THE STATE OF DIGITAL PRESENCE AMONG AUSTRALIAN SMEs : A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT
Liz Ward
INTRODUCTION Research conducted by Navii Digital and its sister company Tourism Tribe , Australia ’ s leading providers of digital support and education to SMEs ( small and mediumsized enterprises ), reveals the current state of the online presence and digital capacity of Australian businesses . The data comes from over 2,000 comprehensive Digital Engagement Health Checks ™ conducted by Navii and Tourism Tribe as part of business capability programs that they run over 2022 .
The primary purpose of a Digital Engagement Health Check ™ is to provide the SME owner with an objective assessment of their core marketing assets and advice on how they can implement recommendations made throughout the 57-point report . The report they receive comprehensively reviews their website , local and organic search capacities , online reputation across key review platforms , and their social media effectiveness on the two most relevant platforms for the majority of SMEs , Facebook and Instagram .
The marketing assets reviewed are considered by industry experts at Navii and Tourism Tribe as the fundamental building blocks for marketing a business in the digital age and when they have been set up to meet the needs and expectations of the customer , businesses are empowered with a cornerstone that allows them to unlock the scaling opportunities of rapidly evolving technologies . These include AI ( artificial intelligence ), automation and video communications , strategic opportunities that can be enabled through digital transformation .
In recent months ChatGPT has educated the world on the possibilities and potential benefits of AI . Even in its infancy ChatGPT offers immediate benefits to SMEs through ready access to research , staff education and particularly in the area of marketing . Time-consuming marketing tasks , for example , developing blog posts and social media content , as well as strategic tasks like developing a marketing plan , can be expedited and completed in a vastly reduced amount of time . When combined with the internal expertise and knowledge of the team in the business , and an understanding of how to make the most of ChatGPT by inputting meaningful prompts , the results can be outstanding .
The Digital Engagement Health Check ™ report that businesses receive is a practical learning and action tool that assists the business to immediately enhance their online presence and prioritise strategic and tactical opportunities aimed at customercentric lead generation , conversion and customer engagement across the entire purchase cycle . The report is a vital step on the businesses ’ digital transformation journey .
VOL 16 NO 1 2023 16 www . edaustralia . com . au