Building a social platform for SMEs
To design a platform where SMEs and MSMEs can list their services, connect with potential clients, and establish a strong B2B network.
To design a platform where SMEs and MSMEs can list their services, connect with potential clients, and establish a strong B2B network.
Objective
The client identified a gap in the market. While there are plenty of platforms for professionals (e.g., LinkedIn) and large enterprises, there isn’t a dedicated platform where small businesses can showcase their services and connect with other businesses. SMEs and MSMEs often struggle with visibility, making attracting new clients and growing their businesses difficult.
Problem Statement
The challenge was to design a user-friendly platform that catered to smaller businesses to showcase their services and connect with other businesses, providing them with the tools they needed to thrive in a competitive B2B environment.
The challenge
Owners and decision-makers within SMEs and MSMEs, typically ranging from 1 to 100 employees.
Research & Discovery
1. User Research:
• Target Audience
• Primary Needs
Visibility: A platform to showcase their services, products, and expertise.
Networking: The ability to connect with other businesses for partnerships, collaborations, and sales.
Credibility: Tools to build and demonstrate trustworthiness, such as reviews, certifications, and portfolios.
• Pain Points
Limited Resources: Unlike larger companies, SMEs and MSMEs often have limited marketing budgets and resources.
Complexity of Existing Platforms: Current platforms like LinkedIn are often too complex or not tailored for B2B networking among smaller businesses.
Lack of Time: Business owners are busy managing operations, leaving little time for managing an online presence.
Analyzed existing platforms like LinkedIn, Alibaba, and industry-specific directories.
Identified gaps in user experience, particularly in ease of use, tailored features, and cost-effectiveness for SMEs and MSMEs.
2. Competitive Analysis:
The platform needed to be simple and intuitive to use.
It should provide features that directly address the needs of small businesses, such as lead generation, service listing, and client management.
Trust-building features were essential to helping businesses establish credibility in the marketplace.
3. Key Insights:
Roger, a 35-year-old owner of a small manufacturing firm. He needs a platform to showcase his products and find clients.
Design Process
1. Defining the User Personas:
• Persona 1
• Persona 2
Anita, a 28-year-old freelancer providing digital marketing services. She’s looking for a space to connect with potential clients and showcase her portfolio.
• Persona 3
Mark, a 42-year-old consultant in supply chain management, looking for business partnerships and industry connections.
Designed a simple onboarding process, allowing users to quickly set up profiles with essential business information.
2. User Flows
• Onboarding Flow
• Service Listing Flow
Created a streamlined process for businesses to list their services, categorize them, and add detailed descriptions, images, and pricing.
• Connection Flow
Developed a feature where users can connect with other businesses based on industry, needs, or location.
Implemented a system where businesses could post service requests and respond to leads directly through the platform.
• Lead Generation Flow
Developed low-fidelity wireframes to map out the core functionalities and ensure a seamless user experience.
Created high-fidelity prototypes to simulate the final product, focusing on usability and aesthetics.
Conducted usability testing with a sample of SMEs and MSMEs to gather feedback and refine the design.
Ensured that the design was mobile-responsive, knowing that many small business owners rely on mobile devices for daily operations.
3. Wireframing & Prototyping:
Comprehensive profiles that allow businesses to showcase their services, certifications, portfolios, and customer reviews.
A trust score based on client feedback, certifications, and activity on the platform.
1. Business Profiles
Final Design & Features
Easy-to-use templates for listing services, with options to categorize and tag services for better discoverability.
Multimedia support for showcasing products and services through images, videos, and documents.
2. Service Listings
A simplified connection feature, allowing businesses to network based on industry, geographic location, and business needs.
In-platform messaging for seamless communication between businesses.
3. Networking & Connections
A feature where businesses can post service requests and solicit quotes from other businesses.
A bidding system allowing businesses to compete for service contracts.
4. Lead Generation
A dashboard providing insights into profile views, connection growth, and lead generation performance.
Tools for tracking and managing client interactions and project status.
5. Analytics & Insights
Challenge: Ensuring the platform was simple enough for time-strapped business owners while still offering powerful features.
Solution: Conducted multiple rounds of usability testing and prioritized features based on user feedback.
1. Balancing simplicity with functionality
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge: New users might be hesitant to trust unknown businesses on the platform.
Solution: Introduced trust-building features like verified profiles, client reviews, and a trust score algorithm.
2. Building Trust Among Users
3. Mobile Usability
Challenge: Ensuring the platform worked seamlessly on mobile devices.
Solution: Designed a mobile-first experience, prioritizing key actions and reducing unnecessary steps in the mobile interface.
SMEs and MSMEs reported higher engagement and better lead generation compared to other platforms.
1. Increased Visibility
Outcome & Impact
Users appreciated the platform’s simplicity and the tailored features that catered specifically to their needs.
2. Positive Feedback
3. Network Growth
Businesses were able to grow their networks, leading to new partnerships and increased business opportunities.
The final product was well-received by the client and beta users. Key outcomes included:
The platform launched successfully and continues to evolve based on ongoing user feedback, with plans to introduce additional features like AI-driven recommendations and expanded analytics.
Conclusion
Designing a B2B platform for SMEs and MSMEs required a deep understanding of the unique challenges and needs of small businesses. By focusing on simplicity, trust-building, and usability, we were able to create a platform that empowers these businesses to connect, grow, and succeed in the competitive B2B marketplace. The project highlighted the importance of user-centered design and iterative testing in creating products that truly meet the needs of their users.
