Double Confirm adds a Touch of Singapore to the Entertainment Industry.
Yes, you read it right! A performing artist took to digital transformation! Hossan Leong, a very much well-known name to Singaporeans made his name through his appearances as a comedian, radio deejay, television host, and theatre actor. And now, on his next step forward, Hossan has set his sights to grow and nurture the next generation of talent in Singapore and beyond.
Inspired by the television game show We Are Singaporeans which he hosted, Hossan Leong took on the catchphrase “double confirm” as his company name. A familiar term in Singapore that carries the meaning of confirming something twice, the term “double confirm” has become synonymous with Hossan Leong ever since.
In a nutshell, Double Confirm is constantly expanding its horizons to bridge the gap between the entertainment industry, creative concepts, and talents. Double Confirm (Productions) is established to provide the best performances for any events and occasions. Double Confirm (Performing Arts & Corporate Training) is established in Malaysia, providing entertainment packages and online media skills training.
Exabytes spoke to Hossan Leong on his digitalisation journey.
Tell us more about Double Confirm.
We pride ourselves in being able to provide great creative talents and solutions for the arts and entertainment sectors. I want to use this platform to give opportunities to up and coming talents in the business.
In Malaysia, we are probably one of the few companies fusing corporate training with corporate entertainment. There was a niche to fill in Johor back in 2015, so we set up the company.
Please share the most memorable challenge when you first started.
It was difficult to separate the ‘Hossan Leong’ brand from the ‘Double Confirm’ brand because they go hand in hand, and clients would always only want to hire Hossan, and not consider other Talents.
Getting the word out that we existed (in Malaysia) was really tough, especially being an English-speaking only course provider, we felt slightly handicapped by not being able to teach in Mandarin or Malay.
How did you overcome it?
We proved to the industry that every talent hired, is world-class and will deliver the show plus more! We now represent a few amazing actors.
We pressed on, we courted clients that knew they could benefit from our training, but of course, we need even more clients to believe in us.
What motivated you to create a website?
I think people would like to see who we represent, so being able to associate one bio’s profile to a face will provide assurance.
Additionally, a website is the only way to feature and showcase what we do. Our services are unique and tailor-made to suit our clients’ needs.
We are still in the midst of upgrading our marketing plans and strategies in this digital transformation journey. We realise that being online is the only way forward as of now.
We mainly rely on social media platforms and the website. However, we have yet to see returns from these platforms in Malaysia.
You have experienced the fruit of your startup business. Please share a few encouraging words to aspiring entrepreneurs.
It will be tough to expand your business beyond Singapore like in Malaysia. We are still trying to get a foothold in the corporate landscape, so all I can advise is that if you really want it, you really have to keep at it, no two ways about it.
Please share your experience with Exabytes.
In this digital transformation, the support we receive from Exabytes is invaluable, and it takes a load off my mind.
Summary
It takes tremendous faith and determination to start up a business. We applaud Hossan Leong and Double Confirm for their unwavering perseverance despite the challenges ahead. We hope that through this platform, they will be able to reach out to a greater audience. Whether you are in Singapore or in Kuala Lumpur or Johor, Double Confirm is here to meet your needs.
Websites for businesses are almost a necessity now. How can a website help you grow your business online?
What is a suitable website for your business and how do you craft your website to target your potential customers?
One of the core elements to take note when designing and building your company website is to identify the objective of your website, and who your target audiences are.
There are some differences in website content and designs for businesses targeting end consumers (B2C), and those mainly dealing with business to business (B2B).
In this article, we will look at the differences and core points to take note of when building your company website.
Purchase Process
For B2C
The purchase process for a website catering directly to end consumers is much simpler compared to those of B2B.
The process from an individual showing interest in a particular product or service to finally making the purchase is much shorter.
A checkout process that is convenient and smooth-sailing can come as one of the points to retain your customers.
For privacy, convenience and a faster process, shoppers are not keen to go through a registration process on your website just to buy something.
Instead, it is more acceptable for them to key in the necessary information for their shopping to reach them, and click “check out”.
There are huge competitions out there as alternative options for consumers to purchase from.
Hence, your website and products have got to be attractive, and the purchase process convenient and smooth-sailing to attract them further.
For B2B
The purchase process for business-to-business is always more complex compared to the ones of end-consumers.
The process for a B2B purchase usually comes with multiple stages, such as submitting your company details by filling out a form, communicating through personal interactions, evaluation of proposals by the team, to the final stages of approvals by the management.
Different companies will have a specific set of protocols and guidelines to follow.
As a B2B purchase usually involves a much larger amount of money, as well as the decisions of more than one person, clear and full information is needed for their decision making.
For B2B purchases, expect or initiate personal interaction with your customers along the process to add a nudge to their final decisions.
Psychological Factors
B2C
Purchases made by an individual, or business-to-customer purchase are very much associated with emotions.
When a shopper sees it, like it, they will proceed to make the purchase almost immediately.
Emotional triggers will lead a consumer to want to own what they saw on your website.
The first impression and look and feel they see of the product or service will encourage the consumer to the next step, and eventually completing a purchase.
B2B
Branding plays a big part in driving the emotions of your customers, especially in the business-to-consumer world.
Having said that, B2B purchases are somewhat emotional too, but in the opposite way.
The process of decision making is not as direct, fast or abrupt for business-to-business purchases.
It takes a much longer procedure to lead to the final stage of completing a purchase.
The team member handling this purchase is usually not the final decision-maker.
And when it involves a big purchase, people will be more afraid to make a decision.
A wrong decision made could affect their entire team or even the company as a whole.
Risk aversion and fear are two typical emotion-related factors associated with B2B purchases.
The price does not differ from consumer to consumer, unless of those with a discount code.
The only hidden fee that a sale may incur is the shipping fee.
And this is usually expected and stated somewhere on the website.
Another common practice on B2C websites is to upsell and cross-sell products.
This is a useful tip to take note and a good one to incorporate to increase the amount per transaction made.
B2B
As for B2B, the pricing is not as straightforward.
