Why digitalisation is so important for local businesses

Digitalisation has had a profound effect on the commercial landscape of the UK. While online retailers were initially dismissed as a niche option for computer nerds, e-commerce sales continue to rise dramatically. In the fashion (clothing and shoes), electronics and telecommunications industries, this growth is even higher.

As a local retailer, however, you should not bury your head in the sand and worry that you can’t keep up. Instead, you should see digital change as an opportunity to grow your own business. Below are the five biggest benefits your local business will gain from a solid web presence, and how you can best put this strength to use.

The coronavirus pandemic has made shopping local even more complicated. In principle, day-to-day shopping is allowed in many sectors even when virus cases are surging – but the regulations ensure that the traffic is kept to a minimum. Furthermore, individual sectors such as the restaurant industry are particularly affected by having to close completely. Other than the restrictions, people are less willing to go to crowded areas and therefore more likely to shop online.

A digital presence in the form of online advertising or social media activities or your own website is therefore more important than ever before. So that you don’t lose your customer base during these challenging times, being digital is essential. It is not a matter of replacing your physical business with an online shop or to go from being a restaurant to a delivery service – it’s about making use of various marketing channels to inform your customers about the current business situation and to pass on the following information, for example:

• Current situation in terms of on-site visiting
• Changing opening hours
• Services in times of corona (e.g. a delivery service or click-and-collect, which is becoming ever more popular)
• Other ways to support your local business, i.e. through vouchers

To kickstart the digitalisation of your local business, you can start with the full range of social media channels, search engine advertising, and your own website or online shop. Alternatively, you can focus on one or more specific marketing options. In either case, entering the digital world will help you to direct more attention towards your business. Below, we’ve have summarised five advantages of active marketing on the web for you.

One of the most important goals of digitalisation is to create convenient structures to collect and share data and information. This is not only about electronically storing customer data and handling communication with customers as efficiently as possible, but also about optimising internal communication processes. How can a local company digitalise effectively?

Customer data acquisition and customer management

When it comes to gaining and storing customer data, as well as managing customer relations, there is probably a consensus among entrepreneurs that digital is the way to go. CRM Tools have established themselves as suitable software in large corporations, but also for SMEs. Whether support for newsletters, social media, or websites, these tools provide the perfect basis for collecting customer data securely and digitally. At the same time, CRM systems provide the right platform for developing cross-company strategies for communicating with customers.

Own website and social media channels

When it comes to digitalisation, local companies automatically come up against the question of whether it makes sense and is necessary to have their own website. The simple answer is: absolutely! In modern business life, there is hardly a more practical solution for presenting your products or services, getting in touch with customers, and sharing news. Your website does not necessarily have to cost an arm and a leg, as our article on how much does a website cost? will show you. Even cheaper, but just as promising, are customer contact opportunities and company marketing on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Project management and communication tools

Whiteboards and flipcharts may still be useful in modern business – but they are not the only ones that can help. Tools for managing projects, tasks, and appointments simplify the organisation and communication within your business considerably. Other programs that help in a similar way are tools for managing your digital communication via email (especially with customers), as well as communication tools like Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business (internal exchange), and finally cloud storage like Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive.

Special offers and promotions have always been among the most important marketing tools. The past few years have shown that they can be seamlessly integrated into everyday digital business life. To get started, ask yourself two questions: Which promotions or special offers suit your company? And to what extent should these promotional activities be integrated into your business’ activities?

However, it’s not possible to give a one-size-fits-all answer to either question, as it is necessary to find a company-specific approach. For example, if you run your own online shop and sell your products online, you have to approach special offers in a completely different way to a local shop, as you can make price adjustments online at any time of day.

When it comes to promo campaigns, creativity is in vogue. Informative content such as tutorials, blogs, etc. as well as ‘join-in’ campaigns in social networks (e.g. sharing a success story or a personal picture with the product) show that a lot is possible here.

The digitalisation of your local business and especially the step into the world wide web presents an additional opportunity to get publicity for your local physical shop. Advertising your location(s) via social media, as a Google company profile (our article on local SEO tips goes into more detail here), or on your own homepage will all help you get attention in your community. By using a mix of platforms, you’ll have the best chances of success. It is important that you answer all important questions of your potential customers:

• What are the different local locations?
• What is the address?
• What are the opening hours?
• At which locations can click-and-collect orders be picked up?

Achieving greater reach and boosting business – these are the ultimate goals that summarise the tips mentioned above. On the web in particular, you can also use tools that specifically motivate interested users to buy.

• Chatbots: Chatbots are already used in a lot of sales contexts. As the first point of contact for customers, the practical bots answer many important questions to help reassure customers before they commit to buy.
• VR planner: Virtual tours, fitting rooms, or interior design planners can also – at least for the time being – replace on-site visits and encourage people to engage with your services.
• Social media: Social networks have an enormous appeal. By engaging well-known influencers as advertising partners you can present your products or services in an extraordinary way and expand your customer base.