More than ever before, competition within any industry is driven by the ability to digitally transform business operations and provide customers both current and future with an experience that proves why your core functionality rises to the top among the competition. For small and medium enterprises (SME) this is especially critical. Digital barriers are increasingly tougher to crack and with overcommunication flooding inboxes, standing out can seem incredibly daunting.
Launching Web Essentials in 2022 enabled Braidio to arm SMEs globally with next-generation tools such as AI-powered digital presence creation, video calling capabilities powered by world-class providers, and ecommerce solutions that boost revenue, all while staying conscious of the need for simplicity both for customers and business leaders
The Need to Focus on Solutions Targeted at SME’s is Clearer Than Ever
90% of all companies globally are small businesses, and those same businesses account for 50% of all jobs, making the opportunity to provide targeted solutions endless. Though currently experiencing a period of turbulence, the global supply chain is more dynamic than ever, with digital connectivity allowing for online services and outreach to vastly increase the reach of enterprises of all sizes.
The limiting factor is no longer technology but instead the ability of an SME to scale up based on their online infrastructure. Once built, businesses are able to take off at unprecedented rates thanks to the interconnectedness of consumers. The conventional wisdom of the brick-and-mortar business concerning customer visibility still applies in the digital age: You need to meet the customer where they are.
What is “Essential” for Any Business Growing their Digital Edge
Every business may have a handful of unique needs related to digitalizing operations, but there is a global standard forming around what consumers expect a world-class CX should look like. Live chat, appointment scheduling where applicable, and eCommerce modules that allow for seamless journeys from discovery to product purchase are just a few of the critical features needed to gain and retain customers.
Even more important is the simplicity when evaluating usability, both as a customer or business. With Web Essentials, this functionality and more can be braided together into a sleek, AI-designed webpage in under 90 seconds, and has been done so by over 300,000 companies to date. SME’s no longer need to consider taking months to hire a web development team or learn how to do things themselves.
Looking to the Future of SMB Digitalization at the Customer Edge
89% of millennials expect brands to use technology to shape their customer experiences, which will leave a lasting impact in the decades to come as expectations of businesses to match a desire for technology continue to be an integrated part of daily life.
As mentioned, the digital storefront is now best placed where customers already are, such as on WhatsApp where the global user base of 2B are topping out at 100B messages sent per day. Through our inquiry workflow, SMEs can now build customer experiences natively incorporated into WhatsApp that allow for functionality like taking orders, booking appointments and more.
Conclusion
The age of digital transformation may have been sped up by the onset of the recent pandemic, but while that crisis slows down, the opportunity to build a digital presence for SMEs around the world is growing exponentially. As major players in UCaaS, CPaaS, and telecom realize this untapped potential within a majority of the global market, I anticipate that we will increasingly see a shift within the technology landscape to building systems that support the growth of SMEs. Ultimately this will give end consumers more choice to find the companies that best fits their needs in any industry anywhere around the world.
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