We’re lucky enough to live in the most beautiful part of the country. I don’t need to tell you that.

Even with a national lockdown, we’d all agree that we have it better than a lot of people in the UK, writes Natalka Antoniuk, Marketing Manager, Digital Storm.

With the New Forest, Jurassic Coast and beautiful beaches on our doorstep a staycation is just what we need this year.

But it isn’t just our vibrant scenery.

It’s our businesses.

Bournemouth is a digital hub.

Each year we’re seeing more businesses choose Bournemouth-based agencies over their London competitors.

The talent pool in Dorset is incomparable to the rest of the country.

Not just from a digital and a design perspective, but across a number of industries.

And these businesses need our help.

It’s no secret that businesses are suffering at the hands of a third national lockdown.

And it’s not just the hospitality and events industries.

It’s your local taxi firm.

The family bakery on the corner of your high street.

Your favourite hairdresser.

The school caretaker that shares your morning commute.

All of these people need our support now, more than ever before.

So how can we support them?

What can we do that will help these businesses bounce back?

And how can we do it without risking anybody’s safety?

The answer lies online.

And as we are all part of Dorset’s digital hub, we all have a level of accountability.

Digital Storm has decided to share five things you can do to support your favourite businesses.

5 ways to support local businesses online

These are five things that you can do from home right now.

It won’t cost you anything and will take up very little time.

But for the small, local and independent businesses that we all know and love, it could be a lifeline.

1.Leave a review

We all do it for our favourite takeaway and restaurant, but what about everyone else?

There are hundreds of free platforms out there that let you leave reviews for local businesses.

Google, TripAdvisor, TrustPilot and Checkatrade are among the most popular.

But did you know these reviews do more than just dish out stars?

Search engines are more likely to display a business that has a high number of good reviews from sources like Facebook and Google.

That’s because people like you have already said that you know and trust them.

Leaving a good review will help your favourite business compete with the big dogs by allowing more people to discover them online.

2. Engage with social media posts

Most of the small local businesses in our area don’t have huge marketing budgets to give to an agency.

They might have no experience when it comes to social media.

But we know that they’re trying their best to engage with their customers, new and existing, in a virtual environment.

So stop ignoring them!

It takes a second to like a post, increasing to five seconds if you want to share it with your friends.

At most, you’re looking at 30 seconds to leave a nice comment.

There are two reasons this is great.

Firstly, the small business owner will really appreciate it.

They might not be having the best time at the moment, even the smallest gesture will turn their day around.

Secondly, suddenly all of your friends and family will be able to see the post.

It will be displayed on their newsfeed and that small business gets even more exposure.

3. Be active on their website

Businesses don’t write a blog because they need something to do.

In most cases, they’re doing it to provide more value to their customers.

Maintain Drains give you tips to prolong your drain system, so you don’t have to fork out for a plumber unexpectedly.

The Mayfield Group have published tips to help you rent out your holiday lodge.

And The Colour Works are always updating you with work from home hints.

ITTC have gone the extra mile, offering teaching and learning plans for TEFL teachers – definitely worth checking out if you’re currently battling with homeschooling.

What do all these have in common?

They’re all local, based across Dorset.

And they’re all publishing articles that can help you achieve different goals with no financial gain for them at all.

So take five minutes to read the blog of your favourite local businesses.

Leave a comment if they ask you to.

Send it to your friends.

It’s the least we can do.

4. Send them an email

If you own a small business, opening your emails in the morning can be a terrible experience.

If it’s not just spam and sales messages, there might be a complaint or a difficult situation that you have to deal with.

We’re all guilty of throwing our toys out the pram when something doesn’t go our way.

But how often do we give a round of applause when something does?

If you’ve recently ordered something from a local business, and you believe you had a great customer experience, let them know.

You’ll be surprised at the reaction.

Your email will be shared across the team and everyone’s day will be off to a great start.

5. Shop Direct

Here at Digital Storm, we have nothing against Amazon.

You just have to take a look at our bank statements to see that.

But we do agree that when it comes to supporting local businesses, you should always try to shop direct.

You might not notice a difference.

If the business is already selling on Amazon, you know they’ve got the eCommerce experience down to a tee.

The business will notice a difference.

Without selling fees, they’ll have more profit to put back into their business.

As they grow, their product range expands and they’re able to create more jobs.

It’s crazy how such a small thing can make such a huge difference to a small, local business.

Even crazier when you consider all the ways it can affect the community.

2021: The year we all need a bit of support

And that’s a wrap.

Five ways you can support small, local businesses from your sofa.

The best part?

You don’t have to wait for Boris to make an announcement before you can get started.

We hope this gives you some inspiration.

Our community needs support now and the power to do that lies with each and every one of you.

So get online, leave a review and share a social media post.

I bet you’re bored of Netflix now anyway.

And on that note, we’d like to remind you that Digital Storm are always available to offer advice and guidance.

If you need anything just give us a call – we’re always happy to have a chat.