If there is one thing that’s true of the pandemic: businesses will never be the same again. Most of us have gone from commuting knee-to-knee with strangers on packed trains, to staying at home all day. Businesses in previously in-demand sectors, for example, airport-related services, have taken a huge hit.
But with every disaster, comes a new world. While it goes without saying that small businesses have been more affected by Covid-19, some have boomed hugely as a result of the pandemic.
IVA Advice has analysed google search trends data for over 250 UK local business industries, and discovered the biggest business winners of the new Covid world.
From SEO and web development to skip hire, the increase in demand for certain businesses exposes our changing needs in a new world.
What are the UK’s biggest business winners of the new Covid world?
The UK’s biggest business winners of the new Covid world are SEO companies, timber merchants, skip hire, commercial cleaning, cycle shops, paving, landscapers, and web development.
The biggest business winners also include: gardening, fencing, takeaway, roofing, web design, storage, furniture, and flooring, guttering, tutoring, garage doors, and gardening.
We’ll explore each of these industries, and discuss the reasons for their success in a Covid world. Read the full report.
SEO Company
The search term ‘SEO companies’ grew by a whopping 38.1%. With 85,000 retailers launching online during the pandemic and people using search engines almost exclusively to find what they need, it makes sense that businesses want to hire Search Marketing / SEO companies to ensure they’re at the top of Google.
Timber merchants
As offices closed and furlough schemes started up, the search term ‘timber merchants’ soared by 35.1%. Stuck at home, we were finally forced to confront those DIY projects we’d been putting off forever.
Skip hire
Some skip companies had a five day wait during the first Covid-19 lockdown, with many people taking the chance to make home improvements.
Commercial cleaning
The 29.1% rise in commercial cleaning search terms makes total sense, as cleaning services saw a 95% rise in demand due to the risks of Covid-19.
Cycle Shops
With less people driving due to the order to stay at home, searches for cycle shops were up by 28.3 percent.
Garage doors
Demand for garage doors is still unusually high due to the pandemic, with a ten week wait for some doors. Searches were up 28.1%.
Paving
Some paving stores saw unprecedented demand due to rising interest in home and garden improvements, with searches up 26.5%
Landscapers
Some people destroyed their gardens in the attempt to improve them. Others chose the ‘wiser?’ option of hiring professionals, with searches for landscapers rising 25.5%.
Web development
Searches for web development were up by 24.8%. With traditional sales tactics dying faster due to Covid-19, the competition to rank highly on Google is massive.
Guttering
It’s easier to notice problems with your roof when you’re stuck under it all day, so it’s no surprise that searches for guttering boomed by 24.8%.
Tutoring
With the sudden call to homeschool, we became our kids’ teachers overnight. Unsurprisingly, some of us turned to the professionals.
Gardening
Gardening searches rose 23.8 per cent, as sales of gardening products were up 34%, 17% and 19% in June, July and August in UK garden centres.
Fencing
Following the gardening boom, search terms for fencing were up 22.8%
Takeaway
If we couldn’t eat at our favourite places, the food came to us, with searches for takeaways up 21.9 percent.
Roofing
We all finally had the time to get our mouldering and leaking roofs repaired, and if we were smart, we got a professional to do it.
Web design
Again, you can’t survive in a mostly online world without an excellent website. Unlike other sectors, big tech has boomed during pandemic, suggesting that the demand for web design is here to stay.
Storage
Storage saw an interesting boom, with search terms up 21.5%. Self-storage is actually an overlooked way to invest, considering how recession resistant it can be.
Furniture
The rise in people working, study, socialising and worshipping from home has led to a greater emphasis on home and comfort. Searches for furniture rose 21.4%, with more people spending on home office furniture, for example.
Flooring
After an horrible year for retail, flooring services say that sales are up 57%, and 65% have finished 2020 much better than they expected. The rise in flooring search terms by 19.6% reflects this.
Furniture repair
Furniture repair is an interesting business to analyse during a traumatic economic tine. Given the turbulent economic climate, more customers are deciding to repair high-end furniture rather than replace it, as it this is more cost effective. Searches for furniture repair were up by 19.3%.
