DIGITAL marketing specialists at The Press are offering free advice to businesses to help them through lockdown and beyond.

As part this newspaper’s Love Local campaign, our digital experts are providing local businesses with an audit of their online platforms at no charge.

They will check whether the sites are performing as well as they should be, help to raise their profile and attract more traffic to websites and social media pages.

Love Local was first launched when the nation closed down in March, and offered free adverts in The Press to small, independent businesses to show how they had adapted to get through lockdown.

After winning support and praise from across the city, it has been revived to help the city through this second national shutdown.

Jane Hanson, advertising director at Newsquest York, said: “With another lockdown in place, it’s more important than ever to show our ongoing support of local independent and family-run businesses.

“It’s fantastic to see how well our local businesses community has adapted to the challenges and we must continue to encourage our readers to shop local, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

“Since our Love Local campaign launched in March, we’ve helped 100s of local businesses get their message out to our 700,000-plus monthly readers through our Press newspaper and website.

“To extend that support further, we are now offering all local businesses a free, no obligation digital audit of their business to help them improve their online presence, increase awareness and drive traffic to their websites or social pages, including setting up an E-Commerce website if businesses don’t currently have that facility.”

To arrange a free digital audit, email jane.hanson@localiq.co.uk.

Among the businesses to use the Love Local platform to promote how they have adapted is F R Fowler & Son, Burnholme Fisheries.

The York family fish business, also known as Fowlers of York, which is based at Gerard Avenue, Burnholme, is continuing its home deliveries direct to people’s doorsteps.

Richard Fowler is offering fish boxes, from a range of fresh fish. Portions are skinned and boned, and vacuum packed, suitable for home freezing, at no extra cost.

Tancred Farm Shop at Green Hammerton is also using Love Local campaign to promote its range of meat, produced on the farm. The family-run business is also now taking Christmas orders.

D-Tail Plants of Poppleton remains open through the lockdown, and has an abundance of plants, with Christmas trees arriving soon. For anyone concerned about venturing out, D-Tail Plants will choose and deliver a Christmas tree to your door.

Minster Self Drive is available to support other essential services with transport.