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Every small business should ask this question: To web or not to web? A few years ago, most of us wouldn’t have imagined buying food, furniture or an ATV online. These were items we were accustomed to seeing in person before making a commitment. So it may come as a surprise that companies like Vancouver-based Giobikes are doing extremely well. In fact, Giobikes does all of its direct sales online and is the biggest distributor of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), dune buggies and electric scooters in Canada. More and more this is the norm; a traditional bricks-and-mortar purchase is now done with a click. Even with purchases still finalized in person, the web is offering small and medium-sized businesses new ways to interact with customers. For several years now, automobile makers have been letting customers choose online what options they want for their new car. Jayman MasterBuilt in Calgary takes this thinking to an even larger purchase – your home. It allows potential home buyers to build and price their new home online – from choosing the neighbourhood, to choosing all of the lighting and plumbing fixtures. While most people wouldn’t finalize a home purchase online, tools such as these help streamline the process leading up to the actual purchase. Originally, “bricks-to-clicks” companies brought their business to the web because it was a natural fit. These were companies whose products didn’t need to be touched or seen to be purchased. New, untapped markets opened up, and with them came additional revenue. Other companies joined the fray, especially those that sold products that were consistent worldwide. Examples included cameras, CDs and books. A Nikon camera is the same no matter where it is bought, the only differentiator being price. These categories have done very well from the beginning. Today, virtually everything can be sold online, even though some, like Giobikes, seem counterintuitive. So, the question: is your small business doing everything it can to maximize its online business? At a minimum, all businesses should have an online presence, whether it’s a blog or basic website. Customers expect to go online to quickly and easily discover a company’s basic information, such as location and store hours. The next step is to determine whether your products and services should be sold online. With products this is almost always the case, but there are exceptions, especially with larger items that are more affected by increasing shipping costs. There may be some things you sell online, and others that you just offer information on or local shipping only. If up to this point you think, “OK, I agree, but I just can’t justify the cost,” then think again. For the cost of a basic ad in a newspaper you could start a blog or even a website. There are even online tools like Shopify.com that host your site for you, provide design templates and take care of virtual shopping carts and payment. You could launch your online shop by day’s end. Once you’ve decided to expand your online footprint there are some key things to watch for: 1. Fulfilment. Before offering your product(s) online you need to be sure that you have the shipping component nailed down. A good place to start would be to develop a relationship with a specific shipping/courier company. If you’re a services company make sure you can handle the leads that are generated. 2. How are you establishing trust? Trust is the key for a successful online business. When it comes to online transactions you need to make sure you have the pieces in place to instil confidence. This means having a payment tool that ensures a guaranteed level of safety and security. Also make sure your user- experience/customer-service components are lined up. This is essential when there is no face-to-face communication. Finally, a customer testimonial page always goes a long way. 3. Communicate! Communication with your users/customers cannot be under-estimated. Can someone pick up the phone and call you? If not, make sure there is some way for your users and customers to contact you and make sure you have the capability to respond. Nothing will kill a business quicker than bad customer service, whether online or offline. 4. Show me the money. If you’re in the goods business, you need a payment tool. Go online and check out other businesses and the competition, to see what’s most popular and what works. If you’re in the service industry there’s a good chance you’ll need a fast and easy way to handle billing and invoicing. There really is no shortage of tools and resources for any small business to expand their online presence. By doing so you can service existing customers while expanding its market, killing two birds with one … click. • Darrell MacMullin is the general manager of PayPal Canada.
This article from Business in Vancouver Oct 20-26, 2009; issue 1043
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