Business Websites In The COVID19 Pandemic

Business Websites : An unprecedented global phenomenon, COVID-19 has of course had an impact on business websites. Beyond the health issue, a reorganization of the economy is taking place. Myself, author of the article, I write it from home, respecting the confinement imposed by the state, far from our web agency. 

This situation of limited travel reinforces a trend already initiated by the population’s lack of time: the rise of digital technology. Digital comfort first, it now extends to digital necessity. In the specific context of web agencies, we have already heard from our relatives “Wow, the period must be good for you right now!”. So is it true or false?

In this article we will see that things are far from obvious.

Digital As A Necessity: An Undeniable Strong Point

Obviously, as many people find themselves stranded at home because of the coronavirus, the internet is fully used in the cottages. When it comes to responding to a crisis situation, with an overstretch compared to normal.

So yes, obviously a crisis like this gives a central role to digital (and since everything is sized by the line in this virtual world, it takes time to ride the wave). But if we take a closer look in terms of economic change, it is the e-merchants who benefit the most. 

And among them, I have to introduce a nuance, which remains the same as outside of times of crisis: the behemoths have the upper hand, and the smaller ones have a hard time if they are not visible. On the other hand, if a small business has had an online store solution for a while (which implies a digital tool And appropriate logistics to deliver, in the case of a food business, for example), this is an opportunity to switch more easily to interrupted physical activity.

Favored websites

As far as the business of a web agency oriented showcase site like us is concerned, it is at best balanced and at worst a little slowed down. At the agency, we see this duality of times of crisis every day.

Some points are favorable to our activity:

• More people are interested in digital so we collect some incoming requests that would not have happened without the crisis.
• Some decision-makers whose companies are sustainable, and who were hesitating as to whether or not to make a site, say to themselves today that they should have validated their estimate before (because they would now have a presence on the web) . So they speed up the movement and will be delivered in 6-8 weeks.
• Our customers whose website is in progress respond more quickly to requests. Their decline in activity leaves them time to devote themselves to projects that were previously more secondary, such as their website.

But at the same time, other points are negative for us:

•  With activity at half mast, many of our prospects are worried about their cash flow. Some are postponing their decision to invest or not on the website, because of this global uncertainty on the economy.
• When it is not financial, the reorganization of certain sectors monopolizes intellectually or materially, all the availability of the decision maker. The website is therefore put on stand-by.
• Insofar as they are no longer able to physically accommodate consumers, or to deliver their service, some of our clients interrupt their Google Ads advertising campaigns. What’s the point of being contacted if their target’s service is “urgent” and they can’t provide it right now?

In short, there are gains and there are losses for a web agency. In commercial terms, our account managers do not reach decision-makers easily, since the majority of companies have closed doors. Unemployment is therefore de facto in certain professions in our profession, not by our technical inability to produce an effort, but by the blocking of the activity of our contacts. The economy is a big mesh, and the global sclerosis often outweighs the windfall effects.

Conclusion

On a global level, in such a health crisis, digital technology is of course favoured. During the crisis, the utilitarian side comes up against the “freeze” of the economy, and the interplay of forces can be zero-sum. However, when everything unblocks and returns to normal, the economic capacities will be released and the psychological imprint “digital = useful” will remain.

So if I had to play the game of predictions, I would say that for web agencies, it’s not so much during the crisis that the upturn is seen, but we can expect a brighter future. From the point of view of companies, and even for VSEs-SMEs, we can see that a channel like the Internet, even an accessory for some, becomes a vital fallback solution in times of crisis. And it’s not just about e-commerce.

• The hairdresser will be happy to be able to be found through his website, and make appointments at home (admittedly, in total confinement he cannot deliver his service, but when we were still only at the closing stage of public establishments, the home remained an interesting fallback).
• The lawyer will be happy to see clients make contact through the site, then to make teleconsultations.
• The restaurateur will be happy to be able to continue part of his activity by delivering dishes ordered on the internet.

In short, beyond the use of the internet outside of COVID-19, the benefits of which are already regularly demonstrated, it is clear that the psychological impact of the crisis will reinforce the useful vision of digital for consumers.

Of course, we hope on our side that post-crisis awareness will of course extend to crucial societal areas, such as the environment and the local economy with the promotion of short circuits, or the maintenance of activities strategic industries within the country (without opposing globalization and self-sufficiency, don’t we all have a spare wheel in the car?), as well as the strengthening of our health system.

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