Prices quoted can differ from company to company depending on the needs of each client.
Usually, business-to-business websites do not list prices or costs associated with the product or service.
B2B websites have distinct plans and various options for different types of companies, catering to the large array of sizes and industries.
It is more challenging to price B2B products and services upfront on a website.
Costs for B2B purchases are usually customised based on company needs.
Other than customised costs, a B2B purchase often involves implementation, maintenance or set-fees that may not be clearly stated on the website.
Though, having some sort of a price guide on your website can sometimes lead to a better and happier impression by your customers.
This, in turn, can also lessen time wasted on customers who have the budget of a different tier.
Buyer Decision Making
B2C
A business-to-consumer website mainly interacts with one person, which will be the buyer itself, or the decision-maker.
For purchase by an end consumer, the buyer does not need anyone else to justify his/her decision, or get permission to make that purchase.
When the shopper is shopping on your website, more likely than not the user will make an impulsive decision, and complete the transaction there and then.
It is less likely that these purchases are planned ahead of time.
B2B
On a B2B website, there is usually a team of people behind the user, and prior to this, they would have started doing some research on what they are looking for before approaching you.
The multiple people involved will have a set of procedures to follow, leading to the final decision-making process.
This lengthy and detailed procedure will result in a longer decision-making process.
For B2B businesses, it is common that their products and services are on a higher price compared to those listed on a business-to-consumer website.
As things are usually listed with higher prices on a B2B website, decision-makers tend to go through a more thorough and detailed decision-making process.
They need to be more than sure that what they’re committing to will fit into their needs, current system and workflow.
Design
B2C
The main point on the first impression for a B2C website is to be catchy and attractive. It is important to make sure that the content strategy is on par.
Messages, product names and titles should be short yet appealing.
Note not to overload a B2C website with too much information.
End consumers usually do not require very detailed information.
Some important and straight to the point information paired with large attractive images will do the trick.
We all know that competition is high and there are many other websites and platforms available for consumers to buy similar products from.
Hence, the design of your website, usability and user experience should be updated consistently, and the smooth-running of your website should be checked regularly too.
One important point to take note is to ensure that your website has a simple and straightforward checkout process.
The most important user journey on your website is from clicking “add to cart” to checking out and completing the payment process.
It is always good to make sure that the process of checking out on your website and making a payment is easy and smooth-running.
On top of that, information for each product/service should be clearly stated upfront.
We do not want to encourage abandoned carts, or worse still, a shopper abandoning your site completely.
B2B
On the other hand, B2B websites cater to different needs.
Users on B2B websites will usually want more information to understand the products or services they are looking for.
On top of this, the credibility of your website is also very important.
Users must trust your website completely before converting.
When your website does not have detailed and valuable information, your conversion rates tend to be low.
Design and attractive large images are not what attracts on a B2B website.
On a B2B website, your design should be focused on your content and information.
It is crucial to make sure that users are well-informed throughout their journey on your website.
A tip to note, try to include as many CTAs on your website as possible.
You can use CTAs such as live chat, contact number, direct messaging platform, email address etc.
It is good to include some personalised interaction in your CTAs.
As for content strategy on a B2B website, include a variety of content, for example, videos, webinars, blogs, testimonials, FAQs, recorded product demos etc.
Information in these multiple forms will help your users understand the information you’re sharing better.
On a B2B website, it is unlikely for a purchase to happen on the first visit, or first interaction.
Business-to-business leads do need more nurturing, and this should be taken into account in your design process.
Information on compatibility and integration can be important to assure your users that your products and services are the right ones for their company.
Technical specifications are details they need to digest and make comparison with.
Though pricing for B2B businesses is not fixed in all fronts, a price guide or a price estimation calculator can come as useful for users to have an idea of the price range they’re looking at or working towards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, B2B and B2C websites both have different audiences, catering to distinct needs.
A B2B website is more about providing detailed and valuable information, and have personalised interaction.
And for a B2C website, the first impression matters a lot.
The look and feel as one enters your website must attract and excite your users.
Next will be user experience and your checkout process.
These must be made the simplest and straightforward for users to complete their purchase and make payment easily.
Prices and product information should be shown and stated as clearly as possible.
Malaysia’s Digital Sector to Expect 20% Organic Growth this 2021
Exabytes expects Malaysia’s digital sector to grow 20 per cent organically.
In a statement released, Exabytes chief executive officer, Mr Chan Kee Siak said, opportunities would arise but with many uncertainties in terms of Covid-19, vaccine effectiveness, the timing to get everyone vaccinated as well as stabilising politics.
Digital Transformation
From his experiences, Mr Chan shared that “For businesses, digital transformation and e-commerce adoption is essential.
More businesses and retails will also evolve into Omni Channel commerce or also known as New Retail, fully maximising the benefits and potentials of online business by merging it with an existing offline business.”
The hit of Covid-19 in the year 2020 saw many businesses collapse, as well as those who took a steep step in learning to sustain their businesses the new norm way – digitalising.
Digital transformation and the adoption of e-commerce became essentials. Lockdowns were and are being imposed worldwide at some point in time.
Some cities have even been through a few rounds of lockdowns.
Physical stores cannot operate, and for those businesses who only operate by their brick and mortar store, it means zero income.
Uncertainties to Opportunities
Mr Chan said, “The Covid-19 hit the world with surprises and panicked many businesses. Very quickly, many businesses turned uncertainties into opportunities and accelerated their digitalisation journeys as well as embarked into e-commerce and the digital economy.”
In 2020, the overall cloud/digital industry saw moderate growth of around 15 per cent.
“New customers growth is probably higher than the previous year, however, it is offset against a slightly bigger churn on existing customers due to business closure or cost-cutting measures, says Chan.
Southeast Asia’s Leading Cloud and Digital Solutions Provider
Exabytes was founded by Chan when he was a 19-year-old college student in 2001.
And today, he has grown the company to be one of Southeast Asia’s leading cloud and digital solutions providers.
