Blog roundup of the best tips for WordPress, PayPal, SquareSpace and marketing during a crisis

These are trying times, so every day, we’ll publish more free or low cost ideas to get your business online for what looks like an extended stay. Some are from existing blog posts and are linked here for easy access.

For everyone:

  • Change your website headers – new images + new messages
  • Change your social media plans, cancel existing ad campaigns
  • Focus on how you can help your clients get through this, personally, professionally, emotionally
  • Be helpful, be human
  • Go live on social video so your customers can see you!
  • Offer a freebie download product or service

If you normally offer classes

Consider using online services to deploy courses such as Mind/Body, Teachable or similar systems.  Be creative! Set up your own FB group to deploy free classes and offer the add-on classes on your online course systems.

Check out our video blogs for more tips. Including this one for entrepreneurs who hate to be on camera, and those that need to get some gear to make it happen.

We like the Kobratech (mountable holders for iPad and phones) and Slik (tripods) for video. These come with wireless remotes. Use a wireless mic (we like Boba). All of these can be found on Amazon or similar online retailers. 

If you normally offer services:

Move online with FreeConferenceCall.com (excellent features, great price, free!) Zoom (custom backdrops, excellent webinar option) or Webex (similar to the others). If you do personal services like hair, nails, etc. you may be able to see clients one on one (with proper precautions for sanitization). Consider supporting your clients with how/to tutorials, products you’ve selected and moral support. Everyone’s hair and nails are going to look rough. Help clients create an at-home routine that you can help them maintain once things are back to normal. If you sell products offer to do local pick up of your salon products.

If you normally offer products in store:

Community plus commerce is your goal right now. Talk to your customers about what’s happening to everyone. Show your humanity, and offer products that most suit their lives right now – smaller items that feel luxurious or are easier to gift/give.

Try: https://squareup.com/us/en/online-store if you use Square for your Point of Sale currently.

Online Facebook groups plus commerce: sell product packages (kits, with options.) Consider bundling 2-3 items in various colors (e.g. accessories in a color palette) and offering those up as individual products on your website via your Facebook group.

Use our blog Creating an Instagram Landing Page to create a SUPERFAST e-commerce page on your existing website, no matter the platform. Use our product photo lighting guide to light your products well.

  • Open up a blank page in your website editor.
  • Take a photo of a bundle product (e.g. four choices of colors for one to two items)
  • Upload the photo to your computer, then post the photo (making SURE to name the photo’s alt tags and name with a search-friendly product name)
  • Below it, create a PayPal button  (see this article here) with color/size options and copy/paste the PayPal code into your website’s code editor
  • Save
  • When done with a half dozen product bundles, promote on social media and e-mail to your customers

Consider adding video walk throughs of your store so you don’t have to put up all your products.

  • Livestream a section of products and talk about them
  • Do an unboxing of new inventory

If you’re an online retailer:

Community then commerce, you’re in the best shape of all!

Beef up community posts and reinforce the products that fit your customer’s current situations. You’ve already mastered the art of community connection online with product sales, now you just need to reinforce. Look to a 5:1 ratio of community versus commerce posts or e-mail.

Do you need to get your business online, fast? Or improve what you’re offering online to match your new business reality? Do you understand we might be doing this for months and want to just take the leap? Here are some resources to consider

Web Platforms:

WordPress versus SquareSpace if you have no online website at all, these are good platforms to start with.

Square (Point of Sale) if you currently use Square for your in store processing

Commerce on your existing site:

PayPal buttons can be easily added to any website. PayPal.com has buttons you can set up and copy/paste to any website platform.

Community:

Facebook Groups – good for free collaboration or as a gateway to future paying clients

MemberPress membership for WordPress, MemberSpace (the SquareSpace version) These systems help you monetize your existing memberships and deliver the right content to the people that paid for it, delivered broadly or granularly down to a single page or post, and a single user.

Contact Marketing Acuity
517.402.8500 Mobile
517.258.0619 Office
ann@marketingacuity.com
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