Of course, the COVID-19 disease cannot literally infect a computer system such as an application or a server, that's absurd! 

But if you are part of a Startup that has a mobile application or a website, the situation that is happening on the planet will affect you because it is affecting your users.

And if this does not change soon, the way we live on planet earth will be transformed.

After promoting this article (a couple days ago), a friend privately wrote me saying "Hey, the company I work for is dead, it really couldn't bear the crisis that COVID-19 generated."

Unfortunately some companies do not have time to react, and this can happen to many companies.

First of all, you have to understand that there are TWO BIG CHANGES

1 - people are longer in their homes (since they have to quarantine),

2 - there is great uncertainty (and a little panic) between people.

This can become POSITIVE or NEGATIVE for the business.

For example, if you have a site that offers online courses, then it is possible that people have more time to take the courses and that would be positive, since your users can continue using your service, now they may use it more, but it is important to monitor the server since the traffic may increase more than normal.

If your company offers face-to-face courses, then perhaps all courses are canceled and that is a negative thing, but you can suggest the use of some video calling technologies such as ZOOM, GoToMeeting or Google Hangout to be able to continue with your courses.

 Check this: Zoom has added more users this year than 2019 thanks to coronavirus

I am going to give 3 tips to improve the service you are offering at this particular time. 

Tip 1 - Send a message of awareness and support to your audience and clients

It may seem simple and not so important, but the mere fact that your users know that you are there and that your company cares about them, is very important. But in this case, the main thing is to transmit a message of awareness so that the disease does not continue to spread, and support for those people who may be going through a bad situation. 

If you use an email service like mailchimp or activecampaign, then you will know exactly who is reading this message, and you may be surprised that the opening rate is higher than normal.

Tip 2 - Make a list of features that can be used for people at home

If your business is online, it is obvious that many functionalities can be used, but perhaps not all of them are in demand at the moment. The ideal is to identify which are the functionalities that your users would like to use more now, since the next advice is to put together a plan to share these features.

Tip 3 - Include the new scenario in the Plan

I never imagined that I could be advising that it is necessary to consider a global pandemic in a plan of our business, it is incredible!, but it is true. Unfortunately, this may not end soon, so you have to be prepared. 

I recommend you put together a plan (or review the one you have created, if you are one of those who put together plans) to incorporate this new scenario.

In the plan, you must include:

- Sending by email and social networks about the functionalities that can be used in quarantine,

- If possible, give notice of new features that keep people using your service from home (Pokemon Go would be in trouble now). I suggest Gamification, Challanges and Entertainment functionalities.

For example, if your business is not digital, you may consider go in that direction and start selling online.

Check this: Do I really need a mobile application?

I could continue giving advices, but I just want to transmit the concept that it is necessary to adapt the business to this new reality.

I would like to take the moment to wish that everyone is well and that all this ends soon.