It’s safe to say that we are living in really uncertain times. With lockdowns starting, stopping, and starting again all over the United States, it can be pretty difficult to get the correct information about a business’s new hours of operation, and whether or certain services that they offer have been affected during COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
As somebody who loves supporting local business and reinvesting in my community, it has been really difficult to shop locally and order out from local restaurants because many businesses haven’t updated their online information to reflect these changes.
So how can businesses update their online information during coronavirus to help customers have a better online experience?
Why Update Your Online Information
If your business has been affected by coronavirus, either by having to limit your hours of operation or by limiting the products and services that you offer, then you want to make sure that you update that information online to reflect that.
Without this updated information, you create a situation for your customers where they may have looked online to see if your business has been affected by coronavirus and assumed that everything was business as usual.
Then when they go to order from your business or to pay you a visit, they may be disappointed and decide to go elsewhere.
What Kind of Businesses Need to Update Their Online Information
If you have a business that is listed online, then you need to update your online information if you have been affected by coronavirus. Some of the most relevant businesses are those that have e-commerce websites and brick-and-mortar locations.
Restaurants / Brick and Mortar Retail – many eateries have been impacted by coronavirus because they have either changed their hours, limited dine-in options, or started offering contactless delivery. There are all changes that should be reflected on Google My Business and online at your website.
E-Commerce Retail – if you have a website setup for your retail business, then you need to update information regarding any impacted processes. Will shipping be delayed? Are some products out of stock? Are you offering a new product like PPE in light of coronavirus? All of this information can and should be reflected online.
How to Know If Your Business Has Not Updated Their Online Information
To see if your business has updated their online information simply Google your business. If you have a Google My Business account, you will see your business; website, hours, and maps. If your information has been updated you may see a COVID-19 Banner across the top of your business.
If you do not see this information, updating it is easy.
Login to your Google My Business account, go to ‘Settings’ and edit your setting to update your business information.
From there you can adjust your hours of operation if you close early, add “more hours” that describe other services that you offer such as delivery, add delays on specific business services, or add a banner to signal that your business is “temporarily closed.”