The digital world is becoming one of the main channels for SMEs in our country and is increasingly a major source of income for transforming traditional “offline” businesses into “online” businesses. However, this trend does not reach all areas of activity equally. Transportation, construction and primary sectors are the least digitized, while those linked to ICT businesses, real estate projects, finance and tourism stand out the most.
These data from Caixabank Digitalization in the Industry Report 2020, also certified from their own experience by dinahosting, the leading Spanish provider in the web hosting and domain name market. And no one realizes that the pandemic is driving the digitalization of new businesses. Thus, the volume of new dinahosting customers in 2021 increased by 33% compared to 2019, from 8,021 to 10,651.
In this respect, Paulo Rodriguez, director dinahostingstates that “entrepreneurs’ interest in developing their online presence is a real and consolidated trend.” Therefore, with your help we dismantle 10 common myths about digitalization in small and medium businesses:
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I’m already on Facebook and Instagram, why do I want a website?
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Now that the pandemic has subsided, is it worth staying online?
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It doesn’t matter which web hosting provider I choose for my website
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The internet was only made for big companies
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To manage a website, you need to know programming.
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Whatever my job is, I’m sure I need an online store
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Cybersecurity is something that should only concern public administrations and large corporations.
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I don’t need a professional email with my domain, it comes with a free account
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I’m not interested in owning a blog either, or will it make me money?
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No one will help me digitize
1. I’m already on Facebook and Instagram, why do I want a website?
You are never in full control of a social network. This means that if that network suffers a decline in services or even decides to close its doors, there will be no one to claim your profile from and you just have to start from scratch somewhere else. Also, as a business, you’re at the expense of changes in their algorithms, and it’s not always easy to see if you don’t pay for ads.
“A website is yours and you have total control over it. Think of it as the foundation of your online presence, the space where you know who you are and what to do,” sums up the director of dinahosting.
Compared to social networks, a website is owned by its owner, which ensures 100% control.
2. Now that the pandemic has subsided, is it worth staying online?
At this point, we cannot ignore the benefits that digital can bring to a business. Online sales are growing at an unprecedented rate and this is due, among other reasons, to how comfortable it is to buy the sofa at home.
During the crisis caused by COVID-19, many sectors, such as the hospitality industry, have been completely re-transformed thanks to digitization, home deliveries and managing takeaway orders with the help of a simple web form. “All businesses should consider the sales opportunities a website provides them,” says the person in charge of the Galician company.
3. It doesn’t matter which web hosting provider I choose for my website
The hosting provider is the same as the wheels for the web are the shoes of a car or an athlete. In order for a website to load quickly and not crash, you need a provider with good service and technical support every day of the year. “At Dinahosting, we take care of our clients’ websites as if they were our own. Our attention is in your language 24/7 and of course without an answering machine”, explains Rodriguez.
Also, in terms of SEO positioning of the page, Google and other search engines prioritize websites hosted in the same country, so -in Spain- servers with Spanish IP means websites have better responsiveness. . All dinahosting servers are located in Madrid, so response times will be shorter and the web will load much faster.
Search engines like Google prioritize websites hosted in the same country, so those hosted on dinahosting have a better chance of appearing among the first.
4. The Internet was only made for big companies
On the Internet as well as in the offline world, it is essential to have a differentiated value proposition and to define a good strategy for communicating it to the public. It is not necessary to be on every channel or have large budgets.
This applies to promoters of bodegas.bio projects, a marketplace for organic and vegan wines, or filkers.com, an online platform for creating real-time promotional videos of products. Both are dinahosting customers and are an example of how an SMB can successfully start e-commerce.
5. To manage a website, you need to know programming
Today, you can self-teach in web development thanks to the enormous documentation and community behind some platforms. There, without a doubt, WordPress is ahead, as it allows you to create from a simple website to a complete online store without needing to know programming.
Dinahosting has WordPress plans tailored to every need, from the most basic to the most advanced projects. Additionally, the WordPress Optimized DH version includes improvements in positioning, performance, and security to make it even easier for SMBs.
It is true that if professional help is available, the website owner will be more agile in development and allow them to focus solely on the selling part, leaving aside the technical issues. However, anyone who needs to put together a basic web page that doesn’t require a content update can usually manage it on their own these days. Tools like WordPress are within the reach of every business, as the possibilities for customization and development are vast.
6. No matter what my job is, I definitely need an online store
“Just as all companies did before they were on the Yellow Pages, they have to be on the Internet today,” the Dinahosting director sums up. Of course, this does not mean that all businesses should set up an online store. Each should consider the time and resources they need to know how far they can go.
For many, it will be enough to have a website with offers of services and a contact form, as in a hairdresser or workshop. As Rodriguez concludes, “the important thing is to start with the premise that it is better to do little by doing good than by doing much and doing badly”.
“Just as all companies did before they were on the Yellow Pages, they have to be on the Internet today,” the Dinahosting director sums up.
7. Cybersecurity is something that should only concern public administrations and large corporations.
The rise in cyberattacks has gone hand in hand with an increase in Internet usage today at unprecedented levels. The creativity of hackers knows no bounds: online attacks and threats have evolved in various ways to try to steal information, money, or harm for any other purpose. This threat also affects businesses where computer attacks can be particularly damaging and have serious economic, legal or brand image consequences.
“In the most extreme cases, a cyber incident can even cause a shutdown,” warns Paulo Rodriguez, who resorts to taking measures to minimize risks and avoid as much as possible from these potential threats, both at the user and business level. to risk a job.
8. I don’t need a professional email with my domain, it comes with a free account
The minimal digitization process, according to the Galician company, includes a web page adapted to the company’s specifications and a professional mail service with the name of the business brand.
Compared to common email accounts, an email with your domain name will help identify you as a professional in your industry. Public accounts like Yahoo or Gmail indicate that you have a recent history and your business is not strong enough. However, when you register a domain with dinahosting, the email account is already free: it’s a minimal investment, which greatly improves the brand image.
9. I am not interested in having a blog either, will it make me money?
For some businesses, having a blog section is essential because in addition to helping you improve SEO positioning, it helps position you as a reference in your industry and provides good content for you. Share it on your social networks.
Imagine you own a flower shop: There is a whole world behind plant care that you might want to develop on a blog. All this will give your brand more visibility and, above all, increase the traffic of visits to your page, something that will result in sales sooner or later.
10. No one will help me digitize
Despite a positive development in the main international digitization indicators, Spain still ranks 13th in the European rankings. Digital Economy and Society Index DESI. Our SMEs have a long way to go in order to develop e-commerce channels that affect their own growth and the efficiency of the country’s economy as a whole.
Spain ranks thirteenth in Europe in the ranking of digitalization indicators
Faced with this reality, the Government launched a project to enable small and medium-sized companies to make further progress in their digitalisation. The Next Generation EU is a Digital Kit program operating through bonds from the European fund and under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
“With or without a Digital Kit, every SMB needs to internalize that digital is the way to go: delaying any longer means a loss of opportunity for any business,” concludes Paulo Rodriguez.