“I already had one foot in the virtual world for one of my companies, and I insisted that the other entities be present on the internet as well. Indeed, it is a wonderful showcase for our activities, and thanks to it, we have been able to reach a clientele we did not have initially.” François Xavier Ciais, entrepreneur, director of the newspaper “Les petites affiches des Alpes-Maritimes,” and manager of the Ciais printing company has just launched two new sites corresponding to two new local publications: Art Côte d’Azur and Immo Côte d’Azur.
“Our two print magazines are perfectly distributed locally, and with the internet, we open our readership to the national territory and the rest of the world. It’s another way to consider the development of our business, particularly highlighting the multiple facets and opportunities related to our magnificent region to the largest audience. This former member of the Jeune Chambre Economique Nice Côte d’Azur was Vice President of Communication for the Jeune Chambre Economique Française last year and thus very interested in new media and the prospects that the internet can offer. For this entrepreneur, it is inevitable to have an internet strategy from today if we want to develop and actively participate in the major communication challenges of tomorrow’s businesses.
“About 10% of my clients come through our website. We have had reservations by email from Chile, Japan, the United States, and a group of Canadians who even took advantage of their stay to take a cooking class.” Daniel Silvetti, Chef of the restaurant Lu Fran Calin (site undergoing redesign following the restaurant’s relocation) was not initially convinced of the utility of having his own website, but he is currently working personally on its second version, which should be ready for the upcoming new summer season. “I wanted to give it a more personal touch, to make it my own by evolving it according to my desires.”
A Website Kit
For years, any slight change on a website had to go through a web agency, resulting in inevitable billing. Today, self-administered sites are being offered to businesses and merchants. Indeed, simplified administration platforms now allow business leaders to personally evolve their website according to their current affairs. “I had a day of training and now I manage almost all of my pages with great ease, even though I am far from being a computer genius,” Daniel can therefore keep his internet users informed of his new menu items or upcoming cooking classes he offers at his restaurant.
“I have halved my communication budget while receiving an almost identical return. Moreover, when I find the time, I reference my site in the main search engines or on websites that talk about Nice, the Côte d’Azur, or cuisine. It is usually free and increases the chances of a user landing on one of my pages.” The Nice chef is ultimately as skilled behind his keyboard as he is in front of his stoves!
While nearly 60% of Azurean companies do not yet have a website, it seems that this option is clearly being considered by many local business leaders who have well understood that to combat this crisis, it might be necessary to learn to look elsewhere!
