In the first release of eServices, customers can renew relevant intellectual property (IP) rights and submit trade mark registrations electronically, and pay for them online using VISA or MasterCard. Customers can also access new features such as the option to save requests, access transaction history and update details.

The services and transactions within eServices have built-in checks and pre-populated fields to save valuable time and help ensure the accuracy of the information.

IP Australia has announced they will be adding more transactions and services to the portal so that it will become a one-stop-shop to help customers manage valuable IP assets.

For more information about the new service, visit the eServices website and check out these videos for instructions on how to use eServices:

We recently caught up with Chris to see how the trial went, and to find out what advice he might have for other small businesses and not-for-profit organisations making the leap to communicating online with their clients or customer base.

Greg: The last time we spoke, the Lifeline online support chat service was still in trial mode. You said that the trial would be evaluated for its effectiveness and recommendations would be made as to whether the service is sustainable and should continue. What was the outcome of the evaluation?

Chris:  The overall finding of the evaluation was that the trial of Lifeline’s Online Crisis Support Chat service was a success, reaching and assisting people in crisis, some of whom would never access other services like telephone or face to face support. We reached people with hearing and speech impediments, language issues as well as people too shy for phone or face to face contact.

Greg:  What issues were identified during the trial as being particularly problematic and how do you plan to resolve these issues if you haven’t already?

Chris:  We found that demand exceeded supply. We are seeking funding from government and the community to support an ongoing Online Crisis Support Chat service, which will commence in May 2012. This service will run seven nights per week between 8pm and midnight – the same hours as the trial. However, there will be significantly more resources available. We are setting up the ongoing Online Crisis Support Chat service as informed by the findings of the evaluation.

Greg:  Given the success Lifeline has had with the chat service, do you see it playing a bigger role in the organisation’s future?

Chris:  Yes, Lifeline is committed to delivering crisis support through Online Chat. Lifeline has always looked for innovative ways to reach more people in crisis. We will be working hard to monitor the demand for this new service to ensure we meet the needs of people in crisis online.

Greg:  Can you envision similar online chat services being useful to other non-governmental organisations? Why?

Chris:  Our experience shows that a number of people prefer to communicate through the online medium. Chat provides another channel for people to connect with an organisation.

Greg:  Based on Lifeline’s experience, what advice would you give to other NGOs thinking about engaging clients through a chat service?

Chris:  We recommend that organisations do their research – environmental scan, consumer surveys, etc, to ensure you are providing a service that is relevant to the audience.

Greg:  Your website states that the chat service is online from 7.30 pm-10.30 pm in the evenings. Is there any particular reason you’ve chosen to operate it between those hours?

Chris:  The trial was delivered from April to September 2011 between 8.00 pm and midnight. Lifeline is currently providing an interim service which operates 7.30 pm -10.30 pm Monday-Thursday, as this was the level of service we felt we could support with current resourcing. However, the ongoing service commencing in May 2012 will operate seven nights a week between 8.00 pm and midnight. The reason for these hours is based on an online survey which was conducted to inform the development of the trial which indicated that 8.00 pm to midnight was by far the preferred delivery hours. This also reflects the demand for Lifeline’s 13 11 14 crisis service.

Greg:  Do the topics raised online differ greatly from the topics raised by telephone callers?

Chris:  Issues are similar to the phone, however there is a higher rate of suicidal ideation. There is also a much younger audience for the online service.

Greg:  Does Lifeline use the chat service to provide links to information available online or referrals to other organisations?

Chris:  Yes, one of the key aspects of crisis support is to link people with services that will support them.

Greg:  Is this method of communicating with your clients effective toward achieving Lifeline’s organisational goals?

Chris:  Yes, one of Lifeline’s goals is to explore our ability to use technology as a means of crisis support.

Greg:  Since the chat based service has been available, has it resulted in fewer phone calls to the traditional Lifeline service? Or do you think it’s attracted a new client base more comfortable with communicating online?

Chris:  The Crisis Support Chat service has not had an impact on Lifeline’s 13 11 14 telephone crisis support service. The chat has attracted a new cohort of people who prefer to communicate through an online medium.

Greg:  How have staff adapted to the challenge communicating online? Have you had to invest in much training to enable staff to make the transition?

Chris:  Staff have adapted well to the challenge of communicating online. We have recruited existing Telephone Crisis Supporters with competency in chat and provided them with training to support their new role. The bulk of this training is provided online.

