Adapting to Covid: Moving Online
(This post is part of a series of 4 key challenges facing small businesses in the pandemic. To get an introduction to adapting your business during covid-19, check out the directory post, or navigate directly to read about accessing capital, managing your resources, balancing work + home.)
So maybe you had to close down your physical location or maybe you’re considering it because you’re not getting enough foot traffic. Or, maybe you’re realizing you need to connect with more potential customers in a meaningful way. Whatever your reasoning, moving online can be intimidating, but if done correctly, it can take your small business to the next level.
In this section, we’ll get you started on developing your online store, social media marketing and data analytics.
Switching to online stores
Moving your store online can feel like a big shift and can seem especially unsettling if you’re not sure how to make the move. There are 3 ways to move your product/service online:
Pre-existing online marketplaces (i.e. third-party e-marketplaces)
Developing your own marketplace (i.e. your website)
Strategic partnerships (i.e. another company’s website)
When deciding which option is best for you, you’ll want to consider -
what is your reasoning for moving online + what are your goals
what resources you have available
how large your current customer base is + how well those customers will transfer online (i.e. how many of these customers are likely to engage with your online store and make online purchases)
any businesses you could partner with targeting the same demographic
These answers are important to have in order to make the best move.
If your main reason for moving online is to increase your reach then you might consider selling on a pre-existing marketplace or on the website of another company with the same target market as you but non-competing and ideally complementary products. The former will likely have a much larger built-in user base for you to tap; on the other hand, the right partner might provide a much more targeted user base for your product/service that may transfer better to online engagement/sales. Of course you can always do both if you have the resources.
If you know you already have a great customer base that you believe would transfer well to online engagement + sales, then you may benefit more from developing your own website, if you have the resources to do so (build + maintain the site). You could also combine this effort with the strategy above in order to drive more traffic to your new site.
It’s important to make informed decisions so consider these factors before choosing, but don’t deliberate to the point of inaction. This can be a quick assessment - what are your resources, what are your goals - then pick an avenue and get going.
Let’s check out some resources!
Pre-existing online marketplaces
There are at least a hundred e-marketplaces serving all different industries and showcasing all kinds of products/services. When choosing one, you’ll want to consider your industry and target market as well as more technical considerations such as comparing costs/fees of using different marketplaces and the different features offered.
Here are some popular platforms to consider:
Facebook Shops - this includes Instagram shops and is a great way to reach a large audience quickly across the Facebook-Instagram user-base.
Quick overview of how to set up a shop - Facebook resource
Step-by-step guide for setting up a shop - External resource
Etsy - popular with millennial women, largely focused on handmade, vintage, craft and generally unique items.
Quick overview of how to set up a shop - Etsy resource
Step-by-step guide for setting up a shop - External resource
Depop - popular with Gen Z - originally started as an online thrift store but has now expanded into a place where people can set up online stores for their own brands, whether it's clothing or anything else.
Quick overview of how to set up a shop - Depop resource
Step-by-step guide for setting up a shop - External resource
For a more comprehensive list of great e-marketplaces for 2021 - check out this resource
If your business provides a service rather than a product, research platforms that vet and/or advertise small businesses for particular services. Even if the best you can find is an e-marketplace for freelancers in your service area (e.g. Glamsquad for hairdressers), this may be a way in which you can obtain and transfer new clients to your business.
Developing your own marketplace
There are several great platforms out there for building your own ecommerce website. When choosing one, you should consider your level of technical ability, ease of the platform’s user interface, costs and website features. There are 3 website-builders in particular that are made to be accessible and do not require any coding skills.
Here are some popular platforms to consider:
Shopify - designed specifically as an e-commerce platform - primary function is to sell online, so by default will have advanced online shop capabilities, more expensive plans than WIX
Step-by-step guide for setting up an online store - Shopify resource
WIX - popular for its easy drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to build, has an online store feature
Quick overview of how to set up an online store - WIX resource
Additional WIX resource introducing you to the WIX online store
Squarespace - very easy to use, more limited than WIX capabilities, primarily designed for blogging but also has an online store feature
Quick overview of how to set up an online store - SqSpace resource
Step-by-step guide for setting up an online store - External resource
Again, you’ll want to do your own research, but these are some effective and established options. For a comprehensive breakdown comparing these three platforms, check out this resource.
For more website-builder platforms + comparisons - check out this resource
For hiring vetted freelancers to help you build your site - check out Upwork.com
Strategic partnerships
This is all about finding a business who a) has the same target market as you and b) sells a complementary and non-competing product or service to yours.
For example, a great partnership for a small business producing hairbrushes, could be with a local salon who may agree to carry your product or endorse it on their website with a ‘call-to-action’ to visit your website and purchase one.
