When you are running a small business, you want all the tools and applications you can to make life easier. More than ever, the internet is helping companies reach customers as they never have before. However, there is still a little way to go; a recent study showed that although over 80% of small businesses have a website, only around 22% have conducted e-commerce. However, there are other areas of cloud which small companies are now using more to grow and promote their brand.
Marketing
When it comes to marketing, there are many opportunities on the web to promote your brand and reach your customers. Even the smallest of businesses can achieve success by simply using a few modest ideas.
Email marketing, if used effectively and efficiently, can become a major factor in creating new leads. Personalized and well-designed emails can inform your customers of new products or services, retain your loyal customer base, while acquiring new customers and reaching new consumers.
However, one area of marketing which is not employed by enough companies is video marketing. YouTube and similar sites can give a company access to millions of people, and research has shown that videos have more effect on consumers than just text-based messages. It can hold the attentions of your customers for longer and explain your product and/or service more easily.
Online Computer Systems
Businesses can save a lot of money by transferring their data and processes to the cloud. They do not need to worry about server space or to update their software because they can use outside companies to look after it for them.
Templafy is a document management application that can help automate all the documents and simplify branding. These types of systems make it easier for employees to access data and documents outside the office. By having people work from home, small businesses can also cut the cost of office space.
E-commerce
With everything online, companies can use e-commerce to automate their customer’s transactions fully. Not only can customers order from the website or mobile apps, but all the stock ordering can be done automatically with invoices sent to suppliers all over the world. It makes the whole process much easier for shoppers and transforms one-off customers into loyal patrons.
It also means that small businesses do not need to have shops or any physical place to sell their products; potentially saving your company money on renting out a shopfront.
Customer Service
Talking to customer services on the telephone have long been the bane of consumers lives; now, they can avoid time-consuming trips to shops and log queues. With an online presence, companies can use other ways to help customers contact them. Web chats and mobile apps are now becoming a simpler and more direct way of talking to customers.
There is no doubt that customer’s want more access to their favourite shops more of the time. They want to be able to buy the things they need at the touch of a button and have it delivered to their door. Small businesses are listening to their customers and are starting to make the change online.