Starting off offering only web-hosting services, Exabytes today offers products and services such as web security, web design, digital marketing and e-commerce services with a focus on providing solutions to SMEs.
Read full news article on New Straits Times and Johor Business Network.
For online business, how you reach and communicate with customers online is always an important point that needs to be worked on. In this digital era, businesses have the privilege of making use of various powerful online communication tools to engage and communicate with their potential customers easily.
Email is the main form of digital communication that is generally used by online businesses to inform their customers regarding any information about their services or products. Today, email still remains to be the most popular and important channel used to communicate with customers thanks to a large number of email users and cost-effectiveness. It is also an online identifier, and most people strongly believe that email is still a necessity.
It will be advantageous for an online business if transaction email is used effectively. However, outgoing transaction emails are more likely to end up in spam or promotion folders instead of the customer’s inbox, thus decreasing the open rate and effectiveness.
The moderator ( Nicole Chang) and speaker ( Madhu Kiran) of the event.
The speaker for this webinar, Madhu Kiran from Handy Sends, shared knowledge about transactional and marketing emails as well as how online businesses could improve the open rate and click rate.
Before we are able to create an effective transactional email, first we have to understand what transactional email is and why it did not achieve an ideal open rate and click rate. At the same time, we must identify what improvement we might need to make in order to mitigate the possibility of the email going straight into the spam mail folder.
Key points from the webinar:
1. Types of Emails
a. Transactional Emails
For developers
From one particular system to one particular recipient
2.Common mistakes when creating transactional emails
Only Text in the Email
Having only text for the content (without any color or a clear format to showcase the products/services) is more likely to cause the customer to just open the email and then close it without taking any further action.
Missing out a Call-to-Action
Having a call-to-action in the transaction email is very important as it will direct the customer to take the next step in order to fulfil the purpose of the company in sending the email.
Unclear
The content of a transactional email needs to clearly explain your products and services. A clear call-to-action button can also ensure your customer is encouraged to click on the link or the button to find out more.
3. Dead-End Email Identification
Measure and identify the effectiveness of your transactional email through the open rate and click rate. By identifying the open and click rate of the email sent, you will be able to work out what the problem is and whether the email is going straight into the spam mail folder.
4. Making sure your brand is clearly stated in the email
The receiver will want to know who sent the email and where did the email have come from. Make sure you have your brand name clearly displayed in the email, so that the receiver is willing to open it and read it.
5. Clear subject line and intro text
It is important to ensure the appropriateness of the subject line and intro text as it is visible to the receiver before they actually open it and read the content.
6. Length of the email
Lengthy emails are not an effective way to communicate with your customers. They will be more likely to close the email before reading it fully, and miss the call-to-action button at the bottom of the email.
7.Test your email template
You should not assume that your email is perfect enough to send out to customers. Practise the good habit of testing your email before sending it; this will have an effect on the success of the email.
8.Improve the deliverability
In order to improve the deliverability of your transactional emails, both the technical and marketing sides need to work together to enhance the quality of the email, making sure it is delivered effectively and read by your customers.
Transactional emails play a vital role in communicating with customers. Therefore, if your email has not performed as it should, it is important to discover whether it’s due to technical errors or poorly portrayed email content.
A powerful and effective transactional email is able to increase the revenue of your online business. As it is sent directly to all respective customers, it feels more exclusive and can encourage the customer to take the next step — purchase a product or service, or seek more information about the company.
Keen to learn more about transactional email ? Watch the full video of the webinar, providing yourself more insight regarding what is transactional email and how to make it stronger!
Outbound marketing and inbound marketing are the terms that always appear while companies are building strategic marketing plans. Being fully capable of driving the effectiveness of your marketing plans and strategies, outbound marketing is also known as “push” marketing in which the company takes the initiative to approach and reach audiences in various ways.
On the other hand, inbound marketing is a “pull” strategy that attracts the right audiences or customers towards your brand or company by creating value.It works well in enhancing your company or brand’s credibility while building customer trust in your company. Hence, leading your company to acquire loyal customers.
Times have changed, and so has customers’ purchasing behaviour; most people are now getting and consuming information online. Thus, effective inbound marketing plays a vital role in the digital marketing world by starting to engage, build, and maintain relationships with potential and existing customers online.
The moderator ( Lee Yan Jian ) and panelists ( Marcus Ho & Aaron Goh ) of the event.
During this webinar, Marcus and Aaron both had shared their valued experiences of how they used inbound marketing in their business and how the effort of using inbound marketing had led them to have their present accomplishments. Although applying inbound marketing was time-consuming, it would eventually lead businesses to the path of success.
Effective implementation of inbound marketing is one of the key weapons that can help your online business stand out from the competitors. This strategy allows you to attract the audiences you intend to reach and maintain a long-term relationship with them and drive constant sales for your online business.
The following are the takeaway from the webinar.
1. Most effective inbound marketing implementation.
Amazing content
Have a good writer to write quality and unique content: content that can’t be found elsewhere online. The writer ought to be able to empathize with the target customers and ensure the association between the content and target customers. The content must be something the customers can relate to.
Events
Organizing events is a way to provide value for the customers. Approaching the customers and providing valuable consultation or advice before they are willing to engage with your company.
2. Combination of outbound and inbound marketing.
Outbound marketing is a short-term tactic while inbound marketing is a long-term tactic, and there is a corresponding link between both. Outbound marketing can build a foundation for the implementation of inbound marketing as it helps the company build brand awareness and reach out to mass audiences in the short run. With the brand awareness built, inbound marketing will then allow the company to filter and directly reach the right audience in the long run.
3. Customer journeys
Customers are always the priority for a business. To pull customers towards you, you need to understand your customers’ purchasing behaviour, identify customers’ problems, and create value along the customer journey. Enlighten the customers how the products and services you offer can solve the issues faced by them. A good customer experience journey will retain the customer who will then continue to support your business.
4.Consistently publish or send articles
These days people are more likely to seek and consume information online. Therefore, it’s a good idea to consistently publish your articles to reach the target audience and make sure they are always exposed to your content.
