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I swear, if you looked at 10 technology ads aimed at small business, 9 of them would have the word “simple” in them.
But, according to a recent ECSB survey ”66% of small business owners feel excited about investing in technology to manage their business. Conversely, 73% of marketers think owners would feel stressed over such a task.”
Holy disconnect!
The survey polled small business owners in North America, when it comes to technology milestones, small business owners cited milestones like:
- when we moved to all digital files
- when we re-launched our website
- when we made all our systems mobile
- when we got VoIP
In fact, small business owners are increasingly more likely to use the technology they have deployed as a feature of their business. This makes sense considering small businesses are competing more and more with medium and large enterprise businesses and sometimes suppliers don’t give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the technology they deploy just because they are “small.”
So, here’s a thought…marketing 101.
When marketing or selling to small business, don’t lead with simplicity, or ease of use. Lead with what the technology does for their business, for their marketability and competitiveness. How does the technology you provide translate into customer value? The fact that it’s simple to use, cost effective, flexible….those are given…they are no longer the differentiators. Instead, answer: what does your technology or solution mean to my customers?
Seems obvious, just not evident.
What’s your next small business milestone and how are you using technology to make it happen?
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