Online switch for businesses will open future doors

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted some Albany businesses to move online while their stores remainclosed. Whether it be via websites or social media, there has been a rise in the online presence of local businesses since restrictions were imposed in March. While the circumstances surrounding the creation or expansion of online services have been difficult, Business Great Southern executive officer Tracey Bridges said the move was going to help a lot of businesses in the long-term. “Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool in the Great Southern and has been for a long time and I think the last few weeks have shown people that having a great online presence is just as important as having great word of mouth marketing,” she said. “When we’re put under pressure we are forced to innovate and get creative with how we do things, so I think this will definitely encourage people to go online and increase their confidence in being online. “There is an expectation for businesses to be online somewhere, somehow, in this day and age. Being online gives businesses extra opportunities to build stronger connections and better relationships with their customers through meaningful content.” One of the Albany stores to make the move into cyberspace is The Closet Shop on York Street, which launched its first website last week. Part-owner Sharlene Reader said it was a move they had been considering for a while. “The COVID-19 situation prompted us to do it,” she said. “We didn’t think it was completely necessary before. But with five weeks out of the shop we felt like at least if we were online there is a chance that we would get a sale while the doors are closed. “If we weren’t online, we didn’t have any doors open and we weren’t making any sales.” She said store closures also gave them time to get the website sorted. “Hopefully it opens a few more doors for us,” she said. “We have had great local support already in the first week.” Business Great Southern has been offering training and workshops to help business owners identify their brand, product and audience before building a digital strategy. The centre is working on a digital mentor program to help local businesses across the region make the most of taking their trading online. Ms Bridges said there were local businesses that had been able to reach new customers online and the changes were benefiting the region as a whole. “Having our business community being online together successfully not only promotes each business individually and the eco-system within which they thrive, but our region as a great place to do business,” she said. “Not to mention giving the product a global audience and connecting with a local audience who may not be able to access your services or products.” Moving online could be challenging, though, and Ms Bridges said it was important to have a plan. “The key to going online successfully is in the planning, the set-up and being committed to it,” she said. “Going online without a plan, clear goals or measurable outcomes makes for a messy, stressful time. “Another stumbling point is the idea that businesses need to be on all platforms — if there are no resources to maintain content and communications across all platforms there is no point in being on them all. Not having your online presence set up correctly or not being online could lead to your business missing out.” Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Benita Cattalini said many small business owners had participated in webinars and online speaking events about making a successful online transition. “Having this online presence is great as it provides our members with information that is relevant to them as business owners or managers but with more flexibility, which has been working really well,” she said.