5.Focus on the most effective platform
Investing all the time, money, and resources on various media platforms is not always the most brilliant way to do online marketing. Identify and focus on the most effective platform by eliminating media platforms that do not accomplish the expected result for your business.
6. Understand the market shift
The market works, and the customer trend has shifted due to the emergence of any societal changes around the customers. Therefore, it is important for companies to identify and address the gap, shift the company position to satisfy customer demands, and change the way the company interacts and approaches the customers.
7.Measuring your success
Outcome indicator
Look at the traffic, sales, and customer satisfaction to identify whether you have achieved your intended or expected outcome.
Process indicator
Measure your productivity when working towards achieving your goals—for example, the amount of content you have produced in a week.
Inbound marketing is a useful tool that works well for online marketers in achieving their objectives. Implementing inbound marketing needs patience as it will not show an immediate result right away. But in the long run, inbound marketing gives your brand a professional outlook in a specific industry, which allows your company to reach and attract the right customers.
This was an excellent webinar in which both speakers have provided insightful information regarding inbound marketing. To find out more, watch the full video of the webinar, you will gain more than you expected!
The roots of cloud computing can be traced back to the 1960s, with DARPA’s (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) project MAC and J.C.R Licklider’s vision for the “Intergalactic Computer Network” or the Internet as it’s known today.
However, it wasn’t until the rise of the Internet and the public release of the World Wide Web in the 1990s that the world took its first step towards creating cloud computing.
1. The 1990s: The Rise of SaaS
The invention of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 and the release of web browsers a few years later changed the internet as we know it. It invited massive investment into networking technology and inspired social changes that affect us to these days. During the 90s, personal computers were widely available to consumers because they had become more affordable. In order to meet the demand of large companies that provide their services to a more connected world, the data centre industry also saw massive growth.
This also spawned the idea of allowing users to access the services and applications provided by a company locally on their personal computer instead of their being a need for physical distribution. Hence, Software-as-a-Service applications were born. One of the first success stories of this new revolution was Salesforce. In 1999, they delivered CRM software of enterprise-grade that could be accessed via a web browser.
2. The 2000s: IaaS and the Cloud Became a Real Thing
After the success of Salesforce, the industry was in a race to carve out more of a market share of this promising new industry. With the expansion of Platform-as-a-Service, SaaS, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service, the cloud was everywhere. Moreover, the UX design allowed regular lay people to gain access to data that was exclusive to coders and programmers. The ship had set sail and everyone was in on it, for entertainment, government work, finance, healthcare and more.
It also ushered in a massive cultural shift unlike anything seen before. Information could be accessed more easily and barriers of knowledge were being shattered. The humblest of places were birthing great things and wealth was being created in the remotest parts of the world. However, one of the biggest innovators and winners of the cloud computing gold rush was Amazon Web Services (AWS).
AWS was internally released by Amazon in 2002 to provide its employees with the database and computing resources required for their projects. This dramatically increased productivity since everything was scalable and there was no need for new infrastructure for every project. With the public release of AWS in 2006 and their Pay-as-you-go program, the industry accelerated rapidly. AWS and its IaaS competitors changed the way businesses think and manage their resources.
3. Various Types of Cloud Services
In regular conversation, “cloud” is often referred to as the public cloud. These cloud computing services use modern technology and virtualization to provide scalable storage and computing resources to large and small businesses and individuals.
While individuals use it primarily for storage and small projects, business cloud and enterprise cloud services are often vital to the functioning of most companies. Then there are the private cloud services that are usually operated and controlled by a single organization for more control and privacy of sensitive data.
4. The Future of Cloud Computing
This year has changed consumer behaviour, social interactions, work environments and the future of cloud computing immensely. Whether we are talking about public, private, or enterprise cloud solutions, current circumstances show that remote work is possible for a significant number of workers.
The same can be seen in the education sector. Remote workers don’t need to waste fuel or resources on their commute and businesses can reduce their operating costs and energy consumption by scaling down their infrastructure.
Final Thoughts
Cloud computing shows a promising future where the planet can reduce its carbon emissions while businesses can become more profitable and individuals can spend more time with their loved ones.
It also makes education more accessible to students from all backgrounds. This also increases competition that may encourage expensive universities and colleges to rethink their value propositions.
While it’s impossible to predict the future of cloud computing with extreme precision, the good news is that it can only get better.
It happens in all our daily tasks no matter your job position or industry. There are the tasks we are enthusiastic and passionate about, but there are also those repetitive tedious ones we’ve got to get through to complete the process.
Admit this! It must have popped in your mind countless times to have these tedious and time-consuming tasks assigned to an assistant, or be able to kick off automation.
You can now stop hoping. The possibilities are here and vast! Start automating your repetitive tasks. Let the machine do the work while you focus on what matters most, and tasks that require your brain juice.
If you’re an employer, adopt automation for the repetitive tasks of your company. Make your monies worth. Utilise the time and money spent on your employees in getting the best out of their talent. Don’t waste time and resources on tasks a simple software can solve for you.
Start automation and rid off the tedious tasks you dislike! Here’s how:
a. Email Marketing
Automate your emails in a highly effective and inexpensive way. Email marketing is one of the lowest cost platforms to reach out to your clients compared to other digital marketing channels. On average, the cost of engagement for a client is around RM0.002 per month, which is comparatively much lower than other marketing channels.
It is proven to be highly effective. It enables you to engage with your clients in a much efficient way, especially during this modern era where computers and smartphones have become a necessity. Most people are checking their emails throughout the day, and they will have a higher intention to open your emails compared to an advertisement, especially when it’s personalised.
With Exabytes’ Ebuzzzz, you can have all your emails personalised, scheduled and customised to the meet your needs. In a click, your emails are being sent to your hundreds and thousands of customers.
Use email marketing to connect with your clients. Remind them of an upcoming deadline, send them wishes, or let them know of your latest products, upcoming promotion, or anything that you’d like to communicate.
b. Automated Sales & Marketing Solutions
Nothing can be worse than leaving your clients unattended. We, as consumers ourselves, we know how it feels like when we are unsure about a product that we’re interested in, and have a question to ask.
