Amidst the current global pandemic and growing uncertainty, more and more businesses are seeking ways to communicate effectively with their customers. As we all collectively work towards flattening the curve in our communities and governments slowly reopen economies, businesses face new challenges. In these uncertain times letting your customers know what’s going on and what your business is doing (especially if you’re a brick and mortar) is becoming increasingly important. Enter, “the notification banner”. In this post, we’ll be talking about what a notification banner is and answer some key questions surrounding it. We’ll explore 3 additional methods to keep customers informed, and finally, cover 3 tips to craft your COVID-19 Response. So let’s jump right into it.

What is a Notification Banner?

Notification banners can come in many different formats, but most commonly found at the top or bottom of a website. These banners typically run horizontally across devices, edge-to-edge, in one of your brand colours to contrast against the rest of the website. Being used to draw attention to an announcement, promote a new product, or notify users of your website’s cookie policy (thank you GDPR).

Why Does It Matter?

With the current pandemic looming over us, many of our clients have reached out asking for a notification banner to let their customers know of changes in their business. With so many of us working from home, “non-essential” businesses closing their doors, and new rules like physical distancing, customers are left in the dark. The last thing you want to happen is for a customer to google your business, see that it’s open and make the trip out, just to learn that it’s actually closed. Customers want to know what’s happening with businesses and organizations they engage with, and a notification banner is one way businesses can spread their message.

How Much Does It Cost?

For websites built on WordPress, we are offering Notification Banners Starting At $199. Why “Starting At”? Typically we start by using a plugin, then style it to match your brand, and finally, turn your existing COVID Response into a blog post we can link to – a little over 2 hours worth of work – but sometimes it’s not so easy. In some cases, other elements on a website conflict with the notification banner and we have to write extra code to get it to work, hence the “Starting At”.  Contact us Get A FREE Estimate On Your Notification Banner and we’ll give you a free estimate.

What If I Don’t Have A WordPress Website?

If your website isn’t built on WordPress you can still add a notification banner. If it’s built on static HTML/CSS, then you’ll have to apply the notification banner code to each page manually, which can be a bit tedious. If you’re using another CMS (Content Management System), there are usually some options available to explore. If for any reason you can’t update your website you can still use one of the methods below to keep your customers informed.

3 Additional Ways To Keep Customers Informed

You can use all or some of these methods to inform your customers, even if you’ve already set up a notification banner on your website.

1. Update Google My Business

Google has a feature where you can post a COVID-19 update to let customers know what’s going on. Other popular directory services like Bing Places and Yelp Business also offer similar options. Update the ones that make sense for your business.

2. Post On Facebook

If your customers follow your business on Facebook, posting a quick update can reach many of them all at once. Facebook is a great place to share your update but you can also post to other social platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter, to name a few.

3. Good Ol’ EMail

Reaching out directly to your customers via email can be one of the most effective ways to make sure your customers know what’s going on. You can send out a mass email to reach current customers or add a link to the bottom of your emails to check out your COVID-19 Response.

What Next?

So you’re planning on getting your shiny new notification banner, updating your Google My Business, posting on your Facebook page, and e-blasting all of your customers. So what do you say? Here are 3 Tips to consider when composing your COVID-19 Response. Check out our COVID-19 Response for inspiration

3 Tips To Craft Your COVID-19 Response

1. Opened Or Closed

If you have a physical location that customers can visit, letting them know of any changes like if your office is closed and you’re working from home, can be crucial. It’s important to be clear on what the status of your business is so that your customers stay informed.

2. Procedural Changes

It’s important to update your customers when your business or organization has made some procedural changes like stricter sanitization processes or limiting the number of people allowed into your location. Talk about how your organization is adapting to the pandemic and clearly layout any changes made so that customers are informed.

3. Keep it short and sweet

This tip applies to a lot of things but in the case, it’s a must. It’s easy to pack loads of information into your response and even easier to get carried away. It’s important to note, in these uncertain times, your customers don’t want to be reading pages on pages like it’s a manual. They want to know that you’ve got their back and things will be okay. If you have complex processes that you want to share, create a separate post and link directly to avoid an infinite scroll. This will ensure your customers get the information they need quickly and effortlessly.

Takeaway

This pandemic has impacted businesses all over the world and doing what you can to keep your customers informed is key. Addressing the ever-changing climate and informing your customers isn’t limited to any one method. Most customers understand that everyone is impacted and no one is excluded from the repercussions of the pandemic. They expect businesses to communicate and appreciate when the effort is made. So go ahead, don’t keep ’em guessing – let them know what’s going on.