With the Coronavirus switching up your priorities, we thought the following information might be helpful, especially for those of you who might be new to online retailing. Maybe it’s always been on the cards but for now you are being forced to adapt, on someone else’s timeline. The ability to be agile in this new landscape isn’t as hard as it might seem. With the #inthistogether movement coupled with the #shoplocal approach that many loyal customers are taking, now is the time to make the switch. Your customers are asking for it. They need you just like you need them.  

To avoid feeling the pain of this forced change, there are many avenues available to you, some that wouldn't have been if this situation had never occurred. One of our favourites is the City of Melbourne's small business grants;  

https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/business/grants-tenders/Pages/covid-19-quick-response-business-grants.aspx this has been so impactful that they have extended it to medium sized businesses and non for profit. Other states have offered similar relief.  

We build mostly on Shopify, and are thrilled that they have extended their free trial period to 90 days. This gives you 3 months of marketing spend, telling all of your customers how they can still support you. Another new feature is curtsied collection and local delivery, these are perfect for stores with larger goods. 

Shopify has always supported the owner builder approach and we love them for it, however if you are in need of a helping hand, we at Whiley Mai are offering speedy turnaround times at discounted rates. 

Choose your online journey, what are you comfortable with? Whatever tasks fall outside of your comfort zone - get help from an expert. 

For example - communicating with your customers if you're new to online should be you, authentically you. Product images can also be something that you can take care of, these can always be updated and polished later. 

Linking to Google, getting found in Search engines, adding reviews, building order flows, this might be something you need some help with.