Give Your Oil and Propane Company a Competitive Edge By Embracing a Digital Future

Let’s focus on the positive for a moment. It’s pretty impressive how quickly much of the workforce has been able to transition into working from home since March. It may not have been perfectly seamless (the supreme court toilet flush comes to mind), but there is no denying that many of us adapted to this new way of life fairly quickly.

So what does all this mean for the future of your business?

Whole industries have moved to working digitally in less than 60 days. This combined with stay-at-home orders is translating into huge, and likely permanent changes in consumer behavior. For example according to Brick Meets Click and Symphony Retail AI, spending on grocery items via online delivery grew 37% in April."

Rich Smith - Partner & Chief Marketing at Chief Outsiders

It’s obvious at this point that the business world will be forever changed by all these months of social distancing.

Here are two new realities:

• Many of us have gotten used to the ease of working from home.
• Many of us will still be wary of being in public unless we really need to. The fear of the virus is going to linger in the back of our minds for some time.

What it means for your business:

Our new adapted behaviors will translate to a demand for more aspects of everyday life to go digital.

There are pros and cons being more digital. You may not be totally ready to embrace the long term implications of this change.

But the truth of it is, if you want to keep a competitive advantage, you are going to need to focus on improving how you deliver your products and services via the web.

Here are 4 things you can do to make sure your company keeps up with the changing times.

Accept Payments Online

Payment tools don't have to be overly complicated or intimidating for your business.

Yes, there are fancy payment systems that connect to back end customer relationship management systems. In the long run, those seamless system connections are valuable. But you don't need them right away.

You can launch a payment tool on your website today within a week.

It won't do everything you want it to do at first, but your customers will love the added convenience of a straightforward online payment form.

The extra work of launching a payment form might seem like something you don't want to take on now.

But your customers don't want the extra work of calling or sending a check. Seeing an online payment option could be a selling point for some prospects.

Remember, this is all about keeping a competitive edge. If someone else makes it easier to pay, you won't collect as many payments in the long run.

Accept Will-Call Orders Online

Giving your customers the ability to make will-call orders online streamlines the the order process and helps your website stay modern.

By putting the power to order fuel in the hands of the customer, you are giving them the convenience to check something off their todo list while generating sales for your business. It also eliminates unexpected office visits or tying up your phone lines.

Use Email and SMS to Communicate with Clients

COVID-19 has brought a lot of surprises and nobody is really itching for anymore.

Digitally relaying delivery updates to your customers in real-time is a great way to keep them in the know. This way, they won’t get blindsided by seeing someone they weren’t expecting coming down their driveway with a delivery. Or, they are kept up to date on changes or delays, which will reduce customer frustration.

Utilize Tank Monitors

Tank monitors are a great tool for your hyper-aware customers (the kinds who control their robot vacuums while at work).

Help put them at ease by giving them the option to control their fuel from their mobile devices.

Moving Forward

Millennials have been dragging businesses to go more digital for years. COVID-19 has been the straw that broke the camel’s back. But you can turn this push to go digital into a huge advantage for the health of your business.

By using some of the tactics listed above, you can set your website up for long term success in the post-COVID digital age.