- Vi™ CloudStore: Cloud Service Provider in India Vodafone CloudStore offers a broad set of global cloud-based services and products to better manage global computing, storage, database, analytical, application, and deployment services.
- Creating an online presence with Vodafone WebBuddy to increase business outreach The rapid pace of digital adoption across the country means that more and more people are spending their time.
- Vi™ CloudStore: Cloud Service Provider in India Vodafone CloudStore offers a broad set of global cloud-based services and products to better manage global computing, storage, database, analytical, application, and deployment services.
Towards the end of the 20th century, the World Wide Web was a nascent technology that was largely used for military communications.
National, Oct 16, 2019 – Vodafone Idea Business Services (VIBS), the enterprise arm of Vodafone Idea Limited today launched WebBuddy – a complete suite of online presence tools that can power Small Businesses. WebBuddy is a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) website builder, which.
Little did anyone know that in less than 25 years since its inception, the internet would become an indispensable part of our lives, and forever change the way we learn, work, shop and entertain ourselves.
Internet penetration has transcended borders, thanks to increasing affordability of smartphones and data packages. In India, the number of smartphone users is expected to rise by 84 percent to 859 million by 2022, according to a study by Assocham and PWC.
The challenges to having an online presence
Small businesses, the cornerstone of India’s economy by way of employment generation and economic activity, are aware of the change in consumer behaviour brought on by digitisation.
Some stakeholders that already have a digital presence are also aware of its potential to expand their clientbase beyond their current physical location. According to a survey, almost one-third (32 percent) of the total Indian small businesses surveyed (that are online), reported they already have a website, and about 19 percent said they plan to build a website soon.
However, they often do not have the time, skills or resources needed to reach out prospective customers online and engage with them in a relevant manner. Take the example of Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries — A Vadodara-based business that has been supplying gases like Oxygen, Argon, Nitrogen, Zero Air, among others, to local manufacturing, fabrication, oil and gas, and medical companies.
Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries is a small-sized business operating since 1999 and has an annual turnover of Rs 3.5 crore. Being a small business, it would seek out its clientele by traditional “meet-and-greet” and referral practices, which was time and resource-consuming. It would also resort to traditional ways of marketing that increased the costs of their offering,and had a limited reach in comparison to digital marketing.
Riding the digital wave with Vodafone WebBuddy
The team at Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries found the perfect solution to overcome these hurdles in Vodafone’s WebBuddy — A suite of services specially crafted for small businesses to create an online presence and amplify the outreach of their business beyond the confines of their physical location.
Having a website that conveys a sense of professionalism is important, and according to a Stanford web credibility research, close to 75 percent of consumers judge the credibility of a business by looking at their website design. With WebBuddy, Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries got its own feature-rich, modern website up and running in no time. This is because their website was built on a professional and appealing template, which Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries selected from the hundreds of options offered by WebBuddy.
he business also has the option of adding as many additional pages needed to their website at no cost of their own, and without any coding skills from their end. With their website, Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries could also reach out to prospective customers by adding their contact details, their portfolio of work and customer testimonials at no cost. The website was also responsive, which meant the company could reach out to many more potential customers as the website could work across any array of devices including desktops, tablets and smartphones.
Professional email addresses go a long way in conveying professionalism to clients. Through WebBuddy, Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries secured its unique Domain, which they used to create professional email addresses that offers up to 10 GB in storage, enhanced security with anti-spam and filters, and superior accessibility across all devices, among other advanced features.
The Vodafone edge
Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries did not have the technical skill to create the online presence they needed. This was no more a barrier as Vodafone’s technical staff took care of all their needs — right from setting up all the basic infrastructure, to getting the website up and running, and setting up professional email addresses for all employees of the company.
But this was not all. The industrial gas manufacturer and supplier found it easy to operate its website and manage its email addresses as the Vodafone team was always available to provide the required support and guidance, be it for technical or non-technical issues.
Future plans
Through the power of social media and digital marketing, Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries now plans to increase the awareness of their offerings to potential customers at a reduced cost. As a result, they hope to offer their products and services at competitive rates.
