This Vadodara-based interior design firm aims for a new wave of growth with Vodafone WebBuddy

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.

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.

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.