Why digital marketing is the way to go for small businesses
There is no escaping the fact that small businesses have been the hardest hit by COVID and the resultant lockdown. According to a recent report released by business organisation, Sakeliga, five percent of the business owners they surveyed claimed that their enterprise would be closing down within the next 12-month period. A further 44 percent claimed that the future of their enterprises remained uncertain. 96 percent of the business owners who participated in the survey employed fewer than 50 employees.
In short, it is a sad reality is that a significant number of these small businesses simply do not have access to the tools, the finances, or the knowhow necessary to overcome the hardships with which they are currently faced. Telkom Business is determined to change this with the launch of its new application and online marketplace known as Yep!.
The case for going digital
The transition from traditional in-store buying to online shopping has been underway for some time.
However, as many experts will agree, there has been an element of resistance amongst both South African consumers and SMEs. Since COVID arrived and the subsequent lockdown was implemented, it has become evident that investing in digital marketing and building a favourable online reputation is no longer optional – it is a necessity.
It has become evident that few consumers are leaving the safety of their homes to shop. Most are ordering goods using digital means and enjoying the peace of mind that those goods will be delivered straight to their door.
Keneilwe Gwabeni, Chief Information Officer at Telkom Business, insists that it is time for local businesses to embrace agility and the digital world. This means completely revolutionising the way that they do business and adopting a more people-focused, customer-centric company culture. Small businesses must develop, test, and implement approaches to match consumer requirements and actively solve their problems. This level of innovation and adaptability is vital if these SMEs are to survive within the current competitive, ruthless economic climate.
But what is to become of those small businesses that have yet to take action to set up a website and create an enduring online presence? That is where Yep! comes in.
Yep! closes the gap of SME CTO skills through providing SMEs with a robust platform that is designed to enable a new business model that allows for the complete digitisation of a company’s product or service offering.
Yep! presents an online shopfront platform that the SME can set up themselves in minutes, following which, the businesses can immediately begin trading their products and services on a fully functional digital platform. Yep! draws inspiration from the agile world in which SMEs operate and also leverages the technology necessary to support an ecosystem that allows consumers, government, and large corporates to find trustworthy products and services from small businesses.
Yep! seeks to walk the winding path together with small enterprises in an effort to assist in solving the current issues with which they are faced so that they can better serve their customers in a more collaborative and responsive manner. The app also strives to extend the reach of local businesses, helping them to make that all-important digital transition, and to further aid them in surviving and thriving throughout the times of the COVID pandemic.
Digital is the key. Yep! is the solution.