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Strengthening your online presence

The world is online and so is your business — at least, it should be! It helps to have an up-to-date website to make your business look credible, digital marketing to connect with your customers, and online tools to increase productivity. Getting digital can help you:

save money
become more efficient
increase security
collaborate better
grow your customer base.

Learn how to make the most of being online.

Already have a website but want to take it further? Great. Take advantage of our free resources including training, videos and chats.

Let’s get digital(external link) — Digital Boost

Want to assess how well you’re using online platforms? Try the three quick self-assessments below.

Self-assessment: Your business website

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Having an up-to-date website is essential for modern businesses. Use this tool to reflect on how well your website is meeting the needs of your customers and how you could improve it.

At the end of this assessment you’ll get:

a better idea of your website’s strengths and weaknesses
practical tips and links to expert advice.

5 - 10 minutes

Self assessment: Your business website

Online presence

Did you know...

75% of users judge the credibility of a business based on the design of its website, according to research from Stanford.

How important is your website to your business?

Our business doesn’t have a website We have a website but we’re not sure how important it is Our website makes our business look credible Our website makes us look professional and ensures customers can find us Our website is essential for promoting us and driving sales

Online presence

Did you know...

As of January 2018, around three-quarters of people in New Zealand aged between 16 and 64 had recently searched for a product or service to buy online, according to Statista, The Statistics Portal.

How much does your business use a website (your own or another) to sell products or services?

Not at all — we don’t sell anything online A little — we have a few key things available online Quite a bit — we’re increasing our focus on online sales Getting there! — we’re selling more online to increase our productivity A lot — selling online gives us access to limitless customers, 24 hours a day

Search and discovery

Did you know...

Consumers feel that companies with brand-specific email addresses are more likely to be professional, credible, responsible and trustworthy, research by Colmar Brunton shows.

How important is your domain name to your business?

Not at all — we don’t have a domain name Sort of important — we have a domain name for our website but use default email addresses from our provider Quite important — our website and email both use our domain name Very important — all our online presence ties back to our domain name Extremely important — our domain name is our brand

Search and discovery

Did you know...

If you’re not at the top of the search results, you’re missing out. Websites listed on the first Google search results page get 92% of the interaction from an average search, according to Chitika, Online Advertising Network.

When someone searches online for your type of business, how well do you rank in the results?

Poorly — we’re not even on the front page Not very well — we’re listed among several less-relevant results Fairly well — we’re listed among our competitors but not as top pick Very well — we’re high up in the results and readers can see we meet their needs Extremely well — we’re usually top of the list and users click through to our site

Up to date

Did you know...

Around 40% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive, according to research by Adobe.

When was the last review of your business website?

Never — our site has hardly changed and it feels old Over 2 years ago — our site has a tired design and out-of-date features 1 to 2 years ago — it still looks OK and gets reasonable visitor statistics 6 months to 1 year ago — we love our new site and so do our customers Less than 6 months ago — it attracts visitors with the latest features

Up to date

Did you know...

The majority of internet searches come from mobile devices, even if a desktop device is available, according to Google.

How mobile-friendly is your business website?

I’m not sure if our website is mobile-friendly Our website needs upgrading — it’s not mobile-friendly yet We’re planning to make our website mobile-friendly The main features work on mobile but a few don’t Our website works for any customer on any device

Content

Did you know...

Nearly 40% of people will stop looking at a website if the images won’t load or take too long to load, according to Adobe.

How would you describe the content on your business website?

Basic text — we don’t use images or other content much Basic text with a few images for decoration Carefully written text with well-chosen images Best-practice web writing, professional photos and other graphic elements that support the text and layout As well as great text and images, we’re considering videos and user-generated content

Content

Did you know...

Google encourages website owners to produce original, high-quality content, since that’s what’s best for web users.

How involved is your business in managing or editing the content on its website?

Not at all — our content doesn’t need changing or we rely on someone else to do it Not very — we have to send any update requests to our web agency A little — we can change some things ourselves Quite involved — we can easily update most content and commission new pages Fully in control — we can change the structure or add new features

News, blogs and social

Did you know...

Businesses that blog 11 or more times a month get more than four times as many leads as those that blog half as much, according to HubSpot.

How important are regular news stories or blog posts to your business?

We don’t post news or blogs — we have other priorities We rarely post anything — just to announce anything important We post news or blogs when we find the time and think of something to say We post news and blogs regularly We post to fit our strategy and position ourselves as a leader in our field

News, blogs and social

Did you know...

Almost half of the world’s population is on social media, according to Hootsuite.

How well is your business website linked with your social media accounts?

Not well — we haven’t even thought about linking them yet Not well — we’ve thought about it, but they’re quite separate at the moment Fairly well — we’ve added some links, but we could add more Quite well — we know linking everything helps build our audience Very well — everything’s fully integrated to boost engagement and increase sales

Tell us about your business

Just one last step before your self-assessment results. So we can shape future tools and services around your needs, please tell us about your business size, location, age and industry.