Lifeline’s full Online Crisis Support Chat went live on May 8.

Greg, DBCDE

Many Australian businesses are incorporating social media into their marketing mix, particularly the largest of social networks, Facebook. As a result, many small businesses and not-for-profits are facing the following question:      

“Will getting my own Facebook business page attract more customers/members or get more sales?”

Unlike a traditional advertising channel, which is a one-way communication mechanism, business pages on Facebook are multi-directional. For example, if you give the people who like your page interesting content, expert advice, fun games, surveys and prizes you might, in return, get insight into what they want, loyalty, some advocacy on your behalf but most of all (hopefully) you might get engagement – a relationship that builds up over repeated interactions between you and your customers. Your success in achieving this will, in part, rely on how well Facebook fits into your overall marketing plan.

Marketing Strategy

If your marketing plan includes engagement with your customers then Facebook might be a good idea. But remember, you want to start with a marketing plan, not a Facebook plan. There is a lot that goes into creating a marketing plan but several things you’ll need to ask yourself when you create a marketing plan are:

• Who are my customers and how do they behave?
• How will I target my product/services to them?
• How will I maintain a good relationship with them?

You can find more information about marketing plans on the Business.gov.au website.

The next step is to target the appropriate social media for your business (Facebook is one option available), and then target your audience.

Social media statistics

According to The Australian Online Consumer Landscape, a recent report from Nielsen, there has been significant growth in the interaction between Australians and brands and organisations using social media.

The Nielsen report found that in 2011:

• 57 per cent of Australians who went online ‘liked” a Facebook page belonging to a brand or organisation. This was up from 46 per cent in 2010.
• 47 per cent of Australians who went online interacted with brands on social media platforms. This was up from 41 per cent in 2010.
• 71 per cent of Australians who went online used social platforms to read the opinion of other consumers on brands, products or services.

There are more specific statistics for the use of Facebook in Australia. According to Checkfacebook.com, as at 8 May 2012, Facebook has over 10 million Australian users. Of these users:

• 25.9 per cent are aged between 25 and 34
• 23.8 per cent are aged 18 – 24
• 38.6 per cent are 35 years old and older
• 53.8 per cent are female
• 46.2 per cent are male.

Facebook is not a sales platform but an engagement platform

Be prepared for your Facebook page to not be a great place to drive direct sales. Sucharita Mulpuru, author of the report Will facebook ever drive eCommerce, said, “Few people go there for shopping-related activities. You go to Facebook to find other people, not to find a product.”

How to engage

The benefits you receive from having a Facebook page will depend on how well you engage with users. Effective use of all social media requires the building of relationships and relationships need honesty, trust and patience. You have to be prepared to take negative comments in a positive and open manner. You want to part of the conversation, not control it.

If you want people to tell their friends good things about you, this is more likely to happen if you give them enjoyable content they will want to pass onto their friends. Not a sales pitch but, for example, useful information that will give you a good reputation in your chosen area or competitions that get fans excited.

Measuring success

The number of people who like your page doesn’t measure their engagement with the page and so you shouldn’t worry too much about that figure, even though that’s the measure that most people use.

In October last year, Facebook introduced a number of new ways to measure your Facebook activity, through the ‘Insights’ tab on the left hand side. One of these functions, called ‘Talking About This’ is intended to measure engagement. It tells you the number of people that have directly interacted with your page by:

• liking your page or a post
• commenting on your wall
• sharing a post with a friend
• mentioning the page in a post.

Other useful Facebook measurements are:

• Reach: the number of people who have seen any content on your page. Reach also shows you the demographics of who you reached, including gender and location, as well as how you reached people, whether it is through organic, paid or viral channels.
• Engaged users: the number of people who have clicked on your page.
• Virality: this is a calculation of the number of people “talking about this” (the people who have interacted with your page) divided by the amount of people it reached (the number of people who saw it).

It’s important to remember that Facebook will only capture Insights data if your page is liked by more than 30 people, so if you can’t access Insights when you’re first building your page, don’t worry.

More tips on how to measure engagement can be found on the following pages:

• Facebook for business
• 5 ways to measure Facebook fan engagement by Nate Riggs
• How to get more out of your Facebook Insights by Patrick Courtney

by James, DBCDE

Last year, we wrote about the findings of the 2011 Online Business Index survey because they provided useful insights regarding online business trends. So, one year later, are there new trends that you should be aware of in order to help keep your business competitive?