Pictured: Example of a value exchange between journalist (insert your business), media company (insert partner business), product company (insert partner business) and reader (insert your consumer)
A partnership like this will only work if both parties are benefitting from the exchange - so make sure you partner with a business who shares your business values and those of your current customers and that you are reaching potential customers outside your current reach. You might even extend your target market through a partnership.
For example, your business might be face-painting for children’s birthday parties, but perhaps your capabilities could include costume makeup for adults too and advertising your service on an adult costume store’s website leading up to Halloween might help you expand your market reach. “Partnerships” like these don’t have to be permanent or long-term, they can be time-based and promotional in nature too.
Leveraging social media & data analytics
If you’re new to social media, it may take some time to get familiar with the different platforms and best practices for using them. There are many social media platforms out there, so you’ll need to decide which one(s) are best for you and your business.
If you already have the right social media accounts for you, you might want to read about how to improve your social media presence. Otherwise, please continue.
Here is a quick glance at the most popular social media platforms right now, what they’re best for and how you can use them:
Instagram - great for sharing images + direct sales + engagement
Great for most/all products and services
Make sales using Shops and tagging items in photos
Engage with customers via direct messenger and responding to comments
Pay to promote posts for a specific target audience
Share 24-hour content on your story - eg countdowns, polls etc.
Real-time video share with IG Live
Facebook - great for sharing news/blog posts + direct sales + engagement
Great for most/all products and services
Make sales using Shops and tagging items in photos
Engage with customers through your Facebook business page and responding to comments
TikTok - great for short fun videos
Videos that quickly showcase a product in a creative way
Best for targeting Gen Z
Twitter - great for sharing quick thoughts, articles, ideas
Very limited character length for posts - all about the short story
Best for targeting innovators/creators or those interested in those people
LinkedIn - great for sharing a call-to-action or announcements
Sharing advice, blog posts, opportunities
Sharing business milestones, changes in the business etc.
Best for targeting corporate / working individuals or other businesses
Pinterest - great for showcasing visuals in organized collections
Restaurants, fashion, art, interior/exterior design, travel, event-planning
YouTube - great for long + short videos
Products/services that would benefit from how-to tutorials
Videos of your production process
Now that you hopefully have an idea of what social media platform(s) you’d like to develop, you can get started using some great resources we’ve collected for you below:
Instagram
Facebook
Guide: Setting up a Business Account (Pt1) - create company page
Guide: Setting up a Business Account (Pt2) - connect business manager
TikTok
Twitter
LinkedIn
Guide: Setting up a Business Account - create company page
Pinterest
Youtube
Once you’ve got your socials all set up, you’ll want to develop your digital marketing strategy. You’ve chosen which platforms are best for your target market/consumer and the kind of content you’ll be sharing, but you need to curate and post your content strategically. Part of this will depend on the brand story and value proposition you need to get across and part of it will depend on how your community/potential customers respond to the content you put out.
Right now we are focusing on the latter and the easiest way to get that information is through data analytics. Luckily, many of these social media platforms have analytics built-in that you can access as a business-account user.
The kind of data you’ll have access to may include: posts with the most likes, button clicks, pageviews per/x time period etc. By analyzing this data, you will learn what kind of posts do better than other kinds, which will help you refine your marketing strategy. You will also learn more about who your active engagement is coming from and if that aligns with your target market.
Pictured: Example of a data analytics overview (Google Analytics dashboard)
In addition to monitoring social media analytics, you should consider linking analytics to your website that will tell you where most of your website traffic is coming from and how each of your pages is performing. A great analytics tool to use for this is Google Analytics.
Moving Online Key Takeaways…
Know why you’re moving online and use that to choose the best platform and online strategy for you
Decide between a pre-existing e-marketplace, developing your own or engaging in a strategic partnership
Different social media platforms are best for different types of content and have their own digital marketing strategies
Use data analytics on your online/digital platforms to understand your user base and create more targeted marketing
And remember, when moving online you are transferring your customer’s experience online too. So remind yourself constantly - what are you known for? What is your value-add? Why do your current customers love you in particular? And find a way to transfer that online.
This post is part of a series of 4 key challenges facing small businesses in the pandemic. To get an introduction to adapting your business during covid-19, check out the directory post, or navigate directly to read about accessing capital, managing your resources, balancing work + home.
If you think you’d benefit from more guidance or help on any of the issues covered, Launch Local is an organization running solely to help small businesses survive through the effects of the pandemic. Our free services range from website design to market research to digital marketing and SEO. And we would love to help you.
Sign up here or reach out to us via email at hello@launchlocal.org and we’ll help you on your way.
Still deciding if Launch Local is right for you? Learn more about our services here or read about how we helped a local apparel store in North Carolina and their feedback.
