The various confinements have highlighted the importance of having a digital storefront to maintain a link with customers or continue sales. But how can you implement this type of project without a budget or development skills?
Since the health crisis, companies selling products and services have fully understood the importance of digital for their business. Indeed, their survival is at stake. And, if the big brands (with more markets and resources) already had sites, to what extent is it more important than before, for an SME, a VSE or an independent, to have a website? Have the stakes increased? Are they different? Have new development opportunities presented themselves to small structures seeking to adapt? Stéphane Bataillard, site design expert, gives us some answers.
Paradigm shift
In the spring of 2020, many small structures found themselves obliged to create their website urgently. Let us remember that until now they were rather reluctant, due to lack of time, training or even budgetary reasons. Circumstances forced them to take the plunge. The objective was to be able to maintain, depending on the sector, a minimum of activity.
New uses, new opportunities
Circumstances have revolutionised buying behaviour and the use of communications media. The explosion in e-commerce and teleworking is proof of this. Working remotely is now commonplace. In the same way, a commercial offer, whatever it may be, must be able to be consulted online.
New challenges
This revolution has generated new needs: increased mastery of site design techniques, autonomy, security and acquisition of visibility. More than ever, these are the crucial factors for the success of a web project. Satisfying these needs allows the manager of a VSE/SME or the independent worker to be able to devote himself to the development of his activity with serenity and to better cope with crisis situations like the one we experienced.
A technique at your fingertips
For non-specialists, a website project often means confronting a certain number of preconceived ideas. The entire technical aspect that it encompasses seems inaccessible to neophytes and that is what needs to change. The importance of a digital presence no longer needs to be demonstrated, we now need to understand what we are talking about to dare to get started.
Open source to the rescue
Before the crisis, a presumed substantial financial investment, apparent technical complexity, fear of change, etc. could constitute false good reasons for VSEs/SMEs and self-employed people to postpone the creation of their website. However, the efficient technologies already existed. Easy to implement, open source and mostly inexpensive or free, they have proven to be a beneficial remedy.
CMS and social networks
The main CMS on the market (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, PrestaShop, etc.), as well as SAS tools (Shopify, Wix, etc.) demonstrated their maturity on this occasion. Associated with the impact of social networks, they have also shown that they constitute assets for development. Among these solutions, each has advantages depending on its area of use (e-commerce, blog, etc.).
Professional requirement
Creating your website has long been within everyone's reach. Including for those who are not web professionals. Despite everything, you have to understand the world of the Internet and sites. Thus, in addition to acquiring a minimum of technical knowledge to be able to use the tools, it is important to take into account that creating your website is not an end in itself, but the beginning of an adventure that can transform the economic model of a company, however small it may be..
Do you necessarily have to be a computer scientist to create your site?
You don't need to be a computer expert to create your website. But it is necessary to acquire a minimum of knowledge. Understanding how a strategic tool works for the company is indeed decisive. This reassures the manager and helps him make his choices.
What you need to know to create your site
It is a question here of knowing how data is stored on a server (understanding the hosting plans), knowing how to navigate a minimum of a back office… but not only that.
Knowing how to identify the role played by each language or technology, being able to understand the role played by the site in a global communication system and integrating security-related issues are the key elements. They will help us understand how to integrate this new digital showcase at the heart of a communication strategy.
What is decisive...
A manager of a VSE/SME or a self-employed person must more than others be able to make the relevant choice to properly size their system according to the capabilities and needs of their company. Should he choose a service provider to create his site? If yes, according to what criteria (budget, agency or independent, specifications, project planning, monitoring, etc.)?
Should he train and create his site himself? Should he, if he can, hire someone to take care of it? How will the site gain visibility?
It must be remembered thata site requires different skills. Choosing a development model means being aware that behind this future site lie needs in web development, SEO, web writing, graphics, community management (for cross-channel strategies), etc.
An accelerated digital transition
During the health crisis, these questions arose crucially for business leaders. They had to find solutions to adapt to the new context. While previously it was in certain cases possible to dodge these questions with a good customer network, the isolation in which certain small structures suddenly found themselves forced them to confront them.
Training and support
Training and support was the answer to these questions. Training allows you to achieve what the implementation of a digital system requires for a small structure. Which is the heart of the problem. Adapting above all consisted of agreeing to take a step back to calmly consider questioning one's economic model.. And project it, often against preconceived ideas (it's too complicated, too expensive, it takes too long...), into another dimension.
Taking a healthy step back
In this regard, the different periods of confinement have been beneficial. They have in fact allowed heads of VSE/SMEs and independents to take the time necessary to take a step back. It was also the perfect opportunity to take the time to train, understand and assimilate. Something few considered or were able to do before. And thereby open up to new horizons.
For the structures that dared to confront these problems by reacting at the right time (i.e. at the start of the crisis), this accelerated digital transformation was vital. It not only allowed them to overcome an unprecedented crisis, but also to prepare for the future. More and more VSEs/SMEs are digitally equipped and have implemented these crucial projects for their survival.
Some figures, according to the France num 2021 barometer
- 66 % of the companies surveyed have a website presenting their activity, excluding social networks. There were 37 % before the crisis, a jump of +29 points.
- 43 % have an online document exchange platform between collaborators. There were 17 % before the pandemic, a gain of +26 points.
- 29 % use paid referencing on the Internet. There were 15 % before the COVID-19 crisis, a significant change of +14 points.
- 33 % use professional collaboration tools. There were 21 % before the epidemic, or +12 points.
- 20 % have their own online sales website, compared to 9 % before the crisis, an increase of +11 points.
These different figures clearly show that embarking on a digital project is within everyone's reach and above all a promising initiative for companies of all sizes. Whatever your scale, your ambition and your skills, a website is possible provided you make the appropriate investment (time, preparation, budget).
