All storms end, and customers come looking when they do. Here's what Texas businesses should set up now so hours, ads and messages are right when it counts.
A post we shared this week ran to four words: "All storms eventually end." Anyone running a business along the Texas coast hears that literally. The storm ends, the power comes back, and customers start searching for who's open.
What they find depends on what you did before the rain started. A business that says it's open when it isn't wastes people's time. One that goes silent can look closed for good. This is easier to get right on a calm day, which is a good reason to do it now.
Start with your Google Business Profile, since it's often the first thing a customer sees. Google draws a clear line. If you're closed for 7 days or less, set special hours. If you're closed for more than 7 days, or indefinitely, mark the business as temporarily closed.
Remember to undo it. A business left marked closed after reopening is sending customers away by itself, so put that step on the list.
Ready.gov's business guidance says planning should cover as much as possible of what you may need in a crisis, and names communications planning, IT support and recovery, and continuity plans. Your marketing belongs in that same plan, because it's how customers find out what's happening.
| When | What to do | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Now | Confirm two people can log in to your Google profile, site and ads | Owner |
| Now | Write your closed and reopening messages in advance | Owner or office lead |
| Storm approaching | Post your hours and pause ads you couldn't answer | Named person |
| While closed | Keep hours accurate, and post updates if you can get online | Named person |
| Reopening | Restore hours, turn ads back on, tell past customers | Named person |
Don't pay for clicks you can't answer. If your office is closed and no one will pick up, pause the campaigns that send people to your phone. Write down in advance which ones to pause, and keep the login where the second person can reach it.
Afterward, think about what you're selling and to whom. People coming out of a storm are stressed, and many have just lost something. Plain information about what you can do and when will serve you far better than an urgent sales pitch, and it's the right way to treat your neighbors.
A plan that lives on one laptop in one flooded office isn't a plan. Keep the logins and written messages somewhere two people can reach from a phone. If you're the only one who can make an update, name a backup, ideally someone outside the storm's path.
How WebKing runs this
We can set up your storm plan with you: who holds access, what each message says, and which ads pause first.
Google says to set special hours if you're closed for 7 days or less. If you're closed for more than 7 days or indefinitely, mark the business as temporarily closed in your Business Profile.
Pause campaigns that send people to a phone or office nobody can answer, so you're not paying for clicks you can't serve. Decide which ones in advance and turn them back on when you reopen.
Ready.gov says plans should cover as much as possible of what you may need in a crisis, including communications planning, IT support and recovery, and continuity plans.
Restore your hours on Google, update your website, turn your ads back on and tell past customers you're open. Check that your phone and forms work before you do.
Sources
The Lab is original analysis by WebKing. We summarize and interpret developments from the sources above for industrial, commercial, and small business owners. Figures are reported as published by their sources.
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