Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
GoDaddy, the small business website platform, has launched its first Christmas Virtual High Street event to support online sales of microbusinesses.
With the high street quieter than usual, GoDaddyShops is hosting a Virtual High Street event in order to connect businesses with buyers.
GoDaddy’s 2020 State of the Nation research found that one in five micro-businesses have moved their business online for the first time this year.
>See also: 5 tips to make your small business TikTok marketing a success
Businesses are finding new ways to utilise social media too, changing the products and services they offer, often overnight.
Sixty-three per cent of consumers surveyed said they are shopping at small and local micro-businesses during the outbreak – a trend which is expected to continue into 2021.
Sakshi Anand, GoDaddy senior director UK and Ireland, said: “We know times are challenging for businesses at the moment, and there is uncertainty around what the winter and festive period holds. The second lockdown has had a huge impact for us all, but as we saw many small businesses innovate to survive the first lockdown, I am optimistic they will remain resilient.
“Our research shows we need to listen to business owners and
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GoDaddy hosts virtual Christmas high street to promote microbusinesses
by Partner Content • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
GoDaddy, the small business website platform, has launched its first Christmas Virtual High Street event to support online sales of microbusinesses.
With the high street quieter than usual, GoDaddyShops is hosting a Virtual High Street event in order to connect businesses with buyers.
GoDaddy’s 2020 State of the Nation research found that one in five micro-businesses have moved their business online for the first time this year.
>See also: 5 tips to make your small business TikTok marketing a success
Businesses are finding new ways to utilise social media too, changing the products and services they offer, often overnight.
Sixty-three per cent of consumers surveyed said they are shopping at small and local micro-businesses during the outbreak – a trend which is expected to continue into 2021.
Sakshi Anand, GoDaddy senior director UK and Ireland, said: “We know times are challenging for businesses at the moment, and there is uncertainty around what the winter and festive period holds. The second lockdown has had a huge impact for us all, but as we saw many small businesses innovate to survive the first lockdown, I am optimistic they will remain resilient.
“Our research shows we need to listen to business owners and
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5 tips to maximise Black Friday sales during lockdown
by timhyde • • 0 Comments
Originally written by timhyde on Small Business
Britain is now in the middle of “lockdown 2” which ends, according to the powers that be, on December 2. This means that this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) sales rush will take place when all non-essential retailers are in lockdown.
So what does this mean for retail spend?
In my mind, it is going to be intensified and businesses therefore need to be prepared.
>See also: How to use Snapchat to sell your products to Gen Z
Spending behaviour has inevitably changed over the last few months as retail outlets have been forced to close and customers have had to shop online. Businesses have therefore had to pivot their strategy to adapt to a focus of online selling.
‘Online retail has expanded by 35% so far this year’
Whether you take Shopify numbers or Amazon statistics, BFCM numbers show a year-on-year growth of around 50 per cent and I think we will see that again this year. Predictions are that online retailers expect 45 per cent Black Friday boost and that’s backed up by figures from online retail association IMRG indicating e-commerce has already expanded by 34.9 per cent year on year to October.
If we compare trends
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5 tips to maximise Black Friday sales during lockdown
by timhyde • • 0 Comments
Originally written by timhyde on Small Business
Britain is now in the middle of “lockdown 2” which ends, according to the powers that be, on December 2. This means that this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) sales rush will take place when all non-essential retailers are in lockdown.
So what does this mean for retail spend?
In my mind, it is going to be intensified and businesses therefore need to be prepared.
>See also: How to use Snapchat to sell your products to Gen Z
Spending behaviour has inevitably changed over the last few months as retail outlets have been forced to close and customers have had to shop online. Businesses have therefore had to pivot their strategy to adapt to a focus of online selling.
‘Online retail has expanded by 35% so far this year’
Whether you take Shopify numbers or Amazon statistics, BFCM numbers show a year-on-year growth of around 50 per cent and I think we will see that again this year. Predictions are that online retailers expect 45 per cent Black Friday boost and that’s backed up by figures from online retail association IMRG indicating e-commerce has already expanded by 34.9 per cent year on year to October.
If we compare trends
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How to shift your pub or restaurant from eat-in to takeaway and delivery
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
The impact of COVID-19 has brought about so many changes for businesses. One of the main changes we’ve seen for restaurant and pub businesses is moving towards takeaway orders.
Data from Kantar shows that deliveries surged in the week leading up to the first lockdown (March 16-22), with delivery trips up 57 per cent year on year.
According to MCA’s Channel Pulse survey (from April 6-12), the average frequency that people used takeaway delivery was 2.3 times that week.
“There have been several success stories to come from the hardship that this year has brought to the hospitality, events, and catering industry, but the biggest, in my opinion, has been the rise of takeaway,” said Charlie Dean, managing director at packaging firm, Catering24.
Not only has it kept a number of our businesses afloat during this most difficult of times, but it has increased the quality of the market to a level we have not seen before.”
