What Information Should Be Included on a Website During a Crisis?
May 14, 2020
By Dean Collura
During a pandemic, there are some specific things your title company, law firm or any consumer-facing business should have on their website. Being proactive and addressing customer questions directly is key in easing clients’ minds and making sure the business operates as usual.
Here are some suggestions that could be included on a website during a time of crisis:
A Banner or Pop-up
A banner or pop-up should be placed on your website in a prominent place to give the visitor quick access to the information outlined below such as hours of operation, capabilities for remote closings or remote consultations, easy access to phone numbers, email, mailing addresses, etc.
Are We open?
With many businesses shutting down, the first question many will want to know is if you are even still open for business. It is important to have your current hours listed here.
Even if your hours haven’t changed, it is important to mention that. In times of uncertainty, anything of certainty can make people feel more at ease!
How Do We Conduct Business Now?
If you are used to having clients or customers come to your office, it will also be useful to point out how business will be conducted at the moment.
For example, for a title company, you may want to explain that closings will happen remotely and that packets will be sent through FedEx instead of coming into the office.
For a law firm, the attorney might have a web page that mentions all meetings and consultations still stand but will be conducted via online meeting, which platform, and any other details to make the client comfortable ahead of the meeting.
What’s the Best Way to Contact You?
Even with the above information, some people will still have specific questions. As such, it is important to give people an easy way to reach you or your team. Feel free to mention that during this time it may take a little longer to get through but assure them that someone will get back with them to answer their question. Again, certainty in a time of uncertainty is always welcomed.
Accurate Information on Safety
As much as you might think everyone has complete and accurate information on safety, that isn’t always true. People can get their information from unreliable, inaccurate sources. As such, pointing to the CDC or HHS and outlining some basic information on safety can be really important.
Other FAQs
These are just a few of the main items you should include on your website during a pandemic such as COVID-19. Each individual business will likely also have a handful more of common questions they might want to list on this page.
Instead of trying to think of all the questions yourself, the best way to get a handle of this is to instruct your team to keep track of the calls that come in. Any question asked more than once should likely be put on this page as well. This will help you minimize unnecessary calls and keep your team as efficient as possible
Dean Collura is co-founder of TitleTap, which helps title and settlement companies enhance their websites and automate marketing. Collura can be reached at dean@titletap.com.
Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.