With COVID-19 pandemic turning our way of life upside down, more and more shoppers are going online.

But if you’re a smaller business, it can feel impossible to make your mark online when faced with huge competitors like Amazon - and ranking on the first page of Google can be an hopeless goal if you don't have the time or money to invest in digital.

But the good news is, in the current climate, people are becoming more and more keen to move away from the bigger stores and support local businesses. So, exactly how do you make sure these customers can find you and can be persuaded to buy direct?

Invest In A Great Website

We often find that many businesses end up neglecting their websites or investing in one-size-fits-all ones that aren’t really fit for purpose, leading customers to quickly click away.

Your customers need to be able to buy or access your product online. Your site absolutely must be accessible on mobile (as more and more people are ditching computers to search), and it must be secure, feature online payment, and SEO or ‘Google’ friendly.

A Quality easy-to-use website doesn’t have to cost the world, but it can make the world of difference. First impressions and having a website that makes it easy to buy your product, is vital.

Tell Your Story

Brand is extremely important for businesses of all sizes, but as more and more people are moving away from the faceless big brands and flocking towards the authenticity of local businesses, building a brand so you can build a customer base and stand out from the crowd, is more important than ever.

Take some time to build or review your brand and make sure you share your story with your customers to help them to connect with your product or service.

To do this, write a great ‘about us’ page for your website, write blogs, post on social media, go along to local business events, share your origins and successes with the local press. It’ll all add to local and wider brand awareness, and crucially - word of mouth – a vital part of building up any small business.

Google Reviews

Google reviews can give your business an edge over others, essentially offering a free way for your business to be endorsed and stand out from competitors.

But Google Reviews don’t appear by magic! After delivering your fantastic product ask customers to pop online and give your business a boost - make it easy for them by including a link in your email receipts or e-newsletters.

It could be the difference between potential customers clicking on your site or skipping to your competitor's site.

Amazing Service

Let’s be honest, if you build it, they will come! The key to raising the profile of your business is delivering a high quality service and product. Delivering a great service, with great customer service will mean customers keep coming back, tell their friends, and help you to build a great reputation - which will lead to a happy, healthy, longstanding business. Having a seamless online browsing and buying process, is a key part of this.

Let Us Help!

Six Ticks specialise in supporting all types of businesses to get online by providing high-quality, SEO friendly and mobile optimised websites. We develop custom websites for businesses of all sizes, and also provide support to help you to boost your online and digital profile.

Contact us today with your query or for a no-strings-attached chat about your business.