Clearly, it’s an extremely challenging time for a KBB retailer- just like all of retail and many other businesses too. Consumers never act as a herd- so whilst many are self-isolating or unwilling to travel, some will be looking for deals online. Some unfortunately will be facing unemployment and cutting spending, but some will be in very secure jobs and won’t be put off from buying if the offering is right.
KBB retail need not grind to halt; a record number of people are working from home, spending more time at home, and therefore spending more time on computers and devices. For many they’ll use this time to research and plan home improvements- especially as they know they are unlikely to be spending much on travel and recreation in the coming months.
Filling the top of the sales funnel as best you can, will help your business recover faster- as life normalises you will have a good prospect book.
It’s pretty obvious fewer people will be going to shops to buy glossy magazines or picking up the free ones at the moment. Where you can, repurpose your advertising budget towards the digital channels people are engaging at when at home such as Google Ads, Pinterest and Houzz. (Spoiler alert- yes, Lead Wolf are experts in this, but I hope we are not being biased in this advice)
Your business may be able to adapt faster than bigger businesses like Wren or B&Q, remember It’s not how big the pie is, it’s how big your slice is.
Adapt you working methods so you can work with clients remotely. Use Microsoft Teams to video call clients and share your desktop with them so they can see your design work. Make the service personal in this way by live designing where you can… advertise this service on your website.
Your website has never been more important to your business performance; if people can’t come in to your showroom, they are judging you purely on your digital presence- if you’ve got a better showroom than your competitors but a worse website, you’re going to struggle. If you know yours is lacking, talk to us now, we can sort for you in as little as 10 days from £250 a month, with no set up fee during the pandemic.
Figure out how you can win business remotely. Can you post samples? Can you email links to your manufacturer’s photography of particular products? Can you do video tours of your showroom over MS Teams? All of this may help you win business without them ever setting foot through the door.
It is a very difficult time and many businesses will probably fail- if yours is still standing when this comes to end, you’ll be well poised as life gets back to normal as it surely will.
Make every pound you’re currently spending work its socks off. LeadWolf’s Google Ad’s campaigns can convert more than 74% above the published industry benchmarks when used with our websites, so if you’re spending more £1,500 a month in advertising, you may find we can actually save you money by achieving the same for less. E-mail us at [email protected] to learn more.