The financial impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak just keep coming. With the North Carolina phases of reopening being readjusted due to soaring COVID cases, many stores find themselves on the brink of closure. The likelihood of a second-wave of stay-at-home orders is looking highly probaBULL… if not inevitaBULL.

As a tight-knit community, we want to do everything we can to make sure as many Durham businesses survive this as possiBULL.

We interviewed Durhamites and asked what would move them to make purchases from local businesses. We asked them to explain some of the challenges they encounter when shopping comfortably in a pandemic and thus, how local stores can actually be the solution.

From the mouth of Durham to your ears, here’s what will bring your customers to shop.

Websites in 2020 

THE #1 REQUEST that we heard from customers was that stores need to have a website with easy online shopping. There is a high demand for seamless digital shopping. Is your platform easy to navigate? How many clicks does it take to get to the checkout screen? Are you offering convenient purchase options PayPal, Apple pay, or easy pay?

While several brick-and-mortar stores have reopened for business, many continue to make online purchases from the safety of our own homes. This means that your website needs to be current and pull up beautifully on a mobile layout. Here at The Bulls of Durham, 81% of our web traffic last week was from a mobile device. Having a mobile-friendly website is vital.

Product and service reviews are a must for branding and building trust. Positive product reviews can increase sales by up to 85%. Authentic reviews move consumers from mildly interested to “I’m sold”. Use a friendly thank you email after purchases to offer little discounts or freebies in exchange for a review.

A big part of surviving this is luring customers back to your store, every point of digital contact with a customer is vital. Reaching out via email, social media, text message, or heck even a good old fashion phone call is a great way to get reviews and get revenue in the door.

This is definitely a case of ask for what you need. As part of our strategy here at The Bulls of Durham, we collaborated with Hometown Apparel on Bull Love Mugs. We ran a 2.5-month joint-campaign to sell the mugs and part of that campaign was reaching out for reviews. I spent two days reaching out to top customers, emailing, and making requests on social media for positive reviews. We had a 144% increase in sales during those two days. 

Speaking of emails. Webchat is a guaranteed way to inbound emails and phone numbers while shoppers browse through your virtual store. Set that up and watch your email list grow daily. Plus, embracing a text platform allows less time on the phone and a safe way for customers to access you.

Want us to show up in-person? Use your online presence to tell us everything you’re currently doing to provide a socially-distanced experience. According to socialmediatoday.com, 67.7% of consumers say that at least half of their searches result in a visit to a local business. Even if you’re allowed to be open, curbside pick-up will win hearts because it shows that you are making efforts to adapt to your customer’s needs. 

The good news is that polishing up your site won’t cost much. Sure, it will take some time but providing a smooth user experience is worth it.

The Customer Experience

Unify your team. The professional behavior of your employees or lack thereof will directly impact the customer experience. 

Hold weekly virtual meetings and get your staff on the same page. 

Dedicate the time to make personal one on one contact with a client prior to appointments. It’s critical that you walk them through what a visit will look like and what is expected of them. Tell us how often you are sanitizing, how your regular procedures have changed.  Everyone is adapting daily. Not only will this help your customer feel comfortable but this allows them to plan their day out. 

Put up bold signage to display procedures throughout your store. This will encourage both customers and employees to follow social distance guidelines.

Touch Base

Money is tight for EVERYONE in this COVID crisis. The tone to take with customers is one of empathy and support. Communicate a message of gratitude to your community. Remind us what it means to depend on one another.  Small businesses are the backbone of this nation’s economy.  

How can your products and services specifically help your audience during this time?

This pandemic has created a new normal. Maybe it’s time to check-in and do another value proposition. Be candid about the value of your business and the importance of supporting your success. Help your customers understand why putting their money back into the community is a win-win.

Going back to our business’s example of asking for reviews. When we made individual requests, we led by asking how they were doing. In some cases, we asked only that and didn’t even get around to discuss 5-star reviews. That personal connection is why we have return customers and tremendously high engagement rates.

Checking on your customers individually may provide the biggest payout of all. You can personalize automation to an extent. However, the VIPs, who show up all the time, deserve individual attention.

Online Marketing

We are often asked, “Am I supposed to be on ALL the social media apps?”  And, the short answer is, “Stay where you are if you’re doing it well.” The quality of what you put out and the engagement that you receive is extremely important. Focus on hashtags, stunning Instagram photos, clever copy for captions, and creative videos for IGTV.

We teach a variety of digital marketing and content strategy workshops. We’re currently putting together something VERY special just for small business owners SPECIFICALLY for surviving COVID-19. If you’re interested, email info@thebullsofdurham with the subject line: tell me more about the digital marketing course.

Partner with other locals. Make merch together with other local shops. Think about joint giveaways with other local shops that offer complementary services. Collaborating in this way allows each of you to spotlight each other to a wider audience.  

Diversify

What we do know is that consumers are getting smarter every day. The Coronavirus is forcing thoughtful purchases and everyone is thinking twice about where to spend their dollars. People are choosing practicality and sustainability over luxury goods. New problems call for new solutions. Do you see a new opportunity to reinvent? 

What innovative products could you bring to the 2020 market? 

Is there a way that your store might provide or contribute to an in-home experience? 

Perhaps you might package your knowledge and share it with the world. We are starting to see business owners of all industries offering their expertise as a product.  Would you teach a course? Or put your knowledge into an ebook?  

Resources

A plethora of help is out there. Tap into the unBULLievable small bizzo resources that we’ve gathered below. Most are free or offering extended free-trial periods due to the need for true assistance in the time of the Coronavirus.

Pull up a seat to receive free legal advice at  https://www.rocketlawyer.com/coronavirus.rl#/

Ifundwomen is handing out COVID-19 relief grants and free coaching to small businesses led by women.

The US Chamber has free virtual workshops full of practical gems from industry experts. Dive into “a series of town halls and workshops to bring you tactical solutions for your most pressing business problems”

Podium provides a safe and quick text messaging service for conducting hands-off business communications.

Google is your mother and she’s here with Guidance for Businesses affected by Covid-19. 

This resource is a must-read because Google is the first place you will be sought out. Make sure you’re checking all of their boxes. 

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity has a bevy of resources from information to loans to grants specifically to help small and microbusinesses survive this. 

We are all in this together. Drop your website below and let us know what you’re doing differently to reassure your customer base.