Zoom meetings in pajamas, conference calls from your bed…wherever you find yourself during these atypical weeks, you may be wondering if this technological switch will outlast the economic shutdown. Almost every service you can fathom is investing in an online alternative to keep things afloat – and many of these inventive methods can serve as inspiration for your changing business model.

Now more than ever we are staying inside and using search engines and the internet. While your storefront may have shuttered, your business can be thriving on the net. It is crucial for a company to have an interactive, easy to navigate, and updated website to keep customers in the loop. Utilizing popular technology and web development tools is crucial to streamlining the digital process for both customers and employees as we socially distance and beyond. For example, a successful strategy for restaurants has been to advertise no-contact ordering services online and even partner with food delivery apps such as GrubHub and DoorDash to offer promotions and easy to navigate ordering. While this may seem like an obvious path to take for this type of business, players in other industries are having to get a bit more creative. Companies that offer normally in-person and interactive services such as children’s museums or martial arts gyms are taking things to webcam and are still offering their services in a less hands-on fashion. 

E-Commerce has obviously been around longer than a few months, but there has been a serious uptick in previously brick-and-mortar companies from all industries embracing online ordering services. When developing a new business strategy, consider what the company has to offer in the e-commerce sphere. What services can be commodified and offered through a “now available for online order” campaign? In a similar vein, think about how these services can be altered to provide relief, convenience, and even entertainment to customers and clients. For example, offering discounted/complementary services or creating an informative video series demonstrates that your company is both sympathetic to current events and digitally innovative – an important quality to have as our world shifts to online. In short, now is the time to implement a digital strategy if a business hasn’t already, and this does not just apply to the external side of business. In order to keep operations running smoothly, most have probably already invested in some sort of digital communication software, whether it be GoToMeeting, Slack, or one of the many alternatives. Using video chat helps simulate the office environment we have so grown accustomed to, and helps keep employees engaged and enthusiastic while they work remotely.

Perhaps it was because there was no other option, but successful companies have been quick to embrace this digital switch. Going forward, why not frame every new change through a digital lens? We can no longer ignore the inevitable and should embrace and prioritize digital transformations (Digital Transformation) for our businesses. This trying time has proven just how strong and resilient we all are, so let’s work together to make digital strategy the new normal!