With online shopping being the latest trend now, communication and being able to connect with your customers is of utmost importance. We hate being left hanging and being unsure if a particular product is suited to our liking. On the other hand, merchants will see a large number of abandoned checkouts, or in the worst-case scenario, lose the client completely to a competitor.
These situations can now be easily avoided. There are software packages with automated systems to ease your job, and please your clients.
Freshchat
A fast and reliable live chat on your website, use Freshchat to engage with your visitors before they exit. Be sure to connect and engage proactively with your visitors who are dropping off or are close to making a purchase.
Let the automation system do its job. It is there to support your customers, engage with them and turn new users into active customers, and eventually generate leads.
Freshsales
Use a simpler way to close a deal! Have your leads managed without the clutter and analyse and forecast your sales with in-depth reports. Freshsales brings the best of marketing and sales capabilities together.
With AI-powered lead scoring, activity management, built-in conversation, better sales pipeline management, lead scoring and more to create exceptional customer experiences, Freshsales powers your end-to-end customer lifecycle with strong marketing insights.
Freshdesk
A helpdesk software to automate your repetitive work and save time, have all your customer conversations streamlined in one place on Freshdesk. One of the main features of Freshdesk is enabling collaboration with other teams to resolve issues faster.
Conversations will be made easier with faster solutions for your clients by guiding them to explanation and informative videos on your website. With Freshdesk, you will see stronger collaboration internally and externally.
You can invite anyone be it agents, colleagues, or external business partners to discuss and solve tickets through Freshconnect. To solve an issue involving multiple departments, you can share tickets with other teams and work in parallel to solve the issue faster.
c. SMS Marketing
One of the fastest and most direct ways to reach your clients, using SMS marketing enables you to connect with your clients immediately with personalised messages. SMS messages get delivered instantly, and this day and time, the mobile phone is a thing that we will not go anywhere without.
People spend more than 50% of their time staring at their phone screens, and messages are probably the most opened and read. Set up automation to send private verification codes, OTPs, greetings and wishes to your clients.
Keep the communication close and active. SMS marketing has a record of 98% open rate and 112.6% increase in conversion rate.
d. Chatbot
Instantly reply to your clients. The Chatbot works for you round the clock, even when you’re unavailable or sleeping. The AI Chatbot is an automated instant messaging software on Facebook Messenger.
It takes over your tedious job in replying to the many messages you receive in a day, where some of them are repetitive questions. It is a software that is able to mimic conversations using artificial intelligence (AI).
Chatbots can automate the best possible Facebook messaging experience for your customers. You can use Chatbot to broadcast your marketing messages to your clients, assist clients with their shopping journey, support your customer service team by answering basic questions, automate replies and send scheduled messages.
Every one of us surfs the web every day, and the internet is now the number one go-to when we have a question, or trying to find out info. But, what is the process that goes behind this? How does the web churn out and give us what we are looking for?
DNS is one of the key components behind the process of us “googling” and getting the answers we want.
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. The DNS is the phonebook of the internet, the system that connects us to the website by matching human-readable domain names (eg. example.com) with the unique ID of the server where a website is stored.
The DNS lists domain names with IP addresses, which in simpler terms, their corresponding identifiers. To understand this better, relate this to your phonebook, where you list your friends’ names with their phone numbers.
When you enter a domain name (eg. example.com) on your device, it will look up the IP address, and connect them to the physical location where that website is stored.
When we perform a search, we access information online through domain names. Our web browser will then interact through our IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.
From here, the DNS will translate a domain name to an IP address so our browser can load the internet resources that we want. Every device connected to the internet has a unique IP address which other machines use to find the device.
DNS servers eliminate the need for us to have to memorise IP addresses (eg. 192.168.1.1 or more complex alphanumeric), just like the use of our phonebook as mentioned before, we do not need to memorise all the phone numbers and details of our contacts.
What is the Difference Between DNS Checker and DNS Lookup
DNS checker and DNS lookup are two different tools that are used for different purposes in the context of DNS management. DNS checker is a tool for testing and analyzing DNS records to identify issues, while DNS lookup is a process of retrieving the IP address of a domain name.
Here’s the difference between DNS checker and DNS lookup:
DNS lookup, also known as a DNS query, refers to the process of a client requesting a DNS server to retrieve the IP address associated with a specific domain name. In other words, it’s the process of finding the IP address for a given domain name. They are often used to troubleshoot DNS resolution issues or to verify whether DNS changes have propagated correctly across the internet.
A DNS checker is a tool used to test and analyze the DNS records for a particular domain. It can help you identify issues and misconfigurations in your DNS setup that may be affecting the performance or accessibility of your website.
DNS checkers typically provide features such as DNS resolution tests, DNS propagation tests, DNS health checks, and DNS speed tests. They are commonly used by website owners, developers, and IT professionals to diagnose and fix DNS-related issues.
How Does DNS Work?
The internet is a highly-demanded necessity in this day and time. Many of us are using the internet throughout the day in our daily lives but do we know how the machines and process work? The internet is a giant network of computers.
Every single device used to connect to the internet is assigned a unique IP address, which will help other computers identify it.
An IP address is given to each device on the internet. That address is then used to find the appropriate device – just like using a street address to find a particular home.
As IP addresses are a complex combination of alphanumerics, it is almost impossible to have to remember such long strings of numbers and characters for one website, let alone the many websites that you commonly visit.
These string of alphanumerics will tend to register like a code in our human brains, instead of a name, or something we can relate to. To solve the challenge, domain names were invented.
Domain names use alphabets and users can opt for easy to remember names for their websites. With this, browsing online and searching for websites has been made easy and accessible.
The job of DNS is basically to translate domain names into IP addresses, and point your device in the right direction. A domain name and its matching IP address are called a “DNS record”.
Simple steps to understand how DNS works:
1. You open your browser, types in example.com in the address bar and hits Enter on your keyboard. Immediately, the query will travel into the internet and is received by a DNS recursive resolver.
