In recent years, the digitization of SMEs in Mexico has been boosted. More and more national and international companies are committed to promoting digital transformation and the democratization of technology through digital tools, friendlier platforms, financial products and many more services.
However, the latest study indicates that only 6 out of 10 SMEs have an online store or sell online. This means that there are still a large number of small and medium-sized companies that do not have an e-commerce or are lagging behind in terms of business competitiveness. Most of the time, companies do not take that step to digital transformation due to misconceptions or myths. In this post we are going to deny the main myths that slow down the growth of SMEs in Mexico due to these beliefs. Are you ready?
Main myths of the digitization of SMEs
1. “You need to be an expert on digital issues”
Many people think that to achieve digitalization, SMEs need extensive knowledge in programming, social networks, site traffic, logistics, artificial intelligence, among others. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While it is true that knowledge is needed in many areas, it is not necessary to be a specialist in everything.
Whoever says that he is a specialist in all digital issues… is lying.
There are many alternatives 一of the startup or companies that seek to eliminate the technological gap一 that facilitate all these issues. For example, there are e-commerce platforms such as Tiendanube where you don’t need to know programming to create an online store in a few hours. So this type of technological tools make it possible for an entrepreneur to launch their venture without the need to be wise in all digital matters.
In addition, the information that exists on the Internet is an excellent ally for SMEs. There are video tutorials, e-books, blog articles, and even TikToks that make this task easier when you don’t have the budget to do it with the help of experts.
2. “It requires investing a lot of money”
As I anticipated in the previous myth, there is a belief that a lot of money is needed to achieve the digitization of an SME or small business. Not only to hire experts, but also to invest in platforms, hardware and programs that automate processes. But let’s go easy… Remember that Rome was not built in a day! The ideal is to maximize the money you invest, identify the needs of the business and make the most of each peso.
For example, instead of hiring a delivery man and buying a van to deliver orders, why not incorporate a logistics company that offers you a better price for the parcel service? These types of decisions are key to achieving business growth. If you want to go deeper into this point, check out our post.
3. “It is complicated to implement”
All businesses require some preparation and knowledge about operations, administration and other topics. What happens when an entrepreneur does not have knowledge in certain areas? Generally, he hires a person to take care of that.
To carry out technological and operational changes in a company that is not digital, it is sometimes necessary to hire people who are in charge of the technical aspects or seek advice, but the options are not closed; Now more than ever, strategic alliances are essential to achieve digital growth.
An example of this is that Tiendanube has created agreements with specialist companies in different areas to offer better options to entrepreneurs. From agreements with logistics and parcel companies, to payment methods developed by our partners such as PayPal, Mercado Pago or Rappi.
4. “E-commerce is an easy target for scammers”
Fraudsters take every opportunity to take advantage of people, this happens in traditional businesses and digital businesses. However, technology knows this and is constantly creating security mechanisms to make it more difficult to be a target of fraud.
On the other hand, as in daily life, it is necessary to take precautions in a business. For example, keep passwords in safe places and do not share sensitive information with people you do not trust or pay close attention to emails that impersonate companies such as banks and credit institutions.
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5. “I have a physical store, I don’t need an online store”
The Covid-19 pandemic left us with several lessons, one of which was the need to have different sales and adaptation channels. Unfortunately, many businesses had to close forever because they were not prepared for the months of social isolation.
In this sense, we could think that if a business that sells well at the point of sale does not need to diversify and have an online store, but why limit your business instead of promoting it? Better
6. “E-commerce is for big companies”
Completely false! The boom in online sales occurred in 2020, but it was already quite boosted, although large companies already have it quite adapted, it is not exclusive to them and even small and medium-sized companies are gaining a lot of ground thanks to these digital channels of sales such as applications, marketplaces, social networks and, of course, e-commerce or their own online stores.
Did you know that many were born and grew up without having a physical location?
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7. “Everything is easier on the Internet, things are done by themselves”
This is the opposite myth of number three on our list. Sadly, almost nothing in life is free 一or very easy一. What is true is that after perseverance and work to position your brand, things become somewhat automatic and “faster”, but it is not spontaneous.
Social networks have taught us that something can go viral and travel the world, but it is not a general rule for everything on the Internet.
8. “Not everything can be sold online”
Many thought that selling e-books was nonsense and that not even an electronic book would be sold, however these digital products are the best sellers in their category. Best of all, that didn’t take away from physical books and the experience of running your fingers across sheets of paper.
The previous one is just an example and like that there are many more, it is important to be realistic but to know that with dedication, data and a good strategy you can offer your products or services on the internet, because the offer does not stop and you should not stop for a moment either. myth.
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9. “A lot of innovation is needed”
Innovation is not the key to digitalization in SMEs, but technology is, and as we mentioned before, there are more and more companies that dedicate time and money to research and develop high-quality technology for small and medium-sized companies.
10. “An online store does not add great value to my brand”
Actually an online store adds a lot of value to your brand. Consumers are learning how to shop safely online. An online store offers confidence to your customers as well as social networks and the reviews of other people about the products.
On the other hand, having an online store communicates that you are a company that takes things seriously, in addition to implying growth.
11. “The digitization of companies will eliminate physical work”
This is one of the oldest myths about digitization and the digital age. Technology is our greatest ally, it helps us to automate processes and do things much faster, but the human factor is necessary in most cases, either to supervise some processes or to carry out tasks that a machine cannot do.
But this evolution is normal in our society. Can you imagine if we continued to make our own clothes or had to wait months to have products that are now easily within our reach?
12. “Digital transformation is only viable for B2C businesses”
Nothing excites us more than debunking this myth because many wholesale or B2B companies (business to businessin Spanish business to business) are missing out on a great opportunity for growth and more sales because they believe that only businesses that sell direct to the consumer (B2C or business-to-consumer) are candidates to have an online store. The rapid growth of the Internet and changes in habits focused on saving time have shown us that it is not a bad idea at all.
Even before the rise of e-commerce, large companies already had exclusive websites for distributors with the aim of speeding up order taking. Although in these cases the payment was not made online, this shows that in the business world all processes are adaptable and scalable. There are more than five, did you know?
These are the main myths that SMEs in Mexico face, we recommend that you do not fall into misinformation. Research, analyze and make informed decisions for your business. If you think there are more myths that we need to clarify, comment on our social networks what ideas are holding back the growth and business competitiveness of SMEs in Mexico. Did you like this note? Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to continue reinforcing your knowledge about e-commerce and the digital world📚.
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