The 2012 Online Business Index survey found that one of the biggest areas of expected growth is mobile commerce, with 72 per cent of the eBay businesses who responded to the 2012 survey believing that mobile commerce will have an important role in their business strategy over the next 12 months. Of these sellers, 61 per cent were planning to invest in mobile technology for the first time in 2012.

The 2012 Online Business Index survey also found that retailers are aware of how many more customers are using mobile handsets for shopping and that this is a driver for retailer investment in mobile commerce. 79 per cent of respondents to the survey felt that more customers had access to mobile phones, while 63 per cent thought that “mobile savviness” increased their ability to attract new customers. The 2012 Online Business Index report cites a Nielsen report that the number of people using their smartphones to access the internet has grown by 45 per cent since 2010.

The Online Business Index report notes that, globally, eBay transacted $5 billion worth of business through mobile devices in 2011. According to the report, this was an increase of 150 per cent on 2010. The report also notes that, in 2012, eBay expects to transact $8 billion worth of business through mobile devices. eBay say that Australia and the UK are the fastest growing eBay mobile markets in the world.

The 2012 Online Business Index report also includes some other interesting facts:

• The top 2000 businesses on eBay Australia experienced a growth in sales of 45 per cent in 2011.
• 157 businesses made more than $1 million in sales in 2011. That’s up 31 per cent from 2010.
• 56 per cent of businesses expect their eBay sales to grow over the next 12 months.

For more information about using mobiles in your business strategy, check out these pages on Digital Business:

• Optimising your online content for mobiles
• Marketing with mobiles

by James, DBCDE

There are many government programs and initiatives which support businesses engaging in overseas transacting or exporting. For example, Austrade runs an informative website and may be also able to offer some tips on overseas markets and industries.

The Australian Government also participates in the Korea-Australia-New Zealand (KANZ) Broadband Summit. The KANZ Broadband Summit is held every 12 to 18 months, and aims to  encourage greater business and research links between Australia, Korea and New Zealand.  Korea and New Zealand have well-developed digital economies and, on average, ‘digitally literate’ populations.

Last year, the Australian Government hosted the KANZ Broadband Summit in Tasmania – the first state to be connected to the National Broadband Network. This year the summit is heading back to Korea. The KANZ Broadband Summit features highly experienced speakers and industry leaders discussing the impact that broadband and online technologies are having on various facets of our lives – from new media content, smart utilisation of ICTs in health and education to new opportunities especially for small businesses. We  featured a couple of those who spoke about the future of online business last year in a 2011 KANZ wrap-up blog.

Opportunities like the KANZ Broadband Summit allow Australian businesses to explore joint ventures, with previous KANZ Broadband Summits resulting in partnerships between Australia companies and enterprises from Korea or New Zealand who attended the event.

Plus it is always exciting to see the latest technologies on display.

The 2012 KANZ Broadband Summit is fast approaching, set to be held in Seoul on 15-16 May. Australian delegates are welcome to register their interest in attending with kanz2012@dbcde.gov.au.

Depending on the countries and industries you may be interested in pursuing, the KANZ Broadband Summit could offer you a great opportunity to build networks and make connections in overseas markets. More information is available from www.dbcde.gov.au/kanz.

By Josh, DBCDE

The Haworth Guitars story starts with a Year 10 student asking design teacher Phil Haworth for help to make an acoustic guitar. In 1999 Phil left his teaching position to make guitars for a living, opening the first Haworth Guitars store the following year in Kiama Downs. A decade on, son Glenn has taken the reigns as General Manager of the business, which has now expanded to the two-level Haworth’s Shellharbour Music Store and adjacent warehouse.

The online presence began back in the early days of the original brick and mortar store. While Phil knew very little about computers, he was managing their eBay store and the website that another student had built for him. According to Glenn, online sales now account for about 20 per cent of their overall gross sales, with half of this from eBay and half from their website.

The Haworth team recently updated their website to offer a better user experience. “Most webpages out there are only a year or a couple of years old,” Glenn explained. “We’ve got to make sure… our website is quick and easy to use, it’s quick and easy to update, it’s easy for people to look at photos, and to find prices and to search for items.” As he puts it, “We’ve got to be at the cutting edge.”

