still active online.

Being active online will also keep your business in your customer’s minds – if they do need something they’ll know they can go straight to you to get it.

How should you market online during a crisis?

It’s a lot easier to keep current customers coming back for more than it is recruiting new customers – cheaper too.

This is why you have to target your marketing towards those who’ve already made purchases with you.

Send them out personalized discount codes or suggest items to them that are similar to the ones they’ve bought in the past.

Don’t reduce your prices, build your product’s value

If the economy is going through a rough time then the logical thing to do would be to reduce your prices, right? NO!

People may not have a lot of money right now or they might be out of work, but this doesn’t mean you should reduce the price of your products.

I know it sounds a bit crazy but instead of reducing the price of your product, you could increase the value of what you’re selling.

How do you do this? By showing your audience how your products are the best in your industry.

Show your customers what your USP (unique selling point) is and why they need your product in their lives.

You can convince them by highlighting testimonials on your social media and website or by showing off all the benefits your product can bring to them.

We hope these tips have helped you during this time of hardship. If you have any questions or need some more help figuring out how to survive these difficult times, get in touch with us and we can see how your current digital strategy is working for you.

Give us a call on 051-325567 or send us an email at info@irelandwebsitedesign.com.