Campuses across the US are now being faced with the challenges that came along with COVID-19. Events have been canceled, some graduations have been postponed, in-person lectures have turned to remote learning lectures, and stores have had to close their doors. Campus bookstores have had to make some swift changes to the way they operate. While many campuses have temporarily closed their doors, many others have turned to their E-Commerce sites to keep their sales going.
This is a very important time to make sure your website is up-to-date. How effective is an outdated website? In this digital age, students don’t want to make purchases on an outdated website. Make sure your website is updated regularly so you can build a trusting relationship between you and your students. This provides a way for your store to communicate with them, which is important during this time of isolation. It lets your students know you care about them.
There are many ways you can keep your E-Commerce site updated. Make sure your load times are not lagging—nothing drives customers away faster than a page that won’t load. Use SEO to help optimize your search results. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. SEO algorithms are constantly changing and it’s important to make sure your content is still valuable. That brings us to our last point here—make sure your content is updated. There are many ways you can keep your website updated, these are just a few suggestions.
Keep your store open [virtually] by allowing students to make purchases on your website. Want to make it even better? Some stores are offering free delivery with a minimum purchase order, or even with any order at all. Other stores are offering free pick-up services. The point here is to give your students a reason to keep buying from your store.
Just because your doors are closed doesn’t mean that you have to stop business altogether. Your students and faculty still need you. This pandemic has highlighted the need for an online presence and for more communication from your store, to keep students and faculty engaged with you. Remain a reliable source for your students to purchase from by keeping in communication with your students and making sure your website is up-to-date.
How are you communicating with your students and faculty? Let us know in the comments below.
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