Gearing Up Small Businesses for Marketing in the Digital Space: An Exploratory Study

Gearing up small businesses for marketing in the Digital space: An exploratory study. The rapid technological metamorphosis coupled with the advent of user friendly and accessible mediums has hastened the shift of buyers and sellers from traditional selling to a more dynamic one. The buyers today are making use of channels like the internet through desktops as well as smartphones to generate more alternatives and make informed decisions. The growth of necessary infrastructure and digital skills has also catered to the growth of the big e-commerce giants in developing country like India where both the rate of technology adoption as well as penetration is on the rise. While this rise in e-tailing and e-marketing has created favorable economic situations for buyers by promoting price competitiveness on one hand, it has drastically affected the traditional businesses and sellers of the country on the other. Such businesses still employ the largest workforce as well as drive the economy in any developing country and their survival through the intervention of digital technologies in marketing has become a necessity. The paper attempts to suggest strategies that can help small businesses in India to adapt to these spaces and create a strong online presence with the available resources for relationship building, cost reduction and branding. Through an analysis of e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon on third party retailers, it will also identify the scope of e-tailing and its probable barriers. In the end, recommendations for effectively leveraging the resources in this space will be made. The paper will involve review of literature related to the use of digital channels like internet, social media by traditional small businesses that can be effectively leveraged in the Indian context to curb the growing competition.