Are you even open for e-commerce business?

5 Covid 19 messaging tips with examples for your website.

It’s pretty basic but many businesses haven’t updated their websites to reflect if and how they are operating in the COVID-19 world. Many more are doing a poor job of letting valued customers know what’s going on. The implications? Beyond lost sales, it puts more pressure your busy staff as they may field calls to answer simple information based questions like — “Are you open today?”.

Before we learn from those who are messaging well, let’s consider what you should be communicating on your site.

1. If you are not open for business, messaging around:

• You are closed due to COVID-19
• Thank your customers for their understanding and support
• Ask that they check back on a specified date for an update
• What you may be doing to help in the community or your staff during this time
• Direct customers to subscribe to your newsletter or check social feeds for any updates.

2. If you are open for “business”, communicate:

• Any changes to hours
• Any changes to locations
• Any changes to your product or service offerings (i.e. online orders only, new delivery service, online classes)
• Any operational changes taken to ensure customer and staff safety
• Anything to help manage customer expectations

Okay, let’s explore some examples:

BestBuy

Clear and concise message on the homepage using the navigation based announcement bar and prominent home page real estate.

They are still open and with adjusted hours and services with curb-side pick up and delivery only. Top marks for framing their message in the announcement bar in a customer centric manner, “We’re still here to get you what you need” versus the all too frequent generic “ Our CEO’s message on COVID”.

And when we bought something at Best Buy last week their omni-channel click and collect at curb-side experience was very well executed.

Kal Tire

Canada’s equivalent of Les Schwab. Another brand using an announcement bar and the homepage hero for solid messaging letting visitors know that they are still open at select locations, it’s by appointment only and for emergency services. Also, hints at the social distance policy in place.

London Drugs

An iconic and well trusted BC based brand does a great job (using announcement bar and home page) to flag expectations on delivery. Also has a COVID-19 message and policy to customers prominently displayed.

Spud.ca

The grocery delivery service company is very upfront with the current demand and thus delivery expectations with customers.

Skoah

A “Skin Spa” with locations across North America. They’ve updated their locations page and their locations detail page to communicate temporary store closures. They are still open for e-commerce business.

MEC

Canada’s version of REI has updated their google business information so that those searching showing stores are closed.

Whitespot

Another iconic BC based brand. The restaurant is now focussing on take out packs and home delivery services. Most of the homepage has related services, products and COVID-19 messaging.

Trans Canada Brewing

These micro brew masters, quickly spun up an e-commerce store (on Shopify) to cater to the growing buy beer and pick up or delivery model.

We can see and learn some best practices here of:

1. A combination of hello/announcement bar and much of the homepage to quickly communicate:

• Service changes and how “we’re still here for you.”
• Changes to hours of operation and locations.
• Any service expectations (such as social distancing, line ups for stores, appointment only, delays in delivery etc.).
• Be customer centric not CEO message centric.

2. A “COVID-19” landing page which outlines in more detail any and all customer experience changes. Locations. Hours. Services. Expectations. Special services. Delivery for e-commerce orders.

3. Update any Locations listed on your site and for google search results (open/closed and updated hours).

4. And if appropriate, quickly spin up an e-commerce site to help customers easily order and your team fulfill those orders.

5. Think beyond the homepage. We didn’t see this as much as we would have liked. Given homepage traffic is typically 20% brands, should consider strong COVID-19 messages on other key entry pages. The announcement bar is a great website component to help leverage site wide messaging no matter the entry point.

We won’t name and shame them but many brands just had the “A letter from our CEO on COVID-19” in the announcement bar. This is about as useful as the email blast with the same said subject. You can do better to help potential customers understand how you’re operating and how they can still do business with you.

As the COVID-19 situation develops and your business changes, it’s important to update your related website information.

Notes:

1. examples pulled March 26, 2020

2. full disclosure: Kal Tire, Whitespot, Skoah are all active iamota clients.