The rapid pace of digital adoption across the country has meant that more and more people are spending their time online through smartphones, or other devices.
According to the Telecom Subscription Data published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India has 1,156.44 million wireless subscribers, (those who have subscribed for either 2G, 3G or 4G services) as of January 2020. Of these, 644.54 million are urban-based wireless subscribers, while the rest are rural-based.
Access to the internet also has meant that consumer behaviour has undergone a tremendous change in the past few years. According to a report, 82 percent of smartphone users carry out research on their phone before making an in-store purchase.
There is no denying it — businesses must have an online presence to stay relevant to their customer base, and this is a cornerstone to their future growth.
Having a website that conveys a sense of professionalism is of utmost importance. According to a Stanford web credibility research, close to 75 percent of consumers assess the credibility of a business by looking at their website design.
Often, small business owners do not have the time, the expertise, or the resources, monetary or otherwise, to create their own website. Nor would they be familiar with the principles of website design to ensure that it would look professional to prospective customers.
To help small businesses overcome these challenges and establish their much-needed online presence, Vodafone has launched WebBuddy — a suite of online presence tools that enables small businesses to set up their professional responsive websites, get advanced business email features, or sell their products through an integrated e-commerce solution.
“Digital India provides tremendous opportunities for small businesses and MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), however, many of them still shy away from taking their business online because of the perceived technology and cost challenges. With WebBuddy we are making it easy, quick and cost-effective for small businesses to grow their online exposure and digitally enable their business,” says Anil Philip, Executive Vice President -Products, Solutions and Partnerships, Vodafone-Idea.
With WebBuddy Online Presence Pro, businesses can have their website up and running in three simple steps — choosing a domain, customising content with the help of the available templates before publishing the website.
The website’s content management system (CMS) has hundreds of customisable templates by industry, which give small businesses the freedom to customise their website as per their needs without any pre-existing coding skills. The website is also responsive, which means it maintains its professional design seamlessly across a wide range of device screens from desktop to smartphones.
Vodafone WebBuddy also ensures that the website remains relevant by providing search engine optimisation support, integration with social media, and customer support.
Reach out to new customers with email marketing with the integrated marketing tool – design professional newsletters, schedule email campaigns to contacts, get insightful analytics and more!
WebBuddy’s Business Email feature allows small businesses to enhance their online presence with email IDs that are mapped to the domain of their choice. These mailboxes come with anti-spam and anti-virus filters, encryption options for messages with sensitive information and can be accessed through a desktop, smartphone or tablet. WebBuddy’s Business Email is also available in a variety of storage options, ranging from 2GB to 10GB per mailbox, that can meet your needs.
Small businesses looking to expand the presence of their offerings online can do so in a hassle-free manner with the WebBuddy Online Store. A simple set-up guide helps businesses to get their store online quickly and conveniently, right from adding their first product to setting up their tax and shipping options.
The WebBuddy Online Store is pre-integrated with local and global payment options, including PayU and Paypal, which makes it easy to offer various payment options that customers from across the world expect from an online business.
After setting up their product catalogues with all necessary details like stock limits, custom text fields, and dates on the online platform, businesses can also adjust the tax settings for the products and services offered. The Online Store’s reach is further amplified as it is integrated with the business’s responsive website that works across all devices
After setting up their Online Store, businesses can access an easy-to-use portal for a variety of features such as managing their online store, web analytics where they can get insights on the number of visitors and the effectiveness of their online presence. Through this portal, businesses can also manage their website, mailboxes and domain(s).
To expand their outreach, businesses can also design and run email marketing campaigns and get actionable insights to acquire new customers.
