Web Design in the Time of Covid-19

We live in strange and uncertain times. Throughout the world, people’s lives are changing in many different ways. That being said, business must go on, and it’s important to think about how the pandemic will continue to affect the way things should be done. With everyone indoors, having a strong online presence is more important than ever, so here are a few tips for updating and designing your website during this unique and difficult period in history.

Have a Primary Page for Covid-19 Information

With everything changing so quickly, it’s important to have a way to update your customers about potential adjustments to your business. Info like shifting business hours, changes in policy, or which services are open and available should all be on a single page with an unchanging URL. Keeping this to a single URL helps with search engine optimization, while also allowing visitors to bookmark the page for later use. This page should be updated every time something changes. You can also make posts on your blog or news feed, but be sure to put all new info on your Covid-19 page.

Make Sure to Update Your Hours

Since the covid-19 situation is a constantly shifting one, it can be tough for customers to know which businesses are open and when. If your business has to update its hours based on stay at home orders or curfews, make sure that info is out there on every service. You’ll want to update Google, Yelp, Bing, and Facebook at a minimum, as well as anywhere else your hours are posted. After all, you don’t want customers showing up after closing time.

Focus on Usability

Covid-19 is forcing people to do more business online, including people who may not normally be heavy internet users. You need to make sure that your site is ready for this influx of traffic and ensure that it’s going to be easy to use and understand for new visitors. Be sure to use responsive web design as much as possible to help mobile and tablet users.

This pandemic is changing the way we do business, and that can be intimidating. But through careful and intelligent web design, you can make sure your site raises to the challenge.

Photo by Nick Bolton on Unsplash