A leading marketing specialist from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is offering an online health check for businesses during the coronavirus lockdown.
UCLan’s Digitalplus project, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, is offering support at no cost for business owners in Lancashire to ensure that they are attracting as many online customers as possible.
Madeleine Melling from Digitalplus says that many small business owners who tend to be too busy to update their website during normal working periods can make the most of the free time during the lockdown to revisit their online shopfront.
She said: “With many shops closed and people staying at home, businesses which have neglected to invest in their website are all but invisible in a world that relies on finding services online. Now more than ever before, those businesses with a strong web strategy are continuing to trade online and will be the first to benefit from new customers when the lockdown lifts.
“Lancashire businesses don’t need to be left behind. A good modern website is like having a sales manager working 24/7 across the globe and can keep you ahead of the game.
“In a short space of time, business owners will be back to working non-stop, so now is the perfect time to invest some time and effort in getting your website up to scratch.”
Digitalplus carries out free and impartial website performance reviews, looking at how your website is performing with visitors, whether it is being promoted properly on search engines like Google, and how it can be improved to increase sales. The project can also offer advice in improving website content, social media skills and using new technology such as virtual reality to improve the service to clients and customers.
The support is available and free to any Lancashire businesses with fewer than 250 employees trading business to business with an annual turnover not exceeding £43m (€50M) or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding £37m (€43M).