The business is also very engaged in social media, with a Facebook fan page, a Twitter account, a YouTube channel, a flickr gallery and a blog. According to Glenn, it’s Facebook that gets the most hits. “If we have a competition, we will film the YouTube video – the Haworth TV – and put it on Facebook… everyone is on there and it’s so easy for them to reply and to comment.” Competitions could involve customers posting photos online or following the online clues on a treasure hunt around the local area. At the time of filming this case study they had around 2300 Facebook fans.

An online presence isn’t just important for making sales in new distant markets. It’s also the way that local customers find you. “We make sure that in our local area, specifically, we are up there in the Google ranks – we’ve got to be… I think that when most people are looking for a music store they just Google it.”

So are customers from around the world getting that rock star experience? In a testimonial on their website, one customer, Paul, tells the Haworth team “My Maton arrived all the way to Ireland in less than three weeks from date of order, and the best thing was, it was 100 per cent in tune when I took it from its case. Thanks and thanks again from one very happy customer.” But according to Glenn, the thanks don’t just come in the form of emails. “We’ve got YouTube videos of customers unpacking their guitar when they got it and getting all excited.”

The team love hearing and seeing that they have delivered the best service they can. And Glenn emphasises that customer service can be even more important online that offline. “If we’ve slipped up [online]… we’ll get told about it. You don’t always get a second chance online.”

So why should you get your business online? As Glenn explains, even back a decade ago that was the way the market was going. And ultimately “if you can’t beat them join them”.

To learn more about how Glenn is making the most of the opportunities available to his business online you can check out the Haworth Guitars story on our case study page or the embedded videos below.

Video 1: Online Presence

Video 2: Customer Service

By Natalie, DBCDE

The new retail world is convergence.

The Productivity Commission report into the Economic Structure and Performance of the Australian Retail Industry released in December is not about winners and losers; it is not about retail vs. online; nor is it about commerce vs. e-commerce; it’s about the new retail paradigm.

With more than 10 million Australians now shopping online, commerce has hit a critical inflection point; consumers are spending an average of one hundred minutes shopping online each week. They are shopping on their computers and on their mobile phones – on the bus to work, while watching TV, and while browsing in their local shopping centre.
The internet empowers consumers like never before with greater control and choice, but it’s only the savvy retailers that are embracing this consumer-driven change that will ultimately survive.

This has been reinforced with figures being released that retailers had their busiest ever period of online shopping over Christmas 2011.

Mobile phones will increasingly have applications that allow barcode scanning. Still in its infancy in Australia, these applications will allow you to scan an item in store and instantaneously, see everywhere it is available for sale online or nearby. You may be searching for a camera in your local store, the application informs you of another store selling the exact item at a discount, but you don’t want the hassle of going somewhere else. You decide to order the product on your mobile phone, and the retailer offers free shipping and they will deliver the next day. These scenarios will be increasingly common and can be achieved with current technologies that will continue to blur the line between online and offline shopping.

Australian consumers will continue to get smarter, and more demanding. They are now using their mobiles more than ever to make price comparisons, search product information and ensure they are getting the best deal possible.

Global financial firm Morgan Stanley predicts that within 4-5 years’ time, there will be more people using their mobile than the internet on their desktop to shop. According to eBay’s own research, Australia has amongst the highest smart phone penetration globally with 1 in 4 Australians regularly using their phones to shop online.

Online is not a competitor to traditional retail, it is a partner, that if fully embraced will guarantee future growth for retailers, large and small.

One of its key recommendations, the Productivity Commission recommended the establishment of a Retail Council of Australia to make recommendations on the future of the retail sector. That Council representation would certainly be strengthened with representatives from the online retail environment.

Multi-channel commerce is the biggest catalyst for growth in the retail industry today, encouraging entrepreneurship, enabling new businesses to emerge and compete with more established players, and opening up the opportunity to sell to a global customer base.

This in turn spurs long term economic growth. It also creates significant opportunity for established manufacturers; retailers and logistics providers who are prepared to evolve and meet the needs of this new modern day consumer.

To do that though, retailers need to embrace this new retail paradigm.

You can follow the eBay Government Relations team on Twitter at @ebaygr.

Note: The following is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as constituting legal advice.