Where is your business based?

Which of these best describes your industry?

How many employees do you have?

How old is your business?

Around 40% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive.

According to research by Adobe.

If you sell to people overseas from your website, you’re exporting.

What you need to know about exporting

E-commerce: online selling of products overseas(external link) — Ministry for Primary Industries

E-commerce and exporting from New Zealand(external link) — New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

Self-assessment: Digital marketing

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

The Internet has made reaching your customers much easier and cheaper than before — no matter where they are. Making the most of your online presence lets you get to know your customers better and strengthen your business.

Assess how you use social media planning, building engagement, email marketing and advertising online. See how you rate and where you should focus.

At the end of this assessment you’ll get:

a better idea of your digital marketing strengths and weaknesses
practical tips and links to expert advice.

5 - 10 minutes

Self assessment: Digital marketing

Social media engagement

Did you know...

About 3.03 billion people are on social media around the globe, according to BrizFeel (publishers of digital marketing stats).

How much does your business use social media to engage with customers?

Not at all — we don't use social media for business A little — we use it but we don’t have formal business accounts Sometimes — we have a Facebook page or something similar Quite a lot — we use a few different social media platforms Lots — we use different social media platforms for specific purposes

Social media engagement

Did you know...

More than 70% of people who experience good customer service on social media recommend that business to others, according to Local Measure (customer experience specialists).

How much value does your business get from social media?

No value — we don’t get much response to our posts Limited value — we don’t know if customers enjoy it Some value — customers discover us online or enjoy our posts Good value — it reinforces who we are and creates sales Great value — we couldn’t succeed without it

Planning

Did you know...

3.5 million Kiwis are active on social media and spend an average of 1 hour 53 minutes there every day, according to research by Hootsuite and We Are Social.

How well does your business plan its social media activity?

We don’t plan — and we only post from time to time We try to post regularly, but we don’t always manage it We post often, but it’s hard to plan content across platforms We post to a schedule and plan relevant topics We have a clear plan of topics and goals for each platform

Email marketing

Did you know...

Email marketing is the most cost-effective advertising method available today, as well as the most measurable, according to Harvard Business Review.

How much does your business use email marketing?

We don't use email for marketing at all A little — we manually email customers when we need to A fair amount — we email groups of existing or potential customers Lots — we use an email marking tool to help us be more effective Heaps! — we use customer relationship management (CRM) software

Email marketing

Did you know...

It’s a very safe bet that email will beat all your other marketing methods in terms of return on investment. — Harvard Business Review

How much value does your business get from email marketing?

No value — we don’t do email marketing, or don’t get much response Not much value — we don’t know if it translates into sales Some value — customers sometimes buy from us because of our emails Good value — we can track many of our sales back to the emails we send Great value — we couldn’t succeed without it

Planning

Did you know...

According to CoSchedule, a series of US-based studies suggest that:

the best day to send email is Tuesday, followed by Thursday and then Wednesday
the best time to send email is 10am, followed by 8pm, 2pm, and 6am.

How well does your business plan its email marketing activities?

We don’t plan — we just react to situations (eg, like surplus stock we need to sell) We try to plan, but sometimes we go a long time without sending emails We have a good plan, but we don’t always manage to follow it exactly We plan specific emails for different products or customers Our email campaigns result in sales and we can predict the effect each will have

Paid advertising

Did you know...

Social media is the most relevant advertising channel for Generation Z and Millennials, according to Adobe's Digital Insights.

How much paid advertising do you do on social media platforms?

We don’t advertise — we just hope our posts are popular We advertise by trying to repeat the approach of our popular posts A fair amount — we promote specific posts to increase their reach Lots — we place ads or target promoted posts to the relevant audience Heaps! — our campaigns rely on ads or boosting and targeting posts

Paid advertising

Did you know...

Around 65% of people click on Google ads when looking to buy an item online, according to WordStream (online advertising specialists).

How much do you use other methods to advertise online (such as displaying advertisements or appearing in search results)?

We don’t buy online advertising — we just hope customers find us A little — we buy online advertising on relevant websites A fair amount — display (banner) ads and search advertising such as Google AdWords Lots — we buy online advertising space that targets our customers Heaps! — we advertise online to attract customers and convert leads to sales

Tell us about your business

Just one last step before your self-assessment results. So we can shape future tools and services around your needs, please tell us about your business size, location, age and industry.

Where is your business based?

Which of these best describes your industry?

How many employees do you have?

How old is your business?

Email marketing is the most cost-effective advertising method available today, as well as the most measurable.

According to Harvard Business Review.

Self-assessment: Digital tools and how people use them

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Online tools make many business tasks cheaper, more efficient, and more secure. They also allow us to work from anywhere and collaborate like never before.

