As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, businesses that have been either closed or operating in a very limited way face a big challenge as they look to reopen. For three months they have not been very visible.

This is a great opportunity for owners to shine the spotlight on their company afresh and remind customers and potential customers why they should spend their money with the firm.

They should remember how excited they were when they first set up the company and how keen they were to tell everyone about how great it was. It’s time to recreate that feeling and momentum – but, and this is important, while also acknowledging that the world has changed. So what should businesses be doing?

They need to raise their company’s profile by getting it out there into the full public glare.

If they have premises, they must make sure they are gleaming when they open. People who might be nervous about visiting commercial premises will feel far more reassured if they are spotless.

Firms should make sure their website explains all the practical steps they have taken to make sure their customers can visit safely. Talking of websites, they should make sure everything is up to date.

Do all the links work? Does it clearly and succinctly tell potential customers what they offer? And, importantly, does it prominently contain the company’s coronavirus safety messages? They should remember some people might not want to even think about shopping for non-essential items while, due to lockdown restrictions, perhaps they still can’t visit their close family and friends. Businesses might be relieved they are soon to reopen.

But many people are still hurting, so firms should reflect that in an empathetic website message that recognises the hardships everyone has been through, how pleased they are that customers might choose to shop with them now and how hard they are working to allow them to do so safely.

What else can businesses do? They might place an advertisement feature in the local press or, if they have a really good story to tell about the firm or its staff, send a press release to the local media.

And they should use Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to let people know they are reopening with safety guidelines in place – and how grateful they are to customers for continuing to support them.