Online business is quickly becoming the way to do business for both large and small business owners. Many consumers favour online shopping given that it is quick, convenient and often cheaper than a retail shopfront trek. It is no surprise then that many savvy entrepreneurs are trying to get in on the action. However, before you embark on this new online endeavour, you need to consider the legal considerations and responsibilities of running an online business.

Registration

The first thing to remember is that even though you do not have a store front, you are still operating a business.  As such, there are certain legal requirements that you will need to abide by.  In particular, you need to think about:

• the structure of your business – asset protection, taxation issues, income splitting
• registration of your business entity (if any) and business name
• obtaining an ABN and if required, registering for GST
• government regulations  regarding the products or services that you wish to sell
• whether there are any advertising restrictions on the products or services that you wish to sell.

Although these considerations may seem daunting at first, it is important that they are given due consideration. Take for instance the choice of business name. Many would consider this the most important decision in the establishment of an online business. When choosing a name, you need to make sure that it does not infringe upon or is not too similar to an existing business name.

Consumer Law Requirements

Before embarking into the world of e-commerce, it is important to remember there have been major legislative changes to the laws regulating business transactions. In particular, you should take note of the new Australian Consumer Law which seeks to regulate the large majority of consumer affairs and transactions. Provisions which may be relevant to an online business largely concern the issue of misleading and deceptive conduct.

Consider the descriptions that you will be putting up about the products you will be selling and the impact that these may have in the mind of the consumer. If you think that they may create a false assumption then it is best to re-word them and make it clear exactly what the product or service does.

If you are planning on selling products internationally, then you may also need to consider legal requirements of the countries you are proposing to deliver to.

Terms of Trade

Most online businesses do not sufficiently state the terms of their proposed sale to consumers in their contract (i.e. the terms of sale). The description of the goods is usually there, as is the price and a method of delivery… but that’s about it! What if something goes wrong – what other terms would be useful?

Consider these:

• Which legal framework applies to contractual arrangements? E.g. State, Commonwealth
• At whose risk are the goods while in transit and are they insured?
• What warranties or indemnities (if any) are required?
• Can the performance of the contract be delegated to a third party?
• Can liability be limited in the contract?
• What happens if circumstances beyond my control prevent me from fulfilling my contractual obligations?
• Do I need to protect my intellectual property in any goods sold?
• How will any disputes be resolved?

Many, if not all, of these matters can be addressed by having appropriately drafted terms of trade in your contract. If you haven’t brought all of your terms to the customer’s attention before the contract is entered into, they do not form part of the contract.

Security and Privacy Concerns

Online systems are at risk all day and all night from fraud originating from anywhere in the world. When dealing with sensitive information such as personal contact details and credit card information, it is important that you have appropriate security measures in place.  You should aim to:

• Ensure all personal details and credit card information is securely stored (or not stored).
• Take steps to seek to prevent fraud by using appropriate firewalls and software.
• Provide a safe and secure online space.

Remember that by doing these actions you are not only protecting consumers, but also protecting yourself.

Spam

Although you may be keen to let everyone know about your new online business venture, before you begin advertising your business you need to be aware of legal requirements under the Spam Act. Essentially, spam refers to unsolicited emails promoting goods or services. The Act applies to all those undertaking ‘e-marketing activities’ so if you plan on advertising your business by email or in an online medium, then it is applicable.  The key features of the Act are:

• provides a range of civil penalties for business that use spam to advertise
• prohibits the use of electronic address-harvesting software
• requires that messages contain an unsubscribe facility.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Craig Pryor is a principal at Warren McKeon Dickson Lawyers in both the Corporate and Commercial Group and the Commercial Litigation Group. WMD has offices in Sydney, Wollongong, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, Bega, Merimbula and Eden. For more information visit www.wmdlaw.com.au

It sounds like the plot to a TV show, but that is the story behind Birdsnest, which features in our latest case study video. With a successful bricks and mortar fashion store located on the main street of Cooma (population 6,500), founder and ‘Big Bird’ Jane Cay recognised that online was an open space of limitless opportunities for her business.

The team at Birdsnest have worked hard to create a great online experience for its customers. They proudly proclaim on their website that, “We want you to have just as much fun as coming into the store, in the comfort of your home”.

Today the Birdsnest website records over one million views a month, making it one of the top 50 apparel sites on Australia. As Jane describes it, “We are sitting next to… big names in the retail industry”. They were a finalist in this year’s BRW Australian Retailer of the Year Awards.