Assess how well you’re using online tools for accessing business info, working together, accounting and HR, and backup and recovery. See how you rate and where you should focus.

At the end of this assessment you’ll get:

a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses
practical tips and links to expert advice.

5 - 10 minutes

Self assessment: Digital tools and how people use them

Keeping up to date

Did you know...

Two-thirds of small businesses would find it a major challenge to survive without wireless technology, according to a poll by AT&T, a major US tech company.

How well do you keep up to date with technology that could affect your business?

Not at all — I’m in the dark and worry about the risk Not very well — I try, but I’m not sure how to get up-to-date info Quite well — I talk to others in my industry Very well — I watch out for news of risks and opportunities Extremely well — I plan ahead to make the most of new developments

Keeping up to date

Did you know...

Fibre-optic internet can be up to 100 times faster than other types of internet services, according to Stuff.co.nz.

How actively do you stay up to date with internet connectivity options for your business?

Not at all — we’ve never checked our options Not actively — we’re happy with our current setup Quite actively — we’ve compared packages and providers Very actively — we’ve changed to get the best fit (eg, fibre) Extremely actively — we know what’s coming next and whether we need it

Access to business info

Did you know...

Cloud-based file management can make people more productive, according to Harvard Business Review. Plus, it can provide a range of unexpected benefits, like easier collaboration.

How easy is it to find the right files when you’re working?

Hard — I lose files, or have to ask colleagues to email copies Not very easy — some files are organised well, but not all OK — I can find files eventually, but they’re badly organised Very easy — we have well-organised storage Extremely easy — we have well-organised storage accessible from anywhere

Access to business info

Did you know

People today really value workplace flexibility and remote work because it allows them to focus their energies on work and life as opposed to commuting or other complications due to geography. — Ken Matos, Vice President of Research, Life Meets Work

How well are you and others in your business set up to work remotely (eg, while travelling or at home)?

Not at all — we can’t access anything offsite Not very well — we can access some systems (eg, email) offsite to some extent Quite well — we can access many systems and tools offsite Very well — we can access most systems and tools anywhere Extremely well — we can work equally well anywhere

Working together

Did you know...

Cloud computing is helping smaller businesses compete with bigger businesses by cutting the costs of hiring IT staff and maintaining servers and hardware, according to Harvard Business Review.

What type of project management tools does your business use to plan and keep track of large pieces of work?

None — we do it without any special tools Standard office software tools such as spreadsheets Software written for my business Installed specialist software for project management Online (cloud-based) software

Working together

Did you know...

One of cloud computing’s greatest successes is to allow people to work together in ways that weren’t previously possible, according to Harvard Business Review.

How much does your business use collaboration tools to work with staff and customers, eg instant messaging and document sharing?

Not at all — we don’t use any tools for collaboration A little — we collaborate using standard tools like email and phone Sometimes — eg, we collaborate within documents Quite a lot — eg, we use instant chat and video calling Lots — we have a full suite of cloud-based collaboration tools

Accounting and HR

Did you know...

Cloud accounting helps to increase efficiency and streamline the way you manage your business, according to Xero, online accounting experts.

What type of accounting and finance tools does your business use?

None — we do it without any special tools Not applicable — we use an accountant for everything Software written for my business Installed specialist software for accounting and finance Online (cloud-based) software

Accounting and HR

Did you know...

Recruiting online costs around 5% of recruiting through traditional methods, such as newspaper ads, according to Harvard Business Review. And the time savings can be equally as great.

How much does your business use online recruitment to recruit staff?

Not at all — we recruit offline, eg with posters or newspapers A little — eg we post vacancies on our website A fair amount — eg we use our website and social media to spread the word ourselves Lots — eg we use an online service to post jobs and receive CVs Heaps! — most of our recruitment process is online

Backup and recovery

Did you know...

Carrying around information on individual computers is unnecessary when it’s so quick and easy to connect to the cloud, according to Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.

What type of backup tools does your business use?

None — we don’t have any storage or backup systems Standard tools such as copying files manually to a backup disk Storing and copying files according to a plan or policy Installed specialist software, such as overnight backup to offsite storage Online (cloud-based) software

Backup and recovery

Did you know...

Research shows that better prepared organisations experience significantly fewer crises and are significantly more profitable. – Harvard Business Review

How well prepared are your business's computer systems for a disaster?

We haven't really thought about it Not very well — our business would be seriously affected Quite well — we could get things running again with some effort Very well — we would get things running again without much impact Extremely well — our planning protects us in a disaster

Tell us about your business

Just one last step before your self-assessment results. So we can shape future tools and services around your needs, please tell us about your business size, location, age and industry.

Where is your business based?

Which of these best describes your industry?

How many employees do you have?

How old is your business?

Cloud computing can help you cut costs, collaborate better, and improve security.

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