2. The resolver will then query a DNS root nameserver. A quick check is performed to see if you’ve visited this website previously. If the DNS records are found in your computer’s DNS cache, the other DNS lookup will be skipped and you will be taken directly to example.com.
3. Say no DNS records are found, then a query will be sent to your local DNS server. This is your internet provider’s server, often called a “resolving nameserver”. The resolving nameserver is responsible for providing the correct IP address of a domain name to the requesting host. In this case, where no cached information was found on your computer when you make a request, your computer will then send your request to the resolving nameserver.
4. And if the records are not cached on the resolving nameserver, the request will then be forwarded to what’s called a “root nameserver” to locate the DNS records.
The root server will respond to the resolver with the address of a Top Level Domain (TLD) DNS server (eg. .com or .net), which stores the information for its domains. When searching for eg. example.com, the request will be pointed towards .com TLD.
Root nameservers are designated servers around the world that are responsible for storing DNS data and keeping the system working smoothly. Once the DNS record is found on the root nameserver, it will be cached by your computer.
5. After the resolver makes a request to the .com TLD, the TLD server will respond with the IP address of the domain’s nameserver, example.com.
6. Finally, the DNS recursive resolver will send a query to the domain’s nameserver.
7. The IP address for example.com is then returned to the resolver from the nameserver
8. The DNS resolver will then respond to the web browser with the IP address of the domain requested at the start.
When the 8 steps of the DNS lookup is completed and have returned the IP address for example.com, the browser will start to make a request for the webpage.
9. The browser makes a HTTP request to the IP address.
10. The server at that IP address returns the webpage to be rendered in the browser, You will now see the website you requested displayed on your screen.
Thanks to advanced technology, it has never been easier to sell products to customers around the world.
In this post, Alibaba.com talks about everything that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to know about starting a business that sells goods around the world, or adding export capabilities to your current business.
This article will start with a basic introduction to exporting that covers the benefits of export, who can export, and different types of exporting.
From there, we will get into the real nitty-gritty of SME exporting with a list of things that you should consider before getting started and an actionable list of steps that you can follow to start your business with exporting.
To wrap things up, there’ll be some information on a powerful platform that can help kickstart the process.
Are you ready to become a master of all things exporting? Let’s go!
Introduction to Exporting
Exporting is the movement of goods from a seller in one country to a buyer in another. It is a model that many businesses use to grow their brand globally.
The ability to export is accessible to most businesses with the main concern being rules and regulations that are set forth by the government. However, with the right knowledge and resources, exporting is possible for just about any business.
Why Export?
One of the main benefits of exporting is that it allows you to expand your customer base beyond the confines of your home country. This creates diversity in your pool of customers, which could open up more opportunities.
Should the demand for your goods in your home country drop, you will still have other customers to sell to if you export your products or services overseas. This helps to safeguard many small businesses against economic changes.
It also enables SMEs to learn more about the buying trends of different countries and cater their product ranges to meet a more profitable market.
Exporting can also help improve brand recognition on a global level. If your products are well-received in other regions, you may have the opportunity to dominate markets that are far too saturated at the local or domestic level.
Buyers also benefit from exporting because it gives them access to products and materials that they may not be able to find locally, sometimes even at more favourable prices.
Who can export?
Most businesses in most countries can export their goods. Limitations arise when certain countries have laws that prohibit the export of certain items.
Before opening your business to export, it’s important to research what the export laws in your country are, as well as the import laws in countries you wish to export to.
As long as you plan accordingly and are willing to invest an appropriate amount of time and resources, there should be no major roadblocks in the way for most businesses.
In fact, it is often recommended that smaller businesses get into product exporting because of its many benefits.
Different Types of Exporting
There are several different types of exporting business models that you can choose from. The primary options are direct exporting and indirect exporting.
Direct exporting involves the sale of products directly to importers from the exporting business. On the flip side, under indirect exporting, you only sell products overseas through Export Trading Companies (ETC) or Export Management Companies (EMC) who handle all export activities for you at a fee.
5 Things to Consider When You Start Exporting
Before you start an exporting business, it is important to determine whether or not this model will work with your current distribution business or if you are willing to do what it takes to make it possible.
In order to have a better understanding of the viability of this approach, you’re going to want to consider quite a few factors. You should pay close attention to how it would work with your product, who your target audience would be, and how the financials would play out.
After all, you’re likely going into this intending to grow your business and boost profits, so it’s important to ensure that the investment of your time and resources makes sense.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these considerations.
1. Product
The first thing to consider when deciding to start exporting is whether your product solves a problem or has a use in an international market.
If it does, then you should consider the cultural significance of the product.
Let’s say you’re an Indian company who wants to sell kitchenware to the American market.
A great opportunity to promote kitchen utensils and pots and pans would be in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, when preparing food becomes a major priority for many families across the US.
Being unaware of this major US holiday could lead to minimal international sales, as you attempt to sell products over the summer months, or in the first few weeks after Christmas.
You’ll also want to consider local restrictions on different products. The European Union, for instance, has stricter guidelines on which ingredients can go into both food and beauty products as opposed to the FDA in the United States.
It’s also a good idea to compare your product to other products available in the country that you want to export to, so you can gauge the current demand for the product.
Here are some things to consider in relation to product preparation:
Product packaging and whether it’s suitable for exporting overseas
International labelling and language barriers
Product demand and buying trends
Country-specific seasonal opportunities
2. Target audience
Exporting your product means targeting a brand-new audience, as you’ll have to determine where else in the world there is a demand for your product.
Finding demand for your goods overseas can feel a bit daunting for a small business, but there are easy ways to attract a new international customer.
One of the quickest ways to get in front of the right people is to market your business on a professional and well-known international trading platform such as Alibaba.com.
Rather than spend precious time and money trying to market your business alone online, take advantage of a well-established marketplace like Alibaba.com that will help you to quickly attract international sales and increase your brand awareness online.