That’s pretty impressive for a small business located in a small regional town. But as Jane points out, location is not a barrier when it comes to digital business. “Google doesn’t care where you are… If you are the most relevant person or the most relevant site, they will find you.”

Jane sees running an online store as needing the same kind of commitment as a physical store: “you really have to understand who you want to be online and resource that”. That’s why the team has grown to 40 people. They have people ordering and managing the stock, photographing outfits for the website, writing detailed descriptions about every item they sell, and carefully wrapping and posting orders out to customers. And they have someone there to answer the phone when you need that extra personal help. A lot of love goes into managing their online store.

Jane didn’t have any guarantee that their online experiment would work, but having the bricks and mortar store provided a safety blanket. When they started the online store they were literally selling the stock off the floor of the physical store, so if “the online thing flopped”, they still had a way to clear any extra stock.

To learn more about how Jane gets to “live in the slow lane and work in the fast lane” you can check out the Birdsnest story on our case study page or the embedded video below.

By Natalie, DBCDE

However, the 2011 Big Australia Report recently found that savvy Australian businesses are increasingly using online technologies to deepen and personalise their relationships with clients. Why are they doing this? To better serve their customers, increase return business and build brand loyalty.

 Going digital with your business can actually provide you with more ways to get to know your customers and help them in their purchasing decisions.

Getting to know you – capturing customer data

Customer Relationship Management software (or CRM for short) can help you to better understand your customers’ habits, preferences and wishes. With CRM you can track what your customers buy and what they like and don’t like. If you find over time that certain customers prefer a certain service or product line, you can email them to let them know when you have a special offer or are getting new stock.

Chances are, you’re already doing this with loyal customers who visit your shop or use your services. CRM makes it easier to do so both on and offline.

Depending on the level of customer information you collect, you can send personalised birthday wishes (with in-store discounts) or remind your customers that it’s time for their routine service or check-up (as my dentist helpfully does for me every six months). CRM can also let you know which customers haven’t visited you in a while so you can email them with a special offer or your latest newsletter to remind them you are still open for business! (Of course, make sure you comply with anti-spam laws, because everyone hates spam, and that you comply with any other laws relating to the collection and use of personal information, such as privacy laws.)

Put simply, CRM helps you to ‘remember’ your customers – if you remember them, then they are more likely to remember you too.

Habits and interests – website user analytics

Just like watching the ways customers wander through a shop, website analytics can help you to get a better understanding of what is and isn’t working on your website. 

Frequently visited pages can give you great insight into your customers’ interests and could provide opportunities to value-add by inserting links to other complimentary products and services you think they might be interested in.

In contrast, if your customers are checking out your online specials and browsing away from the webpage after only a few seconds, your specials probably aren’t so special after all. Or you may need to improve the design of your webpage. Likewise, if your most visited page is seven clicks deep in your website you might want to move it closer to the top or insert a prominent link to it on your homepage.

By evaluating your customers browsing habits you can make it easier for them to access your products and services, making it more likely that they’ll visit you online again too.

I think I ‘like’ you – the social business

Social media provides an invaluable opportunity for business owners to directly speak with their customers, in their own home. 

Social networking sites, forums, blogs, polls and online competitions all provide ways to further deepen customer relationships. They provide opportunities for customers to actively participate and provide feedback to your business. This can help you to improve your service, build trust and develop brand loyalty with your customers.

A recent contest by socialmediaexaminer.com found that the best small business Facebook pages were consistently the ones that actively and meaningfully interacted with their ‘fans’ (i.e. their customers). That is, they responded quickly to enquires, provided relevant and useful information in their posts and were personable in their communication style.

In this sense, social media is just like talking to a customer on the phone or across the counter – respond promptly and you may just get a new customer and another sale!

Let’s go steady – digital engagement works

While the digital detractors of the world may say that online business prevents you from getting to know you customer, the tools and resources described above show that they are clearly doing it wrong. Digital business provides a wealth of opportunities to better find, understand, interact and respond to customers’ needs. The fact is that using digital business tools can help build better customer relationships, and in so doing, could help you to grow your business.

By Dylan, DBCDE

P.S. Carie Lewis from The Humane Society of the United States has created a great Prezi on ‘the do’s and don’ts of social media’. Check it out:  Why I Don’t ‘Like’ You.