10 Tips and Tricks to Stay In-touch with Customers During COVID-19

Businesses around the world, both small and large are struggling as COVID-19 has without a doubt turned our world upside down. It is safe to say that we have all faced loss, rather its because of sickness, death of a loved one, having to close your companies doors for an extended period of time, or even simply having to overcome the loss of time we once had as many of us are now faced with having to homeschool our children while maintaining trying to keep our businesses afloat.

No matter what your situation is, we want you to understand that you are not alone. We feel your pain and we want to be a source of encouragement for you as you continue to preserve with your entrepreneur dreams while on this detour life has thrown us all.

In turn, we decided to provide you with some tips and tricks to help you stay relevant with your customers and the community during this time.

1. Send e-mail updates

Let’s face it, we all have a little more time on our hands these days. Because of this we want to encourage you to seize the moment and educate your customers. Tell them more about your organization. Why did you start your business? What made you want to sell the product and/or service that you offer? Most importantly, why do they need this? Provide them with research, knowledge and insight to who your organization is. Maybe even toss in a sale or promotional discount. Your customers may not be at a financial place where they can make a purchase, but they will take the knowledge in and feel as though they are developing a relationship with you. This will translate to futuristic business.

2. Make Phone Calls

Do you have certain repeat customers that you rely on to keep your business afloat? Now is not the time to hassle these individuals to buy, instead we want to encourage you to approach them as a friend. Reach out to them and check to see how they are doing. The idea with this is to show them you care about them, not just their business.

3. Post to social media

There is a good chance that your business has at least one social media account that you regularly post to. Now is the perfect time to connect with your customers by posting on social media. We want to encourage you to use hashtags for visibility, comment on customers posts and keep the community engaged with your organization. Don’t be afraid to showcase your personality. Now is the time to let it shine!

4. Send notes with online or delivery orders.

Right now, so many organizations are offering delivery services. So, how can you seize this pandemic moment and take your delivery service to the next level? I’m glad you asked. Consider including a handwritten note with every delivery. It doesn’t have to be on fancy stationary, the bottom of their receipt is fine. Simply letting your customer know that you appreciate them and that they make a difference in your business will not only make them feel good, but I can guarantee that they will also continue to show your business love.

5. Publish Blog Posts.

Did you know that blogging is an important aspect of search engine optimization? It’s true! What we mean is that if you update your website with blog posts that focus on keywords you want to rank for you will drive traffic to your website. These posts can detail information about your organization, provide education for your customers, show research backing your products/services, or simply discuss how you are handling COVID-19 in your business and what you are doing to stay afloat.

6. Add live chat to your website.

There are many ways to add live chat to your website. There are a few ways chatbots work, you can set one up that is active only when you are online so you to be able to answer customer questions in real time. The other option is an automation chatbot that allows you to preprogram common questions and answers that your business received. How neat is that?

7. Respond to online reviews.

As much as we hate to admit it, we understand that following up with every online review can be tedious. It’s not that we don’t want to reply, it’s simply that we don’t prioritize the time to do so. With that said, you currently have no excuse. Go into your reviews, both good and bad, and reply to the customer. They will be notified that you replied and this could strengthen customer retention in the process.

8. Host virtual events.

This suggestion may not be for everyone, BUT it has the potential to make a huge impact. The goal of virtual events should be to get the community talking. We have seen clients host virtual tastings of their products, online concerts and even daily devotionals. We want to encourage you to let your personality shine and show the community who you are and how they can work with you.

9. Work with influencers.

If your goal is to communicate with individuals on a wide basis, consider influencer marketing. Working with an influencer to promote your business, product or service allows your reach to grow on a huge scale. Our suggestion is that you find influencers in your niche of relative service.

10. Update your Google Listing.

Google is one of the first places people go when looking for looking for a business or service. When you take the time to update your Google My Business listing you are making sure that your customers have all the information that they need about you at their fingertips. There are so many ways to optimize Google My Business in order to showcase your products or services, provide photos, include events, and reviews.

We want to encourage you to give as much information as possible to your clients through your Google My Business so that clients will have everything they need to know about your business at their fingertips.

At iStart, we feel that the most powerful thing you can do for your organization in times of trouble is to focus on your customer relationships and taking over the internet by storm as you update your website, work with influences, blog, and respond to reviews. This is your opportunity to show the world why you deserve to still be standing tall when this is all over. We believe in your capabilities, and we look forward to watching your business thrive.

If you are looking for more direction and help, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We strive to help companies just like yours through our Business Consulting services. Let us know how we can help you connect with new and existing customers.