Navigating COVID-19: How to Reopen Better & Stronger

Did COVID-19 catch you flat-footed as a small business owner? Are you regretting the fact that you never got around to updating your website so it actually works FOR your business? Are you just now becoming painfully aware of the importance of your online presence? Do you wish you had better communication channels in place to keep your clients up to date?

If COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses in your small business brand, join the club. We’ve all learned a thing or two the hard way this year. But guess what? It’s not too late to reopen your business better and stronger than before. In fact, there has never been a better (or more important) time to build your brand the right way once and for all.

You may have missed the boat on shutting down smoothly while you were preoccupied with filling out your PPP Application, but you don’t have to miss the boat on reopening successfully. Make the most of this curveball of a year. That’s what small business owners do. We face our weaknesses, adapt where needed, and come out stronger on the other side.

Build Your Brand for a Post-COVID World

As small businesses across the country slowly reopen, one thing is for sure: your online presence has never been more important. COVID-19 has changed the way people engage with your small business forever. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It could be just the nudge you need to up your online game so that you’re set up to thrive in the post-COVID world. (Yes, there IS a post-COVID world, and we want you to be ready for it!). While building your brand can seem abstract, expensive, and even scary, it doesn’t have to be. With the right team and a straightforward plan, it is actually fun to see your small business brand come alive.

There are three boxes any small business needs to check to successfully build a brand:

• Logo: Do you have a strong logo design for your small business that visually unifies your brand? Do people know they’re in the right place as they navigate from your latest Facebook post, to your Facebook page, to your website to contact you? Or do they get lost along that trail because nothing is consistently branded and they think they’re in the wrong place? Your logo should be a powerful visual identifier for your small business that helps build your brand awareness no matter where people find you.
• Website: Once people find your website, does it have clear user journeys so the right people see the right information and know just where to click? Do you make it easy for people to reach out to you? Your website should be strategically organized, well-designed, user-friendly, informative, and mobile-friendly. A good website design clearly communicates who you are, how you help people, and how they can contact you.
• Marketing: It should be easy for people (and Google) to find your small business online. Are you making it easy for them, or would they never know you existed unless they drove by your office? Is Google able to quickly make sense of your website (i.e. indexing)? Do your keywords help Google rank your website high for relevant searches so people who are looking for you can find you? SEO, blog posts, and social media are just a few marketing tools to help grow your online presence on and off your website so people can easily find you.

We truly enjoy meeting small business owners where they are and helping them take their brands (and businesses) to the next level. No matter the state of your small business’ brand, we are here to help. Getting your online presence right has never been more critical for the long-term health of your small business. We have helped hundreds of small businesses along the way and we would love to be the ones to help you whip your brand into shape once and for all.

If you know you need help with your small business brand, but aren’t sure where to start, no worries! Start here with a free brand consultation with Sarah, our Co-Founder & Brand Strategist. She’ll assess your current brand status and see we help set you up to thrive in the post-COVID world.