Having a business website has become crucial to Filipino entrepreneurs and small business owners as they continue to navigate a “digital marketplace” amid the challenging times and with a pandemic in the backdrop.
Tech firm GoDaddy also said when it comes to the digital marketplace, it’s not enough for small businesses to only capture the attention of consumers, they need to connect them easily to a direct point of sale opportunity on their website.
Channels like social media can get consumers to review products and services, yet for purchasing it can be helpful to drive them directly to the business’s own website and online store, the company said.
Small business owners who have taken the leap in creating their own business website, acknowledge capturing the attention of customers and more easily driving them to a point of sale.
“Having a website is like having your own pond. It’s easier to fish for customers captivated by your site,” said Pearl de Guzman, founder of Staffz, an online outsourcing company specializing in content.
De Guzman said that investing in a business website not only serves as a virtual storefront, it also makes it easier for customers to find you amid the Internet noise.
“When people search for you online, it’s your website that they’re going to see first, so it’s crucial that you invest in things like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to help make your website come up on top of online search results. GoDaddy easily integrates this with their tools, I was amazed at how convenient that is to have SEO built right in,” De Guzman said.
Staffz is also the winner of last year’s AXN and GoDaddy’s reality show “Project GO.”
For Tina Lagdameo, co-owner of My Honest Junk, an online healthy snack food shop, while she integrates her business website with the use of other channels, including social media to promote her products, her business website remains the main platform where customers are directed towards.
“The website is our hero platform, where we have control over the design and experience, and the ability to manage inventory and share information about current promotions to help customers make purchases and keep them coming back,” Lagdameo said.
She added that the online store on her website “has been a key driver to our overall sales. Unlike other platforms, there are less limitations on how much we can put in our inventory and customers also get to understand our brand story since their focus is solely on our website.”
Lagdameo also shared that as her the business expanded, she relied on GoDaddy’s tech support, GoDaddy Guides, to help her navigate updates she was making on her business website.
However, small businesses should also be wary of the dangers of going online, as noted by Ben Martin, GoDaddy senior security analyst.
“Consider security a priority from Day 1. Don’t wait until your website gets hacked and keep your website up-to-date and patched,” said Martin, adding that the use of strong passwords, limited admin access and secure hosting are also good ways to fend off attacks.
“Cyber attackers often use automated tools and all websites are equal potential targets, no matter how big or small the company. Ensuring that your website has security tool protections, like an SSL Certificate, can go a long way in protecting the transmission of personal information and building trust with your customers for your business website,” said Norman Barrientos, GoDaddy marketing director for Southeast Asia.
“GoDaddy offers a variety of SSL Certificates and website security services to help small business owners protect their business website.”
“In addition, our GoDaddy Guides are trained to explain and walk customers through the different tools, they need to create and maintain their websites. Often, it only takes talking them through the steps, to help build confidence in navigating the tools even if they don’t feel they are tech-savvy,” Barrientos said.
