RJ offering free platform to businesses amid coronavirus closures

To help businesses weather the economic storm brought on by the novel coronavirus, the Review-Journal is launching an initiative called “RJ Business Updates.”

The Review-Journal is offering businesses a free platform to communicate with customers, both online and in print.

“The business updates page on our website and in our newspaper will keep businesses connected to customers seeking real-time information,” said Chase Rankin, the Review-Journal’s senior vice president for advertising and marketing.

“Our ultimate goals: help businesses recover and grow, and help RJ readers find the products and services they’re looking for at a time when many companies have been ordered closed,” Rankin said.

Businesses can upload and update information online at lvrj.com/vegasbizupdates or by phone at 702-383-0383. That information — an address, contact information, business hours and service/product offerings — will appear at lvrj.com/vegas-business-updates, where customers can see it. The Review-Journal will occasionally run these business updates in our print edition as well.

And if a company’s information changes based on the status of the governor’s order, a business’ needs or a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19, companies can update their information as needed.

In a normal week, the Review-Journal reaches more than 777,000 adults in Clark County, but in the past week local visitors to reviewjournal.com have more than doubled. This past Sunday and Monday, reviewjournal.com had more article views than any other two-day period since the website launched in 1997, said Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook.

This rapid growth in the Review-Journal’s audience is an opportunity for all Southern Nevada businesses to reach new customers, Rankin said. Despite mass closures ordered by Gov. Steve Sisolak, plenty of companies remain open, and even those deemed nonessential can still engage in some kinds of sales provided they observe social distancing.

“I hope everyone will see this free service as a useful lifeline. It’s important that we navigate a challenging business landscape together,” Rankin said.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @brianarerick on Twitter.