Another important marketing technique to get to know your new overseas customer is to develop international buyer personas. Using customer data and buyer insights from tools such as Google Analytics, plus previous sales metrics, you can begin to build up a profile of your intended customer and tailor your marketing strategies to meet the needs of this new overseas buyer.
3. Payments and Exchange Rates
The ability to get paid across borders without excessive fees is important. Make sure that you have a strategy to get paid via a secure paywall that will not cost you a large percentage of your revenue. Beyond bank and paywall fees, tariffs are something to keep in consideration as well.
These costs are less of a concern on high-ticket products because you should still be able to swing a large profit margin, but the situation might not be ideal on lower-ticket items that are sold in small quantities.
Also, exchange rates fluctuate daily and so as a small business you will need to be fully aware of how the currency can impact business and international sales.
Let’s say you’re a Pakistan company manufacturing leather goods and you’re thinking about selling to customers in Europe. You will need to be aware of how strong the Euro is compared to the Rupee. If the Pakistan Rupee drops in value and your manufacturing process becomes more expensive, your profit margins may be negatively affected.
In addition, if the price of the Euro drops significantly, your European customers might not be able to afford to buy your leather goods anymore, as the cost of running their business, or the cost of living in Europe has risen.
The most common destination for exported goods from Pakistan is actually the US, and has an annual value of US $3.52 billion. By expanding to Europe, should the US dollar drop in value and your US customer demand dip, you can focus your attention on your new European customers instead, who may have more buying power. The ability to shift and adjust your export strategy can be the difference between sinking or swimming as a small business.
4. Pricing Structure and Potential Profitability
Pricing structure is another important part of a small business that should be considered before exporting and selling products or services overseas.
What might be profitable in your home country might not generate a healthy profit when shipping expenses are added, so you will need to carefully plan what you’re going to sell internationally and how much it will cost to export your products to another country.
You can also adjust your price structure depending on the demand and how populated the market is in another country.
Let’s say you sell US chocolates and you want to export it to Italy. If the competition is low in this country but demand for US products, and in particular food goods, is high, you can increase your prices and your profit margins too.
To maximize your profits in international sales, another strategy is to set minimum order quantities (MOQs). It helps you build relationships with customers that truly have a demand for your products and keep a positive cashflow.
The cost of exporting, shipping, or transporting goods overseas must be also considered before finalizing a pricing structure. You may need to find reliable, trustworthy, and reputable partners such as customs brokers and freight forwarders to help you export your goods through customs and ensure they arrive on time, but this service also needs to be affordable so that your small business is still making a profit.
5. Rules and Regulations
From product standards and customs clearance requirements to tariffs and Incoterms, there is a lot to be researched before trading internationally. Rules and regulations relating to exporting goods overseas is an important thing to consider before expanding your small business. All countries typically require documentation for imported products and you need to be aware of the rules in order to trade safely and legally.
US exporters, for example, will often face additional regulations for the testing, labeling, and licensing of their goods before they can export and start selling products to international markets. This initial research phase will need to be carried out depending on which country you plan to export to.
If you’re not confident with the import and export laws of your home country and the territories you plan to expand into, you can choose to work with an established B2B trading platform or professional exporting agents to avoid trouble and penalties.
How to Start Exporting in 7 Steps
By now, you should have a decent understanding of the “whys” of exporting, so let’s get into the “hows.” We’re going to run through the 7 steps you should follow to get started with exporting, starting with creating a plan and ending with delivering your products.
For the sake of this post, we are going to frame each step with the assumption that you have already developed your product.
1. Plan and Strategize
The first step of exporting is creating a solid strategy. To begin, you’re going to want to consider the factors we mentioned earlier: product, target audience, and the financials.
If you’ve deemed that it does, in fact, make sense to move ahead, you can start working out the logistics. Figure where you would like to sell your products and how you’re going to make it happen.
Will you develop a unique product line for exporting? How will you ship your products and ensure that they are not damaged upon arrival? Who will you be selling these products to?
At this point, you should start thinking about what type of exporting you want to do. Direct and indirect are both great options, but the direction you go will depend on your business’ goals.
As you create your strategy and hammer out the logistics, determine how much you’ll need in startup costs for rolling out this new division of your business. Some of these costs will be determined by whether you’re selling products that you are manufacturing or if you’re simply an intermediary.
2. Conduct Market Research
You may be very familiar with your local market, but how does this translate over to a global scale?
Really dive into the market you’re looking to enter and see who your competitors are (if you have any) and what they are doing right or wrong. See what is making your competitors successful and what has caused similar businesses to fail.
Examine both the supply and demand to identify how your product and brand would fit into the market. Leverage the free demand signal tool on Alibaba.com to get market insights.
If you are the first business of its kind to enter this market, get a feel for the future demand for your product. Chart trends that lead you to where you are in your business in the domestic market, and see how that compares to the current situation in the new market.
3. Learn about Policies and Restrictions
Sending products across borders comes with the issue of government mandates, policies and restrictions. This could have to do with the source of the products (meaning the country you’re selling from), materials within the product, or the product itself.
Learn about the rules about exporting from your country and importing it into other countries.
Different border patrols will be stricter or slower than others, so educate yourself so you understand what to expect.
All countries typically require documentation for imported products, and you need to be aware of the rules in order to trade safely and legally.
4. Invest in a Team
In order to expand across your country’s borders, you are going to need a dedicated team to help you through the transition, especially if you have decided on direct exporting.
Depending on the size of your company and the resources you have, you may want to hire personnel dedicated to exporting to work in each department.
For example, you’ll be targeting new audiences, so hiring a marketing specialist that is skilled in reaching international markets is a great investment. Additionally, hiring someone who is well-versed on the legal side of exporting will save you a ton of headache and hassle.
It will probably make things easier on you and your existing team to extend with new hires than it would be to stack additional responsibilities onto the ones who have helped bring you this far.
Again, hiring new people may be a bit of an investment at first, but it will help you manage the transition with much more grace.
5. Start Marketing
In order to reach this new audience, you’re going to need to market to them by creating ads and content that will make your product discoverable. How you approach marketing will largely depend on whether you’re targeting consumers or retailers.
