Anne De Aragon is the Vice President and Country Manager for GoDaddy Canada, the company that empowers everyday entrepreneurs. In this role, she is responsible for all GoDaddy operations in Canada, leading the charge on business strategy and growth. Throughout her tenure at GoDaddy, she has worked closely with Canadian small businesses to understand their needs to help them reap the benefits of having an online presence. Anne has also been a driving force behind GoDaddy’s partnership with the Toronto Raptors resulting in some of the most successful branding campaigns in the company’s history. This past year, she spearheaded the “Don’t Stop Being Unstoppable” campaign, highlighting real Canadian small business owners and Olympian Andre De Grasse.
What do you think of the current state of e-commerce in Canada? And how do you see it evolving in the near future?
Ecommerce is thriving in Canada today. During the global Covid-19 pandemic, more businesses adopted e-commerce tools to help their business make it through the challenging business environment, and these tools aren’t going anywhere. In fact, Canadian retail e-commerce revenue jumped to over $50 billion in 2021 and is expected to increase to over $60 billion by 2025. Yet, as physical stores open back up across Canada, an omnichannel approach will be extremely important so businesses can cater to a variety of consumer preferences.
What are the top e-commerce trends for small businesses in Canada? How can small businesses take advantage of these trends?
Canadians have never been online as much as they have over the last two years, which is why “social commerce” has become a real trend to watch. Businesses are looking to provide direct and convenient ways for consumers to purchase items on cell phones and tablets through social media platforms like Instagram, or marketplaces like Amazon. Small businesses can take advantage of this trend through GoDaddy’s Marketplace feature. Using items from their GoDaddy Website Builder product catalogue, customers can list products with Amazon and eBay in just a few clicks.
With the rise of platforms like TikTok, and features like Instagram Reels and Facebook videos, the use of video has become a number-one priority on social media. But the interest in video content doesn’t end there. Small businesses should consider implementing more video content onto their websites as well. Adding diverse, snackable and engaging video content about your business, along with your products and services to a website, can be a great way to provide consumers with more information on the brand and its offerings.
Another trend we’re seeing is personalization, but in this case, personalization will present a challenge for businesses over the next few years as Google announced it plans to end the use of third-party cookies in 2023. This means brands can no longer gather contextual information on consumers or run personalized ads with this information. To prepare and take advantage of this eventual shift, small businesses need to pivot and test new strategies to avoid losing traffic and ad revenue. Increasing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or experimenting with social media marketing are good areas for small businesses to explore. Both strategies are included in GoDaddy’s Digital Marketing Suite to help small business owners stay connected to their customers.
Why do you think it’s important for small businesses to have an online presence? And where do you anticipate small businesses will need to capitalize on in order to remain competitive?
Having an online presence isn’t just important for a business, it’s crucial. A website is often the first place people go to learn more about a product or service. It’s that first touchpoint for many potential consumers and can be a deciding factor in turning a potential customer into an actual customer. According to Adweek, over 81% of all purchases begin with an online search.
The e-commerce industry is evolving at a rapid pace so small businesses need to remain nimble to adapt to the changing landscape. It’s crucial to have an online presence but it’s not crucial to be everywhere all the time. Small business owners need to assess what makes the most sense for their brand.
Anne De Aragon – Taking the Importance of Online Presence for Businesses to a Whole New Level Share on XWhat do you think makes GoDaddy a one-stop shop for e-commerce solutions? Can you tell us a bit about the e-commerce solutions that GoDaddy offers?
GoDaddy is not only a one-stop shop for e-commerce solutions but also a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs to build and manage their entire online presence. GoDaddy’s e-commerce solutions help entrepreneurs of all sizes and skillsets sell their products and services online.
GoDaddy Online Store is an easy-to-use platform that combines a sleek virtual storefront with powerful selling tools, customizable shipping, and flexible payment options. For a more advanced e-commerce option that requires highly customized solutions, GoDaddy offers Managed WordPress eCommerce Hosting with WooCommerce extensions. WooCommerce is the world’s most popular open-source e-commerce solution, featuring powerful flexibility with easy-to-use extensions and client management tools, and over 50,000 plug-in features.
Are there any other comments or advice that you would like to share with small business owners who are looking to start selling online?
Setting up your own online store and selling online is easier than you think. Today, there are a variety of resources and support available. GoDaddy empowers the everyday entrepreneur and supports Canadian small business owners with an integrated suite of online tools and solutions, along with 24/7 support, to help them grow their business online.
