Keeping your business website going during lockdown
With shops shut and offices closed, your website is doing more of the heavy lifting than ever. Here are the practical changes to make right now so customers can still reach you, buy from you, or find out what you are open for.
Tom BarberIn the space of two weeks, your shop has shut, your office has gone home, and your website is doing more of the heavy lifting than it ever has. We have spent the last fortnight helping clients adapt theirs, and the pattern is the same across most sectors. Here are the practical changes to make this week.
Tell people what you are actually doing
The first thing people land on your site to find out right now is whether you are open, what you are open for, and how to reach you. Put that information at the very top of your homepage. A short, clear statement — "We are still trading online and shipping next-day" or "Our showroom is closed but our phones are answered" — is worth more than any marketing copy.
Update your Google My Business listing too. Mark yourself as temporarily closed, or update your hours, or use the new "Special Hours" field. Google reflects this in local search results almost immediately.
Make it easier to contact you
Phones are being answered less. Email enquiries are spiking. If your contact page still asks for a name, email, phone, and a long enquiry message, simplify it. Make the form work on mobile. Add a callback option. If you can, add a live chat tool — there are free tiers from Tawk, Crisp, and others that take an hour to set up.
Look at what you can move online
Some of this is obvious — a clothing retailer moving to e-commerce, a gym moving to streamed classes. Some of it less so. Consultations, demos, training sessions and even property viewings have all moved to video. If you have something you used to do in person, ask whether a Zoom or Teams version of it is good enough to keep customers warm until things reopen.
Be honest about delivery
Couriers are stretched. Suppliers are delayed. Customers know this — but they do not know how it affects you specifically. A clear note on product pages or in checkout about expected delivery times is worth more than a generic "delivery may be delayed" banner. Specifics build trust.
This is a difficult moment for almost everyone. If we can help with anything at short notice — an honest opinion, a quick fix, or just a sounding board — drop us a line. No charge for conversations.