By Naseem Javed E-Commerce Times
08/13/08 5:10 AM PT
While Dubai is undergoing significant growth and business expansion, its Internet sophistication remains behind the curve, writes branding expert Naseem Javed. Companies in Dubai must harness the power of online resources to maximize their potential, he writes.
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Right now, the global business community at large is curious to discover the charm of Dubai and what it is about its business community that works so well. The outside world wants to know, who these people are, how they run their projects, and what they do exactly that is so grand and magical?
While the rest of the world looks in, a recent report on the analysis of tens of thousands of Web sites for businesses in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates evaluates three key factors that will eventually construct the cyber highways of Dubai.
Firstly, despite all the fast-paced success , it is not uncommon for many Dubai Web sites to be simple and elementary in their layout, information and functionality. A large majority of them rely on basic templates with animations and movements that often overshadow the main company objectives.
Discovering the Power
Furthermore, this type of site rarely works, as the novelty wears off after the first visit, turning off consumers. Almost a decade ago, these models were commonplace in North America, especially during the early dawn of the Internet, but the rapidly changing market forced them to adopt advanced Web site designs that would better inform consumers.
While there are some very well-designed Web sites, there are still tens of thousands of business projects with no Web presence at all. This analysis points to the need of information-rich Web sites that cater to the international market and spark global interest while appealing to their specific curiosities.
Without a doubt, every business around the globe is keenly interested in Dubai. Each has a different goal, ranging from joint business ventures to exchanging ideas; and from trade and barter to moving their entire headquarters to this jewel in the desert.
The intensity and sheer volume of companies converging from every corner of the globe is at a frantic, record-breaking pace. In response, there are some extraordinary measures constantly being implemented to accommodate foreign interest, and there are hundreds of organizations and agencies running around, helping foreign businesses set up shop in the booming region.
Key to Marketing
To take full advantage of this global attention, all businesses must have a precise plan to equip their Web sites with an intuitive, highly functional, inviting and rewarding design to assist potential customers, offer them in-depth information and leave a lasting impression that will make sure they return.
Inbound and outbound marketing is the newest and fastest way to conduct national image branding. It relies heavily on cyber-branding, requiring the latest tools to create high-quality content.
The information and business accessibility grid is achieved by having just about every single organization with a highly organized and accessible data outline for easy access. Last century, the publishing of business trade directories and industrial reference data assisted the West greatly in conducting transactions, representing what was the backbone of the grassroots economy.
The Middle East is still at a very early stage in this game, and there are huge and untapped opportunities in this area across Arabia, while the UAE is taking the lead on all fronts. The online marketing culture is shooting up, and corporations realize that e-mail marketing is one of the best ways to communicate.
Making Connections
Manish Gupta, a seasoned marketing and IT expert, has been perfecting the e-mail marketing database services in UAE. He sells large trade lists and also handles the mailing for international clients. His young company is busy handling international requests.
"I have customers all over the world, looking to get trade information about UAE, and they want quick and easy lists of potential customers." he said. "We sell all kinds of databases with detailed information so they may target their market quickly. Our business is constantly increasing, and we are expanding all over GCC." His company plays a key role when these organized electronic directories help international businesses formulate their market expansion decisions.
Right now, there is so much construction in Dubai that the SMB base is almost invisible; and once the dust settles, it will be the SMB that will become one of the main engines driving the UAE economy. Today, the cyber-accessibility of business information is the most critical thing that would assist in global trade and alliances, and it is always the ease and processing of interactive-vertical-trade-database accessibility that encourages the grassroots SMB boom. There are numerous examples of American cities and regions that become hotspots for SMBs for this very reason.
While global records are routinely broken in UAE, the global business community must take a closer look at new processes being implemented in these regions today. Like a critical part of image building and national branding, Dubai businesses and leadership must also make cyber-branding and online marketing a main priority. The global understanding of the subject, and in-depth analysis requires sophisticated knowledge.
Dubai prepares while the world watches.
Naseem Javed is recognized as a world authority on corporate image and global cyber-branding. Author of Naming for Power, he introduced the Laws of Corporate Naming in the 1980s and also founded
ABC Namebank, a consultancy established in New York and Toronto a quarter century ago. He can be reached at
nj@njabc.com.
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