Three Ways to Shore Up Your Visibility During Uncertain Times

If there is one thing I learned from the financial crisis of 2008, as well as the economic downturn of the pandemic, it’s that uncertain times call for increased business visibility.

Tariffs and trade wars have already increased costs for some of my clients, while creating uncertainty with their customers. This makes it the perfect time to review and shore up your business’ visibility. Here are three ways you can keep your business in the forefront of your customers’ minds.

BRAND AWARENESS

In business, visibility is essential in building brand awareness and staying top of mind with your clients or customers. Did you know that a professionally designed logo increases consumer confidence by up to 75%? Sixty percent of people may even avoid brands with non-existent or unattractive logos.

When you focus on your brand awareness you:

• establish your credibility

• attract the right customers

• drive up sales

• increase your profitability

• insure staying power

In fact, a strong brand can increase revenue by up to 23%!

Take a moment to revisit your business mission statement, purpose, aspirations, and core principles and ask yourself if your visual and verbal messaging reflect this.

Make sure your established brand is applied consistently across all touchpoints including your website, social media, email marketing campaigns, marketing materials and storefront graphics. Ad hoc adherence to your brand diminishes your brand.

Are you consistent with your colors and fonts to improve your brand recognition? Do your marketing materials reflect the level of professionalism you wish to convey? If not, it might be time for a refresh and style guide to keep things consistent.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Most people don’t consider customer service part of their brand, but it absolutely is! At a time when people are rediscovering their local businesses while boycotting or minimizing purchases at big box and chain stores, you might focus on providing exceptional customer service and experiences that reflect your brand values.

Recently, I had my car repaired at Uptown Body + Fender in Oakland. I didn’t make a specific appointment to drop off my car, but upon arrival, they greeted me as if they were expecting me. In this impeccably clean and stylish lobby, they had a top of the line espresso machine, making them stand out from any auto service experience I have ever had. They already had put together a file of information my insurance company had sent them, and were completely up to speed on what happened, and what was damaged. Within two minutes, they had a shuttle to take me to get my rental car. Communication was pro-active throughout.

Once I picked up my vehicle, I was given a thank you note from the owner, Giovanna Tanzillo, along with a bag containing a cookie and some touch up paint, branded with their logo. The entire brand was in integrity with my experience. Attention to detail was expressed in every aspect of my interaction. It impacted me so positively, I began looking for ways to better express my brand through customer service.

SEO and GOOGLE ADS

What is SEO and why do I need it? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is the process of improving your website’s visibility in search engine results, based on specific key words or phrases, aiming to drive traffic to your site organically. Optimizing content, keywords, meta descriptions and site structure are primary aspects of SEO. Creating backlinks from other respected websites and assuring your site is easy for search engines to index can be handled by an SEO expert like Justin Korn of Watchdog Studio.

“When the economy feels uncertain, it’s easy to pull back on marketing,” says Justin, “but this is exactly when it makes the most sense to lean in.”

A higher-ranking of your business in search results will:

• increase visibility

• attract the right customers

• improve the user experience

• improve the quality of prospects

• result in higher visitor to customer conversion rates

He adds, “The truth is, the businesses that keep showing up are the ones that keep growing. SEO helps you get found by people already searching for what you offer, while Google Ads can deliver quick wins and real-time insights. And unlike most marketing tactics, SEO is one of the few channels that compounds over time. When done right, it keeps working, even if your budget takes a break.”

The key isn’t doing everything—it’s doing the right things, consistently. With a focused strategy in place, you can build momentum and stay in front of the people who need you most—no matter what the market looks like.