How to increase customer engagement by going online

The data about eCommerce indicates a steady rise in the percentage of sales completed through the internet. For the hospitality and restaurant industry, this means hotel bookings and food delivery orders are increasingly completed through apps and websites. For retail, this means online sales are becoming more and more necessary.

The raw figure for 2021 in the US shows that 19% of all commerce was completed online. This translates to a total figure of $871.03 billion, and a $90 billion increase from 2020. No business sneers at a sales boost of 19%, and the idea that 1/5th of all commerce is now completed online shows how dependent both traders and consumers are on the internet.

General 2024 Social Media Statistics for South Africa

45.34 million people use the internet (74.7%)
26 million people use social media (42.8%)
118.6 million mobile connections are active (195.4% of the population)

It is interesting to note that of the 45.34 million internet users in South Africa, those active on social media comprise some 26 million. This highlights the growth potential still available to social media platforms and supports the expected trend of new users year-on-year.

Cellular mobile connections number 118.6 million, indicating that many South Africans are active on more than one device. Statistically, 195.4% of the South African population are accessing the internet via their mobile phones.

Internet Usage in South Africa

The growth of social media in South Africa is part of a greater rise in the adoption of the internet, with more South Africans establishing an online presence. Average time spent online daily per user in South Africa: 9 hours, 38 minutes

However, limiting our thinking to basic sales figures may not provide the full picture of how online presence boosts businesses. Going beyond Google or social media for an online presence does more than simply providing a further sales channel.

WHY SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESSES NEED WEBSITES IN 2024

Many small business owners mistakenly believe that either their budget doesn’t allow for a website or that their business wouldn’t benefit from having an online presence. However, having a website is crucial for numerous reasons. Below, we’ll dive into why your company should have a website, along with some FAQs about website development in South Africa.

A website demonstrates a greater degree of professionalism, ambition, and a modern mindset. It allows customers to engage with the business anytime of day through blogs and media and ensures basic information is accessible. Retail businesses can then sell 24/7, while restaurants can ensure menus are fully visible at all times.

An online business never closes, and businesses with websites grow between 15-50% more relative to similar enterprises that aren’t online.

CREDIBILITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:

As more individuals turn to online sources for information, having a website lends credibility to your small business. Without an online presence, potential clients might opt for competitors who have established websites. Whether you operate in Johannesburg or Cape Town, a professionally designed website can significantly enhance your company’s image, especially if you work remotely.

COST SAVINGS THROUGH WEBSITE OWNERSHIP:

While the initial setup of a professional website may seem expensive, the ongoing maintenance expenses are relatively affordable. In South Africa, website design prices can range from R800 to R100,000.00 depending on your needs and the provider. However, the broader audience potential of a website compared to traditional advertising methods like newspaper ads & billboards can result in significant cost savings over time.

CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION

Your website serves as a comprehensive online brochure, showcasing your business, premises, products, services, pricing, and contact details. This efficient communication platform keeps your customers informed about industry updates and your business developments. As a leading website design company in South Africa, promotefast.co.za specializes in crafting tailor-made websites for your specific needs.

24/7 ACCESSIBILITY

Websites provide accessibility at any time from anywhere, offering unparalleled convenience for users across different time zones. This constant availability can significantly benefit your business, ensuring potential customers can explore your offerings at their convenience. Whether you’re based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, or anywhere else in South Africa, a website ensures round-the-clock visibility and accessibility for your business.

MARKET REACH

A website acts as a gateway to a broader market. Beyond serving as an informational platform, it also functions as an additional sales channel through an online store. This allows for round-the-clock transactions, with various payment options facilitating seamless sales.

FAQS:

How much does a website cost in South Africa?
Website design prices in South Africa can vary widely, ranging from R800 to R100,000.00 The cost largely depends on what you need and who you’re getting it from.

How do I create a website for my business in South Africa?
The first step is to contact Promotefast Digital, the best website development company in South Africa. Alternatively, you can follow these basic steps:

Choose a domain name that reflects your brand.
Select a web hosting provider.
Choose your website platform.
Design your website.
Create essential website pages.
Implement SEO strategies.
Set up analytics.
Update and maintain your website regularly with Promotefast.co.za

WEBSITES VS WEB APPS:

Websites & web applications are both accessed through web browsers, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics.

Websites: Websites are primarily informational in nature. They typically consist of static content that users can browse and consume. Examples include blogs, news sites, and company homepages.
Web Applications: Web applications, on the other hand, are interactive and dynamic. They involve user input and data processing to perform specific tasks or provide customized experiences. Unlike websites, web applications often require user authentication and can perform complex functions such as e-commerce transactions, online banking, or social media interactions.

