Do you run a stationary business? You now have two options. Either you lie on the tracks and wait for the train, or you want to roll up your sleeves and survive. This article is for the latter. We will talk about the transformation of business from offline to online, but not only. Who has the chance? Who has already done it or is trying? And can it be done for free?
First a good word
First of all, it is worth realizing that March was dramatic only for a few industries, such as catering and hotel industry. Services also started to slow down considerably, but the first two weeks of the month allowed a slight amortization of the financial result for the whole month. However, there were a lot of industries in our online garden, which even soared up and pulled the overall picture hard enough to relatively even the results of all campaigns.
An online business, before it decides to limit or suspend expenses as a result of emotions, should first consider whether it makes sense. In many cases, irrational decisions can result in the forfeiture of earning opportunities. In other cases, there may be opportunities for savings. All this requires deep analysis and embedding it in the entire economic context. Before you make a decision, think over the topic twice and consult the topic with your agency or freelancer.
Offline to Online – who can’t
Undoubtedly, each business should be treated individually. For all companies that cannot move from the Internet for various reasons, we recommend that they create various bricks, vouchers and coupons that can be redeemed at a later time. For now, it is difficult to predict how the situation will unfold, but it is reasonable to assume that in the coming months, there will be less money on the market, and the will to spend them may be less. Therefore, if you are a hairdresser, photographer, selling accommodation or undertaking other activities that need to be postponed, then today start the form of sales “for later”. The later you do this, the less customers will be able to spend money.
In addition, if your business is standing, you can successfully use this time to strengthen your competences in the area of e.g. online advertising. Once the battle dust settles – and it settles down – then the competition will be really fierce. Therefore, it is worth taking care of the tools and additional competences that will pay off later.
Transformation from offline to online – who can
Fortunately, there are plenty of businesses on the market that can at least partially transfer to online. Here are some real-life examples:
A small store in the
construction category/house and garden.
This industry is currently doing very well on the
internet. If you don’t have an online
store, you can try your hand at online auctions with virtually no startup
costs. Of course, the competition is powerful there, but you can also use the
advertising system. These are internal ads that you only pay for when you
switch to your offer. It’s very fair and will allow you to download (with
proper design), caloric movement. Of course, online auctions will also charge a
commission and you should calculate your sales well, especially taking into
account the services that users like. People, taking advantage of the “opportunity”
went to small or large renovations in their homes. Thanks to the favorable
weather, they also decided to refresh their gardens. Everything – from flower
pots to tulip bulbs, is currently selling perfectly.
A small shop from the
industry category
There are plenty of stationary and
at the same time small industrial chemistry stores as well as individual pieces
of given products from heavier categories. Such stores
should use their supplier base as soon as possible and lead their activities to
the Internet. At Paraphrase-Online.com, we’ve seen
a huge increase in product searches and purchases such as glove dispensers, but
also power generators and portable freezers. Sale of even
several dozen such products will allow you to survive the most difficult time
of such small stores.
Gastronomy
Do you currently run a restaurant
without customers? Already a lot of such businesses have
quickly dealt with this by turning waiters into … drivers. If you do not want to use ready-made applications, you might as well
create a simple promotion and post sponsored on Facebook, which informs you
about the offer and encourages you to order take-out food. Believe
me – if customers like your kitchen, they will successfully use your offer with
delivery.
Courses
Like mushrooms after rain,
companies that have so far trained only offline have grown up on the Internet.
Many freelancers or service providers have joined this trend –
even as hairdressers or make-up artists. They can all
transfer their knowledge online. The success of this
sector is also reflected by the fact that everyone sitting at home is looking
for new ideas not only how to survive a difficult time, but also to get out of
the intensified situation. It is therefore a great moment
to raise your competences, the more that online courses are usually cheaper and
often available in the on demand formula, which is when we want to. The same applies to language schools.
From online to … online
It is not, however, that only offline businesses got a slap. There are online stores which, due to their product range, have also seen large declines. In this case, it is worth considering introducing new products that are just selling well and will be somehow related to our business.
Not everyone is eager to see this because of the laboriously built brand. After all, we are building a brand based on given products. Everything depends on how severe the situation is for a given business. Brand is important, but if you are wondering whether your business will survive at all, it may be time for – at least temporarily – the evolution of the product range.
You can find the full article on the topic here.
From detail to general
Above were the specifics. If, after reading the above, you still don’t know what to do next, general tips on how to respond to changes may help you. Remember that they should be treated randomly and only part of them may be justified in your situation.
A. Move from offline to online in various ways – choose the best promotion channel for you and do anything – training in your field, voucher, delivery on the phone or quickly set up an online store.
B. Analyze data – check what sells, capture trends, learn to sew masks if you have no other choice.
C. Copy other solutions that work. Instead of finding innovative and incredibly creative processes, you can use what already works. In the short term, it’s simply worth it.
D. Try to transfer your employees to online.
E. If they are at home anyway and work efficiency decreases, it is worth creating even a mini incentive program in promoting your company or selling products. They can just as well take care of your company’s image. If your employees are at home and cannot do much for the company and its clients, then you can involve them in creating content. They can create content for your blog or website, they can expand existing things, they can respond to opinions about the company in various channels, and they can also temporarily take over your various marketing channels like Facebook, so that your profiles remain active. Here a lot depends on creativity.
We hope that every business will survive this storm and return to the strengthened market. Good luck!