With the potential to expand their client outreach beyond their own geographical area, Bhagyalaxmi Gas Industries now looks at a new wave of growth. They foresee that they would need to upgrade their email and security services to effectively cater to their larger client base.
To know how Vodafone WebBuddy can improve the visibility of your business with a range of customised plans that fit your needs and budget, click here
Small businesses are the pulse of India’s economy. From manufacturing to the services sector, they are a prominent employment generator for millions of people, making their growth imperative for the development of the nation.
However, given that a significant number of citizens today are also netizens, the growth of business at any scale is inextricably linked with having a strong digital presence. 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.
The challenge
Small businesses that are already online are aware of the potential clientbase that comes with having an online presence. According to a survey, almost one-third (32 percent) of the total Indian small businesses surveyed (that are online) reported they already have a website, and about 19 percent said they plan to build a website soon.
Given that the time and resources of most small business owners goes into the operation of their enterprise, they are unable to create the online presence that they require to drive their growth. Take the example of Yasho Creations — an Interior Design company that offers its services across a variety of residential and commercial projects and also supplies wooden services, toughened glass and ACP sheets, among other products.
A typical day for Umesh Wagh, who started the business in 2017, would often involve meeting and reaching out to prospective clients; work on the required drawings; carry out site visits; coordinate with contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and finalise the billing, among other duties. Given the fact that Yasho Creations is a one-man operation, Umesh rarely would find the time and resources to carry out the necessary marketing for growth.
Also, with Yasho Creations’ annual turnover of Rs 50 lakh, advertising costs were also an expensive affair. In fact, any additional costs in business development adds costs to the services rendered, making it less competitive.
Crafting a strong online presence with Vodafone WebBuddy
Having a website that conveys a sense of professionalism is important, and according to a Stanford web credibility research, close to 75 percent of consumers judge the credibility of a business by looking at their website design.
Yasho Creations found the perfect solution in Vodafone’s Web Buddy — A suite of services carefully designed for small businesses to create a customised online presence that would showcase its offerings to millions of netizens. With Web Buddy, Yasho Creations got its unique Domain, which it leveraged to create professional email addresses that offer up to 10 GB in storage, enhanced security with anti-spam and filters, and superior accessibility across all devices, among other advanced features. These email addresses exude professionalism— a crucial element in creating the right impression to potential customers and increasing outreach.
In the past, it was tough for Yasho Creations to present itself to prospective clients without a proper website. Nor could the company secure new customers without time-consuming, word-of-mouth networking that had a localised outreach. To create real impact with their customer outreach and aid their efforts in marketing, Yasho Creations also created a feature-rich, modern website with Web Buddy that showcased the company’s portfolio and its wide-ranging experience across projects, and customer testimonials, among other features that helped them in reaching out to clients at no extra cost.
The responsiveness of the website meant that potential customers could view Yasho Creation’s online profile, search and contact them across any device, be it a desktop, tablet or smartphone.
The Vodafone edge
Before availing Vodafone’s Web Buddy services, Yasho Creations found the task of crafting their own online presence to be daunting. However, right from setting up all the basic infrastructure, to getting the website up and running, and setting up professional email addresses for all employees of the company, Vodafone’s technical staff took care of all these operations smoothly and conveniently.
Even after the complete setup, Vodafone’s technical staff provided all the necessary troubleshooting and support to operate the website and manage their email addresses with ease. Whether it was technical or non-technical issues, Yasho Creations found the management and optimisation of its online presence to be a hassle-free experience with the Vodafone team.
Future plans
Thanks to its customised online presence, Yasho Creations hopes to reach out to potential customers beyond the city. By pivoting to digital marketing, the company is looking to slash fixed costs associated with traditional marketing. This will also help them offer cheaper and competitive rates on their products and services.
Webbuddy Vodafone Customer Care
By leveraging the enhanced brand value that comes with a professionally designed online presence, Yasho Creations is confident of ushering in a new wave of growth. And to be able to provide the best service it can to the clients, Yasho Creations is also considering upgrading its security services, and porting to the web cloud in the future.
Webbuddy Vodafone Bill
To know how Vodafone Web Buddy can improve the visibility of your business with a range of customised plans that fit your needs and budget, click here.