WHY WEBSITES USE COOKIES:

Cookies are small text files stored on a user’s device by websites they visit. They serve various purposes, including enhancing user experience, tracking website usage, and personalizing content. Here are some reasons why websites use cookies:

User Authentication: Cookies help websites remember user login credentials, allowing users to stay logged in across multiple sessions without having to re-enter their username and password each time they visit.
Personalization: Cookies enable websites to remember user preferences and settings, such as language preferences or customized layouts. This personalization enhances the user experience by tailoring content to individual preferences.
Tracking and Analytics: Cookies are commonly used for tracking user behavior and website performance. They provide valuable insights into how users interact with a website, which pages they visit most frequently, and how long they stay on each page. This data helps website owners analyze traffic patterns, optimize content, and improve website usability.
Advertising: Cookies play a crucial role in online advertising by tracking users’ browsing history and interests. This information is used to deliver targeted advertisements based on user’s preferences and behavior. Advertisers can use cookies to display relevant ads to specific demographics or retarget users who have previously visited their websites.
Session Management: Cookies are used to maintain session state info as users navigate a website. They store temporary data related to user sessions, such as shopping cart contents or form submissions, ensuring continuity and consistency across multiple page views.

REPORTING FOR BETTER MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES

In the world of data we need quality reporting to ensure we use the data we receive from Google and the consumer to tailor marketing strategies to play into the business owners hands.

How to increase website traffic

Armed with knowledge like this, businesses with established websites are constantly looking to improve their digital marketing and grow their online store. They create content with blog posts, conduct keyword research, and carefully design their landing pages to keep viewers interested.

But why do blogs make a difference? They don’t make sales, and yet they can drive huge amounts of traffic to your website. With the right page, title and content, marketing can be done in a whole new way, ensuring organic searches for related products lead people to your website.

Producing regular, wide-ranging content for your website can be every bit as valuable as email marketing. When thinking about how to increase your website ranking on Google, having more content, with the right keywords can improve your response from Google analytics.

Naturally, it’s also important to ensure that you complete all the basic requirements for creating an online presence. Join Google Business, make sure you’re available on Google Maps and work on your Google Review score. Once all of this is completed, you can gain credibility by showing your score on your website, and your website will be visible when users look at you on Google Maps.

You’ll also need to test how the website runs on different kinds of devices. If your website runs smoothly on a desktop but not on a mobile device, then mobile users won’t bother spending much time struggling to navigate on a maladapted webpage. Test on mobiles, tablets, and desktops until you’re confident every page works on every kind of device to optimize your site.

Referring to your website on social networks will guarantee that anyone who searches for your business online will see your website. With all of this done, you’ll know how to increase customer engagement. Users will see pages of content, plenty of detail about the products and services you offer, and have more to look at; this all translates into more sales.

How to increase your website conversion rate

Converting as many website visits into sales (CRO, or conversion rate optimization) is a key part of your website management. As with many parts of modern business management, data collection can be your best friend. Websites can record when and where visitors leave the site and their activity while they are on various pages.

Analyzing this data can help you structure your website to curb lost leads and short stays. Having a review section to get more direct feedback from visitors can be useful in itself, and guest post sections and forums can provide more engagement.

One of the simplest ways to boost conversion is to examine where in the checkout process potential customers are dropping out most frequently. Businesses can lose online sales not because of any issue with the product, but because the checkout process is long-winded or there is a problem during that process.

Having a webchat to allow customers to get in contact if they experience problems can help alleviate some of these losses. You may find that many visitors will prefer not to use the chat, so ironing out these issues is still valuable.

Pop-ups like live chat features or eye-catching sales content showing the best value deals of the moment can stick in the mind of visitors while giving an element of style to the website. However, these types of content require similar maintenance and some businesses do not update information online often enough. Information online can then become out of date and the business can lose face when telling customers pricing is no longer correct.

How to increase website traffic using social media

When looking to build more traffic to your site, social media is a very useful tool. Social media is free to use, and there are many platforms on which businesses can advertise and boost brand awareness.

Ensuring your business is on each platform, and produces regular, relevant content is an excellent starting point. With your website mentioned on your profiles, increasing social media traffic through regular posts will lead to traffic on the website as well.

Getting into the habit of posting on each platform is a simple task, but associating and engaging on social media with other, similar brands and influential profiles will boost brand awareness.

Straightforward calls to action asking viewers to share content or check out your website may feel bold to some, but can be an effective way of driving traffic.

Social media will also affect your website’s SEO score, so researching good social media habits and conducting SEO research can be valuable to your business.

Website integrations for a simpler online life

Regardless of whether you’re looking to boost search volumes or increase your conversion rate for your website, managing your business and online presence is time-consuming and draining.

Finding a business management system that allows you to integrate your online business with your online store takes two big jobs and turns them into one.

With an online integration, you can:

Maintain real-time stock control in one place tracking online and in-store sales
Widen your market with over 55 languages supported on Epos Now Online
Use an extensive suite of widgets, including pop-ups, scheduling functions, social media links and menus
Get online fast with easy setup processes through reputable partners like Woocommerce

To find out more about the benefits of Epos Now, submit your details below and speak with our team of experts. Alternatively, take a look at our hardware and software options online.