With lockdown easing and bars, restaurants and retailers now able to reopen there is a glimmer of normality returning. However, due to the strict COVID-19 regulations, things are looking very different to pre-COVID times and we face a ‘new normal’ in how we consume.

At the beginning of lockdown businesses had to adapt fast and many switched up their business model and made their consumables available for delivery or takeaway. Something which has helped many businesses keep ticking over for the past few months. However, even with restaurants and bars now being able to open, there are 2 main reasons why interest may be still be low.

1. Health risk concerns

Although the Government has deemed it safe for these establishments to reopen, for many people, particularly those more vulnerable will be nervous about visiting.

2. The ‘new normal’

With lockdown in place for so long, many people have become accustomed to a new way of living. People are preferring to have food and drink delivered at home over visiting restaurants, and are doing more online shopping compared with visiting stores.

What’s more with the reduced capacity required to ensure social distancing rules are met, many still have to rely on these additional online sales to stay afloat.

How can Zeus Digital help?

Having a clean, clear and easy to navigate website is crucial now more than ever. With many businesses now selling online, there’s a lot of competition and something as trivial as a badly designed website could be the deciding factor in where a consumer spends their money. And it’s not just about the structure and design of the site that is important for user experience. The other element is speed. Even if you were already using your website for sales or bookings pre-lockdown, it’s likely you’ve seen an increase in traffic which your website may not be able to handle.

Key questions to ask yourself

• Could you make additional revenue by selling your products online?
• Are you in the hospitality industry and need a simple booking system that can handle increased traffic?
• Is your website difficult to navigate?
• Is your eCommerce website struggling to deal with the increased load?
• Does your website function and look good across all devices?

It’s clear that the way people consume may have changed for good, with people favouring buying online rather over going to physical outlets. So even with lockdown rules easing more and more as the weeks go by, now is the time to improve your online presence. Zeus Digital design aesthetically pleasing websites to draw visitors in and that are well developed to keep them there. Get in touch to find out how we can improve your online presence for your business.