Websites have increased in numbers in the past few years. Every company, individual worth his name, product, service and anything else under the sun has a web address.
However in India the idea of obtaining service through websites is still a distant dream for many. Companies start websites because it is the trend. They don’t want to be missing the boat. They outsource development and creating of the site to some Web designers and when the site is up and running they simply forget about it.
If a Company has an outlet in a shopping mall for its products OR a stall at an exhibition they will go to great trouble to attract people to their outlets and follow up with the visitors or shoppers. But they have not yet understood that a website is a powerful outlet for their products. They have no one to man the websites. No one bothers whether the information is recent or outdated. Feedback or Queries put on the website are hardly looked into nor responded. If the Company is an Internet based company or their business model depends on the Internet only then do they care to manage their websites. But all traditional Brick & Mortar companies don’t seem to understand the importance of websites as powerful business proposition.
I have many examples to support what I have just mentioned.
- Recently Orient Fans advertised the launch of a new fan with wooden/ brass
blades. The advertisement appeared in one of the magazines which I happened
to read. Naturally to learn more on the new product I went to their website but
their was no mention of the product. Through the contact us option I wrote to the
company for details. But NO Response.
- I was browsing through the Website of Philips India on their lighting products. I
came across a bulb by the name Softone - Argenta. I liked the bulb and wanted
to purchase them for my new flat. I contacted a few electrical shops but none of
them had heard about such bulb. Finally I send an e-mail to Philips India
enquiring about the location where it is available. No Reply. Frustrated I ended up
buying another competitors bulb. Business lost for Philips.
- For my new house I wanted to do the bathroom according to a new design which
I happened to see on the website of a dealer in Andheri. The bathroom design
impressed me. So I send a mail with the picture of the design I saw on the
website. No one bothered to respond. Finally I asked a local carpenter to design
it for me. Again business lost.
I have been sending mails to various companies enquiring about furniture, Decorations and Arts, Interiors after browsing through their website. And to my dismal surprise none of them ever bothered to reply. And if they replied it was always very vague.
Here is a huge opportunity for companies to reach out to customers. But they treat this channel with step motherly treatment. Companies which are traditionally Brick & Mortar companies still depend on physical outlets and contacts to reach their customers. But in a globally competetive world, the Internet provides the Companies a platform to expand their business exponentially.
I suggest to these companies to consider the following:
Treat websites and Internet as a channel outlet.
Allocate staff to professionally manage these sites and to respond to customer
queries quickly.
- Update these sites regularly. An individual should feel that he can get all
information that he wants by visiting these sites.
- Look at potential of online selling as a revenue model where cost is greatly
reduced.
- Understand that a web address is a strong reverse advertisement. Instead of
pushing an Advt. on to the customer it is the customer who pulls the Advt. to
himself.
- With increasing penetration of Internet customer expectation will change and
only companies geared to exploit this medium will ultimately succeed.
As an IT savvy person I find the Internet a wonderful medium to gather, research and study about products and services before making a decision. If companies treat their websites with a profession approach it will benefit both the individual and the company. Try sending a query to any foreign companies website and you will get quick and detailed response.