Getting sharp with Bluntt

In the 19th Century, the telegram marked the epitome of fast, international communication, with the Morse code giving rise to the famous SOS message.

Now, the pervasive, multi-modal, up-to-the second communications landscape sees small businesses offering up a new cry of distress, as they struggle to survive amid an avalanche of information.

This modern-day SOS caught the attention of a local family, who saw a gap in the small and medium enterprise (SME) market, where sending the right message at the right time has become increasingly complicated. So it was that siblings Adrian, Chantelle, and Jason von Plato got together to form Bluntt Internet Services, with the aim of simplifying online content management.

They began discussing the idea of a company at the end of 2009, but had to wait until all three returned from their respective posts in the UK. Chantelle and Adrian set up the company in May last year, and it hit full stride once Jason returned in October.

Jason's thinking was influenced by trends he observed overseas, where converged communications and workforce mobility were beginning to take off. At the same time, Adrian, the technical brains behind the outfit, was working on an expanded content management system, and began discussing the idea with his siblings.

“Once Chantelle came back, with all her marketing and media skills, we could increase the service offering,” says Adrian.

Jason, who's responsible for Bluntt's business development and sales, returned to SA convinced companies weren't using the Internet to its full potential. He says many smaller players get bewildered by the sheer number of online services they have to update and manage.

“In a small company, the owner often has a number of roles, and their time is precious. Much of it is spent out of the office, chasing leads and sales, but they need a Web site to build the business and deal with customers on a daily basis. So for them, keeping their online component up to date is a real problem.”

According to the Von Platos, the one thing that traditionally holds smaller companies back is the lack of ability to alter content on their Web site. “You shouldn't need a degree in Web design to upload information, graphs, charts and other content,” says Chantelle.

Leveraging their complementary strengths, the trio set out with a plan to offer Web development services along with media, design and advertising expertise, all under one roof.

The aim is to provide small businesses with a user-friendly interface, so they can update and publish content quickly and independently. This fits into their vision of 'the modern-day telegram', which is infinitely more detailed, expansive and versatile than its predecessor.

“The World Wide Web is the telegraph of the 21st Century; it enables you to express yourself, show the world what you have to offer, and demonstrates the skills you supply.”

Social networking has had a huge impact on the way people communicate, notes Jason. “It was a social activity first, and then developed into a professional one. As the younger generation begins entering the corporate environment, it's going to play a much greater role.”

MWeb's Friendship 2.0 survey, released in January, found that social networks are now predominantly a playground for potential customers, rather than bored teenagers.

It revealed that the average South African social networker is in their thirties and employed full-time, making it a mainstream - and business relevant - activity.

While only 16% of the survey respondents used social platforms to promote their business, MWeb believes this figure will grow, as more small businesses see the value in it.

Jason says unfamiliarity with social networks often stops smaller companies from using it as a business tool.

“If you don't have a person within the company who understands social media, owners are reluctant to look at that route.

“It's time-consuming and a challenge to get going because before you can implement a social media strategy, you need to have a following, so you can market your activities at growing that base,” he explains.

Adrian says there are additional technical challenges, due to the many different platforms available. SMEs have to try and get information out onto different channels, while making sure it's all together and accessible on a central site. Managing all this content can quickly become an organisational nightmare.

Unless SMEs work with a partner that knows the game and follows a tried and tested method, they're likely to run into trouble, says Jason.

If a page is taking long to load, the last thing you're going to do is hand over your credit card details.

Adrian von Plato, Bluntt

A February study by US research firm The SMB Group, for example, found that while SMEs are using social media for a wide range of purposes, it's often without any formal strategy or budget.

The survey, which included 750 SMEs across 18 different industries and non-profits, showed a clear move towards using social channels for business purposes. Nearly half (44%) of small companies with under 100 employees said they've already made social media a part of their operations.

However, many of these SMEs have no formal plan for their social business activities, and use it on an ad hoc basis.

In addition, the value of investing in these communication channels is also rarely defined. A recent ITWeb/Deloitte online survey showed that while 76% of respondents feel there needs to be a formal measure of their company's social media ROI, almost the same percentage (75%) said their company does not have one.

While all these factors can make the online world daunting, it also allows SMEs to compete on whole new level, says Jason.

“It gives smaller companies exactly the same opportunities as large companies. If there's the same amount of pressure online, and you can use the Web in a clever way, you automatically give yourself an advantage.”

Consequently, SMEs have to ensure their online presence ticks a number of boxes - it has to look good, be logical and easy to navigate, and most importantly, work and work well.

“People are mostly visual and when they click onto a Web site they're very aware of the way it looks, so businesses often focus on the appearance of the site,” says Chantelle.

“I try to get them to spend time on the finer details because the small things in design often make all the difference.”

She encourages clients to consider who their competition is, who they like, and who they want to look like. “It's not only about getting to know the product, but getting to know the client - even if it's just on paper.

“In SA, when we're looking for something, we're used to walking into a shop. But it's not like that anymore. Before you buy anything, you do research - usually online - so businesses need to make sure they're always on top of things, and have up-to-date info.”

Adrian explains that a few years ago, SA's slow connectivity and limited broadband capacity made it a challenge to create visually appealing sites that didn't take forever to load. “But now, SA has caught up, and it's possible to get more creative and interactive.”

Adrian says companies have to rebuild consumer trust in doing business online. “E-commerce sites cannot afford to be slow. If a page is taking long to load, the last thing you're going to do is hand over your credit card details.”

Given local consumers have only recently begun to engage in online business in earnest, switching to mobile commerce may take a while to reach full adoption.

Nevertheless, Jason says mobility is the big future trend for business. With apps and smartphone use becoming the order of the day, it will offer new opportunities to use phones to keep in touch with customers, he explains.

As the world of online media grows and develops, Bluntt plans to stay at the forefront of change.

Jason is positive about the future, saying its spread of skills has meant Bluntt could easily tweak its service offering.

He says their line of business is both advantageous and challenging. “When we began Bluntt we wanted to offer Web services, which is very general - pretty much any kind of company is going to be looking at that. So on the positive side, it's an offering that's pretty global.

“The trick is marketing to the client's specific needs. As long as you can take the generic offering and incorporate the customer's requirements, you can tailor a solution.”

In a small business, the owner often has a number of roles within the company, and their time is precious.

Jason von Plato, Bluntt

He plans to grow the business beyond its initial referral base, which makes up about 80% of revenue. “Moving forward, it's key we not be as reliant on that and develop a customer base for ourselves. I've got a lot of cold calling to do.”

Adrian hopes to create a portal where local developers can join and work on creating new solutions and services. He notes that development work has become much more collaborative.

“Previously, if I had a question, the traditional route would be ringing up a Microsoft partner, for example. Nowadays, when I have a query, the first place I go to is the community of developers on Facebook, where I get lots more useful information - you get the answers you really need.”

He adds that while they'd like the company to grow, the aim is also to create job opportunities, and make sure local skills stay in SA, rather than being lost to other countries.

Whether in SA or the global environment, one thing companies can rely on is change. And in a world where smarts trump sheer size when it comes to business interactions, smaller players can now leverage the power of converged communications to get the upper hand.

As the Von Platos know, it all comes down to the old SOS - a clever social, online strategy.