7 Recommendations for Success in this Post-Pandemic New Normal – Part 1

March 2020 caught us all by surprise. I don’t think anyone expected the impact it would have on all aspects of our lives. Who could have anticipated the shutting down of entire business sectors, economic uncertainty, and record unemployment?

For many small business owners, the future is still uncertain. Different industries have been affected differently. But now that we’re almost a full year into the pandemic, the road is clearer. And with Johnson & Johnson releasing the third vaccine that will be actively being distributed as soon as early March, the end is close in sight.

So… the big questions are:

• What will your business be doing to get back on track?
• What will the new normal look like and how can you respond?
• What are the ideal steps (in the next 90 days) you can take to set your business up for success?

My team and I have pooled our thinking and here are recommendations we have for your next 90 days to get (and keep) your business on track for success.

Recommendation 1 – Review Your Marketing Plan

 The first thing you must do is review your marketing plan. When the pandemic hit, many businesses hit the pause button. They stopped all marketing spend – deer in the headlights. That may have been the right first move, but that isn’t a long-term strategy you can maintain.

I don’t recommend creating a cast in stone long-term plan just yet. Too many things are still in flux. I do suggest creating new short-term plans based on what we do know that takes the current climate into consideration. You can begin developing long-term plans slowly as the we get more information and circumstances evolve. With the COVID case spike in December and January, we’re definitely not in the “after the pandemic” yet.  It is, however, getting closer.

Recommendation 2 – Evaluate Your SEO

When the pandemic started, no one was thinking, “Let me drastically rethink SEO.” That was NOT the time people were thinking to change their website and online ads. Now is the time to revisit that and start planning.

If there are changes in the way you do business, you need to incorporate those changes into your Google Ads. I’m sure these changes should also be incorporated into your website. For example, if you’re offering Zoom consultations, curbside pickup or new options you didn’t offer before all this started, you can now use those to your advantage. Make sure and make those changes now while the pandemic is still top-of-mind with your customers. Believe it or not, in the near future, people won’t be thinking about this as much.

At the same time, explore using negative search terms — keywords that might bring you useless traffic. For example, if people are Googling “athletic shoes curbside pickup” and you don’t offer that, list “curbside pickup” as a negative search term. That will keep useless traffic away.

I also recommend getting in the habit of reviewing your traffic closely. What are the search terms that get your visitors to you? Update your search terms as needed. If you added a service or found that a term you used to use has become more or less relevant, now is the time to act and refine your traffic.

Check out part 2 of this article where I’ll continue with another five recommendations for your business.