How To Keep The Lights On

Staying connected with your customers is more important than ever – and it can be done cheaply and effectively

- Anthony O’Brien

With governments across the country doing their bit to help small businesses navigate Covid-19, staying commercially buoyant is not only about cash flow.

Research by online lender OnDeck shows that 75% of small to medium enterprise (SME) owners believe good communication is the top skill they need to succeed. This result also underlines the importance to SMEs of staying in touch with clients.

But before you start trumpeting away to your clients, Oliver Wade, head of marketing and partnerships at OnDeck, advises SMEs against sending out opportunistic selling messages.

“Pushing your products and services too hard in your communications is undesirable and can be a risk to your brand,” he says. “But staying in touch demonstrates you value the client relationship. If you can offer helpful tips in these challenging times, so much the better. A wine cellar can share advice on new labels. A finance broker can provide a blog on the pros and cons of a home loan holiday.”

In the current uncertain climate, consistent communication offers reassurance that your lights will still be on when the restrictions start to lift.

Spruce up your shopfront

A website, which is your digital shopfront, plays a vital role in keeping the lights on, says social media consultant Kate Mather, from Profile Digital Group.

And if the website is not up to scratch, it can hurt business. Studies show it takes no more than 50 milliseconds for users to form an opinion about your website. In a blink, browsers can determine whether they will stay on or leave your web page.