As in-person events are cancelled, stores are closing physical locations, and businesses are sending employees to work from home, you may be wondering what the future holds for your business – and how your digital marketing plan fits in. While social distancing in the era of COVID-19 is chipping away at in-store shopping, many industries are seeing a boom in ecommerce, with online revenue for electronic retailers increasing 52% over the past month compared to last year. With millions of Americans now stuck at home, it makes sense that more people are turning to the web for shopping, support, and entertainment.

For businesses, digital marketing is more important in the time of COVID-19 than ever before. Some industries, like health and safety, insurance, and groceries, have already seen spikes in traffic and sales. For other sectors, like small businesses, reduced competition could actually mean more customers and a better ROI on paid media spend. Over the coming months, in-person shopping and promotion will continue to be stifled, making it imperative that companies shift their focus onto reaching audiences through search, social media, and other digital channels.

Now is the time for companies who were previously relying on word-of-mouth and in-person networking to revisit their digital strategy and find new opportunities. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services like keyword research, improving website content, and link building will help you connect with new audiences who are using search engines to find information, products, and services related to the outbreak and self-quarantining. In some industries, the influx of virus-related searches has given companies organic click rate boosts of well over 100%. At tSunela, we offer free SEO consultations to help businesses determine the best way to reach these new audiences.

Paid Search Marketing is another service that will be critical for companies looking to boost their online revenue in the wake of COVID-19. Also known as PPC, Paid Search Marketing will help to ensure that your marketing budget is dedicated to finding and converting only qualified leads – a critical cost savings in a time of financial reassessment for so many businesses. As people increasingly stay confined to their homes, overall conversion rates for paid digital advertising have already seen an 8.8% increase. As companies suspend paid advertising for events and in-person shopping, ad competition for many sectors will be lowered, opening up room for others to reduce their cost-per-click and increase the ROI of their paid search strategies.

In times of uncertainty, businesses traditionally view marketing as one of the easiest areas to cut spending. Amid the shutdowns and quarantines of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, digital marketing is becoming a lifeline for companies who need new ways to connect with their customers in the absence of brick-and-mortar business. Schedule a free consultation with an expert to see how a strong digital strategy can help your company through COVID-19 and beyond.