In this article we’ll be looking at how you can pivot your pub or restaurant to a takeaway model and what considerations you need to factor in before you make the shift.
What you need in order to refocus your pub or
Hot Business News Today
How to shift your pub or restaurant from eat-in to takeaway and delivery
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
The impact of COVID-19 has brought about so many changes for businesses. One of the main changes we’ve seen for restaurant and pub businesses is moving towards takeaway orders.
Data from Kantar shows that deliveries surged in the week leading up to the first lockdown (March 16-22), with delivery trips up 57 per cent year on year.
According to MCA’s Channel Pulse survey (from April 6-12), the average frequency that people used takeaway delivery was 2.3 times that week.
“There have been several success stories to come from the hardship that this year has brought to the hospitality, events, and catering industry, but the biggest, in my opinion, has been the rise of takeaway,” said Charlie Dean, managing director at packaging firm, Catering24.
Not only has it kept a number of our businesses afloat during this most difficult of times, but it has increased the quality of the market to a level we have not seen before.”
In this article we’ll be looking at how you can pivot your pub or restaurant to a takeaway model and what considerations you need to factor in before you make the shift.
What you need in order to refocus your pub or
Hot Business News Today
Five ways to add value to retain your customers
by aileenallkins • • 0 Comments
Originally written by aileenallkins on Small Business
As a business owner, your customers are your most important asset. These customers can be your biggest champions or harshest critics, with both sides of the coin equally important for business development and long-term success. Knowing how to retain customers is crucial. Ultimately, your customer base will drive financial revenue, making customer service a crucial investment for any company: a massive 96 per cent of customers state they would avoid a business as a result of bad customer service.
Attracting new customers is often seen as the key to helping a business thrive. Yet while keeping the customer pipeline healthy is of course important, there is a flip side to this: understanding the value of the customers you already have. Retention is far cheaper than acquisition, with a recent study showing that converting and onboarding new customers can cost up to seven times more than maintaining those already on your books.
Whilst the excitement of new customers might bring a buzz to your business, a high churn rate fails to recognise the long-term value of loyalty. Refining your customer service offering to improve retention will result in a highly engaged customer base, who are more likely
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What does selling look like for SMEs in the ‘new normal’ of 2020?
by Partner Content • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Not since the financial crash of 2008 have SMEs faced such a daunting landscape to sell in. With many organisations furloughing staff and shutting up shop, waiting for the worst of the storm to pass, forecasts and plans for 2020 are hastily being re-evaluated. So what does this mean for sales staff and small business owners who are involved with selling their product/service?
Budgets will be adjusted; marketing teams will be demanding increased ROI before committing to any investment; buyers will be less accessible; many owners will be in survival mode. Your sales team will need to be sharper, more flexible and more effective than ever before. They will also need to be empathetic, re-evaluating proposals with prospects that will most likely have changed from 80 per cent chance of success, to 80 per cent chance of failure. The need for highly skilled sales staff is clear.
The need for high quality training has never been more evident.
Worryingly, The Objective Management Group assessed over one million sales professionals worldwide a couple of years ago and released an incredible study. It demonstrated that:
74 per cent of all salespeople are weak/ineffective sellers
Only 7 per cent of sales
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How to customise your website to sell more overseas
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
The benefit of a highly functional website that’s easy to navigate and is accessible from anywhere in the world is that it’s never been easier to sell overseas. But for those that want to enter overseas markets as part of their wider strategy, a website needs to do more than simply load quickly, be secure and look smart.
Figures from 2018 show that the UK exports £656.5bn of goods and services, making international business a lucrative area for many. But if you’re welcoming people from around the world to buy from or use your website, they must be able to relate to the content, understand it, and also find the website when they’re searching online for your product or service. As such, your digital platforms need to be relevant for your target audience and the territory they’re in.
How to use your website to sell overseas
Achieving this effectively requires more than a simple, literal translation of your website’s content. Making your online business truly international requires an analysis of your messaging, content, understanding of SEO, and a willingness to apply your learnings to other digital forums to continue growing your presence overseas.
Here, we share the
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Strong Customer Authentication requirements: what you need to know
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Background to SCA and PSD2
The new EU Payments Services Directive (PSD2) came into effect in January 2018, bringing in new laws aimed at enhancing consumer rights and reducing online fraud.
A key element of PSD2 is the introduction of additional security authentications for online transactions over €30, known as Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). It means customers will no longer be able to checkout online using just their credit or debit card details, they will also need to provide an additional form of identification.
What is Strong Customer Authentication?
SCA adds an extra layer of security when customers make a payment online. Until now, shoppers have been able to simply enter their payment details and complete their purchase (although some businesses voluntarily choose to ask for further authentication).
SCA is designed to make paying online more secure and, consequently, reduce payment fraud.
In real terms, however, this means that more than 300 million ordinary European consumers will regularly have to change the way they buy online, introducing an extra layer of friction at the checkout for everyday transactions.
How does SCA work?
SCA is a form of two-factor authentication designed to prove that customers are who they say they are, with