At this stage, you’re also going to want to consider branding. Will your current branding get the job done? Will you create custom packaging for your new audience?
As part of developing a marketing strategy for this new audience, you’re going to want to build your digital presence online by either investing in a website or selling on a well-established trading portal like Alibaba.com that offers you an easy-to-build digital storefront.
No matter which ways you bring your exporting business online, you want to make sure it is easy for users to switch the language and have currencies easily convert to the one that buyers use.
Relevant language and currency should also be carried over in your advertisements and social content. Many international brands use English because it is the most widely spoken language internationally, but if you have the resources, you can make your content more specific to your target audience.
Discoverability and accessibility will take you a long way here.
6. Form Partnerships
As we mentioned, you can go the direct or indirect exporting route. You could also do a mix of both.
If you are going the indirect route, building relationships with loyal partners early on will serve your company in the long run. Find retailers that have values and missions similar to yours. Of course, you’ll want to choose retailers whose audiences would benefit from your products.
Work out deals that benefit both of your companies so that both parties are motivated to put in the effort required for success.
Another benefit here is that you could potentially piggy-back off of a brand that is already loved and trusted in your new market. Even if you only take this approach as you’re getting started, it will help you to drive sales in the beginning before you have a ton of brand awareness.
7. Deliver as promised
One of the most important steps of this process is delivering as promised. That is how you will come out on the other side with happy customers who remain loyal to your brand.
Whether you’re selling to consumers or other businesses, make sure that you are providing a first-class experience. Prioritize your customer relations, and make things right when problems arise.
Develop a core value system based on honesty and integrity, and you’re sure to succeed.
It is also a good idea to collect reviews and testimonials whenever you can. This helps potential customers see how much your current customers enjoy shopping with you.
Final Thoughts
Starting your SME exporting business may seem daunting because it involves so much planning and preparation. However, with the right tools, you can get started relatively easily.
One of the best ways to set yourself up to start selling products overseas is by using Alibaba.com, a well-known and established international marketplace.
Not only can it help elevate your small business and help reach international importers and buyers who are actively sourcing products like yours, it can also help you to overcome many of the challenges SMEs face when making the decision to export.
Here are just some of the ways Alibaba.com helps businesses like you promote their products and increase international sales:
Financing and freight shipping services for small- and medium-sized businesses.
Rather than pay per sale, most sellers on Alibaba.com enjoy a take rate as low as 0%, leading to a high return on investment.
Secure payment transactions and shipment protection between sellers and buyers through Alibaba.com Trade Assurance.
With data-driven intelligence and professional services and coaching, you will be armed with valuable customer insights, buying trends, international trade knowledge, and B2B online selling tactics that help bring your business to the next level.
Ideal for any small- to medium-sized business looking to position themselves as an international supplier, this powerful platform connects sellers from around the world to global buyers, with ongoing help and support.
To support small businesses during these uncertain times, Alibaba.com now offers manufacturers and wholesalers virtual trade shows in the US, as well as internationally, to combat travel restrictions due to the ongoing global pandemic.
This new normal has brought many of us experiences we’ve not had before, and a new lifestyle we have to get used to.
For safety measures, many of us, including us Exabees, are working remotely, and have we gotten used to it already?
Has anyone ever asked about your thoughts on this new trend of working from home? And is this a new normal that you like better, and would like it to remain?
Since the hit of the Covid-19 pandemic more than a year ago, every one of us in the world is now living our lives differently.
We may not have noticed the big change in our daily lifestyles, but the fact is that we have now gotten used to this new way of living and whether we would be able to switch back to the times before the pandemic.
Will we get used to running our lives as before is a question left unanswered.
Exabees in the Year 2020
As a digital solutions company, working from home or not being physically in the office does not hinder the work or productivity of Exabees.
We meet, have discussions, webinars, town halls – all online, virtually, with excellent outcomes, if not better than some of our physical meetings.
In Exabytes, numerous town halls were held before, but to wrap up this eventful and experiential 2020, we had a warm and celebrative town hall with all Exabees, including colleagues from Singapore and Indonesia.
Virtual Town Halls
A town hall is a forum or large-scale company-wide meet for organisations, communities, or politicians when they meet their constituents to hear feedback on topics of interest or to share and discuss upcoming legislation or regulation.
It is a common way used to communicate with a large group of people and to hear back thoughts and feedbacks.
This unique year of 2020 has brought about virtual town halls for many of us, especially multi-national companies. In fact, it is proven that virtual town halls have seen much higher attendance than physical ones.
The convenience of just participating through a click has come as an unconscious encouragement for invitees to want to join.
There is near to none or much fewer excuses or issues that will arise to stop invitees from attending.
Virtual town halls have also seen that participants are more vocal and expressive in presenting their thoughts, ideas and feedback behind their machine.
This, in turn, will bring out better outcomes from each town hall meeting, than physical ones.
A Wrap for 2020
To celebrate the year and our accomplishments achieved coming up to the end of this year, Exabees were invited to an impromptu town hall session.
A click into our Zoom link spontaneously put smiles on all our faces as once again, we gathered as Exabees, and saw and “met” with all our colleagues.
As our CEO, Mr Chan addressed his warm and comforting greet and opening speech, it felt almost like this is the norm to us. We listened, responded cheered and applauded.
Birthdays of our colleagues were celebrated, and special mentions of our star employees were applauded. Wishes of congratulations were sprinkled across.
A Speedy Surprise for 2021
On a more serious topic, new plans and launches for the new year 2021 were announced and shared by the CEO. Mr Chan gave us a sneak preview of what to look forward to, and a new exciting speedy surprise that’ll be launched soon.
This news has come at the right time, and it was definitely a re-energising pill for us Exabees to work towards our 2020 achievements and to get ourselves ready for the new, exciting and eventful 2021.
With happy and accomplished hearts, we, Exabees, would like to wish every one of you a happy and jolly Christmas, and a safe and eventful 2021!
