Running a business always requires making big decisions, adapting quickly to changes, and surviving tough times. However, the coronavirus has brought with it one of the fastest and most sweeping changes to how we live and work that most of us will experience in our lifetime.

We're all experiencing uncertainty in our personal and professional lives on a level most of us have never seen before.

So how is the current situation affecting how you manage your website and market your business? Many business owners are unsure about if, and how, to market their businesses without coming across as tacky or insensitive.

Here are our tips for marketing your business in these uncertain times.

Create a web page or banner specifically for COVID-19 updates

Creating a specific page for COVID-19 updates helps you keep your customers informed and also capture some related traffic. The purpose of the banner or page isn't to provide information on coronavirus itself, but to provide information on how your business is operating.

Whether you need a banner, a full page, or both will depend on how much information you need to convey to your website visitors.

Here are some examples of the information you might want to include:

Are all your staff working from home?
How are you ensuring the safety of your employees and customers?
Are there any specific changes to the services you offer?
Have you moved to online orders only?
Have your opening hours changed?
Can you offer products or services that people will particularly need at this time?
Is your business involved in helping the local community provide essential services at this time?

Providing this information not only keeps customers informed but also helps to build trust in your business. Many people are looking to ensure that the companies they use are responsible and putting appropriate safety measures in place.

Customer search behavior is changing

The products and services people are searching for are understandably changing. There's growing interest in services that can be consumed online and health and wellness. Searches including modifying keywords like “indoors” and "at home" are on the rise.

Creating content that fits in with these changing trends and behaviors can help you maintain a steadier flow of traffic. Of course, it's essential that the content is related to your business and adds value to your customers rather than simply jumping onto trending topics without much thought.

Standard keyword research might not be as reliable as usual, given that trends have been shifting quite rapidly, and the data may be slightly behind. Combining keyword research with the real-time data in Google Trends can help you choose topics that are popular right now and may also provide longer-term keyword benefits.

One way to create relevant content is to find a way to offer something people genuinely need right now or to create educational content for people to do at home. For example, a local restaurant might share the recipe for a menu favorite so that people can recreate it themselves at home. A florist might share tips on 'indoor gardening' so that people without gardens can enjoy a piece of nature.

Marketing sensitively

Many businesses are concerned that marketing their business at the moment might be a waste of time, or - even worse - considered insensitive. But there's no reason why you shouldn't, with a little attention to tone.

Some key things to remember when marketing:

Pay attention to any images you use. Avoid images like crowds or anything that goes against the idea of social distancing.
Make sure that your messaging isn't attempting to 'cash in' on the crisis. If you can offer a service that is genuinely useful in this crisis, like homeschooling resources, then don't be afraid to say so. But don't try and make your business sound relevant if it isn't.
If you don't offer goods or services that are particularly useful in this crisis, focus your marketing on showing who you are as a brand. Are you helping your community in some way? Are you going above and beyond to support your employees? These are the kind of stories that can help strengthen your relationship with your customers so that they remember you when life returns to normal.

For many businesses, their goal right now is simply to be in a position to keep trading after the crisis has passed. Marketing your business in the right way can help you reach that goal.