Digital Is Defying The Recession. Are You Getting Your Share?

Three out of four business have increased their budget allocation in one particular area since Covid-19 struck. Can you guess what it is?

The answer is that some 75% of organisations have increased their spending on their digital presence.

When you think about it, that’s an incredible statistic at a time when the global economy is in a recession.

The last time we saw something of this magnitude was in 2007 when Apple launched what Time called “the most influential gadget of all time”, namely the iPhone. 

Time says Apple was “the first company to put a truly powerful computer in the pockets of millions”.

What the pandemic has done is to change how we use that computing power. The legal requirement for social distancing has forced people to buy, enquire, enrol and shop online. (And governments are flooding the system with money, so spending is up.)

Covid-19 has broken the psychological barriers that stopped people from online purchasing. In doing so, it has radically altered purchasing behaviour.

The shift was been so powerful that even rear-guard “resistors” have become “late adopters” to cope with lockdowns

Here’s The Opportunity

So more people are spending more online. Are you benefiting from this? Are your online enquiries or sales rising? Are site visits trending up?

Boylen has witnessed is that some companies are powering forward, while others have hardly moved.

If you are asking “Why aren’t our online sales/enquiries/conversions increasing?”, you are not alone.

And if you are among the traditional companies are scrambling to boost your digital presence, it’s not too late.

Five Things You Can Do

You are judged by the online experience you provide. A new website should be on your priority list if your current site is older than 3-4 years. Technology changes and customer expectations of a business’ digital presentation continues to grow.

Find the money or fall behind. One reason companies have been able to invest more funds in digital is because the other significant characteristic of 2020 is the flood of government money being used to stimulate the economy. Smart companies are using some of the government cash to make strategic investments. They may be ‘paying down’ debt but they are also ‘paying up’ digital.

Adopt modern booking methods (online forms, automated calendars, out of hours support, and automated messaging and responses).

Communicate on a regular basis with your clients, using emails, social media etc.

Be conservative but don’t be cheap. Spend your budget on what has been proven to work. This includes a your website, advertising and online marketing. Understand what generates revenue and build on that marketing solution.

If you are in a highly competitive market, get a proper audit done. This needs to have a human element. While we use automated tools to assess a website, they simply provide data for a digital marketing professional to work with.

Summary:

Don’t get left behind. The pandemic has changed consumer behaviour and organisations are adapting to this fundamental shift.