These are exciting times for small and medium-sized businesses in India: Apurva Palnitkar

In a recent conversation with Adgully, Apurva Palnitkar, Senior Director Marketing, GoDaddy India, shared valuable insights on the pivotal role of technology in empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly in emerging markets like India. He discussed how GoDaddy is fostering innovation, supporting digital transformation, and leveraging AI to enhance operational efficiency and drive business growth. Palnitkar also shed light on the profound impact of AI on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). He discussed how AI-driven tools and services offered by GoDaddy, such as Managed WordPress, GoDaddy Studio, and AI Domain Search, are revolutionizing business processes. These tools provide personalized guidance, streamline operations, and support branding efforts, making AI accessible and beneficial for SMBs. By addressing common challenges like lack of awareness and implementation costs, GoDaddy’s AI resources and support systems are helping small businesses leverage technology to enhance their online presence and drive growth.

GoDaddy is known for empowering entrepreneurs online. How do you see technology playing a pivotal role in enabling and supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially in emerging markets?

Use of technology is crucial in today’s competitive environment in supporting and enabling small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly in emerging markets. At GoDaddy, we believe it plays several key roles:

1. First, technology dramatically increases accessibility and reach. Small businesses can now reach a global audience through e-commerce platforms, social media, and digital marketing. This means entrepreneurs in emerging markets can extend their reach beyond local boundaries, accessing customers globally.
2. Second, technology provides cost-effective solutions. For businesses with limited budgets, tools like website builders, digital marketing platforms, and customer management systems offer affordable ways to compete with larger companies. This is vital for small businesses looking to get started and maximize their resources as they grow.
3. Third, operational efficiency is significantly enhanced using technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation tools can help to streamline routine tasks, freeing up business owners to focus on growth and customer engagement.
4. Fourth, data-driven decision-making helps to drive growth. Technology enables businesses to understand their customers better through data, such as purchase history, providing valuable insights into consumer behaviour and market trends. This can help businesses tailor their offerings to meet demand more effectively, which is particularly advantageous in dynamic emerging markets.
5. Finally, support, guidance and resources are essential. At GoDaddy, we provide expert support through a variety of channels and offer guidance through Help articles and video learning, and resources like the AI Prompt Library to help small businesses better understand and implement technology for their businesses. These resources can help to demystify technology, making it easier for entrepreneurs to leverage their power and drive their business forward.

Innovation is crucial in the tech industry. How does GoDaddy strike a balance between introducing innovative solutions and addressing the specific needs of its diverse customer base, especially in a country like India?

GoDaddy’s approach to innovation is deeply rooted in understanding and addressing the unique needs of its diverse customer base, especially in a country as diverse as India. We believe in striking a balance between introducing innovative online tools and solutions, while at the same time catering to specific needs for our customers.

One of the key strategies in achieving this balance is fostering a culture of experimentation. We encourage our teams to experiment with new ideas, concepts, and technologies. This approach allows us to continually evolve our offerings and stay at the forefront of the tech industry, while also ensuring that our solutions are tailored to meet the needs of our customers.

In addition, we prioritize understanding our customers’ needs, challenges, and goals. This customer-first approach guides our innovation process, ensuring that our solutions are not only technologically advanced, but also relevant and beneficial to our customers.

For instance, in the Indian context, we recognize the diversity of our customer base that ranges from traditional ‘Kirana’ stores going digital for the first time to tech-savvy startups looking for advanced solutions. Our product portfolio is designed to cater to this wide range of needs, from offering an easy-to-use GoDaddy Websites + Marketing tool with a built-in website builder tool and e-commerce tool, to more advanced tools like GoDaddy Managed WordPress solution recognizing different customer needs.

How has digitalization, particularly AI, improved efficiency and work processes for small businesses? What kind of growth are we expecting in the coming years due to AI adoption?

It’s an exciting time for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in India. AI is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a game-changer. Recent findings from our GoDaddy 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Survey reveal a compelling statistic: 94% of Indian small business owners believe AI implementation would yield tangible positive outcomes. Interestingly, the areas deemed most likely to benefit from AI include marketing (65%), business planning and strategy (61%), and customer service (52%). These findings suggest that AI has the potential to significantly impact the core functionalities of Indian SMBs.

AI enhances marketing plans by allowing personalized campaigns based on customer data. AI can help to create compelling content, saving time for business owners. The use of AI can help to improve business planning with analytics that track trends and optimize operations.

Could you elaborate on the tools and services offered by GoDaddy incorporating AI and how these tools can be efficient for SMBs in India?

I’d be happy to elaborate on GoDaddy's AI-powered tools and services and how they have been significant game-changers for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in India.

GoDaddy Managed WordPress with AI service is a prime example of our AI integration. This service utilizes AI to provide personalized guidance and design recommendations, making it easy for SMBs to create professional websites without needing a deep understanding of web design. It's like having a virtual assistant guiding you through the design process.

GoDaddy Studio, powered by AI is graphic design tool that helps businesses create attractive digital content. It’s packed with templates and design elements which can be easily customized without the need for design skills. This makes it possible for businesses to design high-quality visuals for their digital presence without hiring a professional graphic designer.

GoDaddy’s logo maker, included in GoDaddy Studio, and business name generator tool are like having your own personal brand gurus, using AI technology to help craft a unique business name that stands out from the crowd.

GoDaddy also offers the .AI domain name extension, which is well-suited for businesses in the tech sector, AI research firms, and startups. It’s a great way for these companies to showcase their commitment to leveraging the latest technology, by having their domain name use the .AI extension.

And as mentioned above, GoDaddy’s available resources include the AI Prompt Library and the free AI Guide, found on our website.

In essence, GoDaddy’s AI-powered tools and resources provide a well-rounded solution for SMBs in India to help them save time and take advantage of this new technology helping them stay updated in the digital world and contribute to their future business growth.

What AI tools can help all businesses find the perfect domain name for better branding and customer reach?

GoDaddy is indeed leveraging the power of AI to revolutionize the way individuals, organizations, and businesses identify the right domain name. The GoDaddy AI Domain Search tool is a prime example of this.

This AI-powered tool is designed to deliver personalized domain suggestions that cater to the unique needs of each user. It’s not just about finding an available domain, but about finding one that enhances your branding and facilitates accurate customer exposure. This is especially beneficial for entrepreneurs and SMBs, as the right domain can significantly impact their online presence and reach.

Here’s how it works: users simply enter a description of their business or a few relevant keywords, and the AI Domain Search tool gets to work. Leveraging generative AI technology, it provides users with creative, unique, and most importantly, brandable domain name suggestions that align with their business description, idea, product, or service.

In essence, GoDaddy’s AI Domain Search tool transforms the process of finding a domain from a task into an exciting journey of discovering a domain name that truly reflects a brand’s identity and vision. This is just one of the ways GoDaddy is harnessing AI to empower users and businesses to establish a strong online presence.

What are the biggest challenges small businesses face when it comes to understanding and implementing AI solutions? How can AI services and resources help overcome these challenges?

Small businesses can face several challenges when it comes to understanding and implementing AI solutions. According to our survey, the biggest hurdles include a lack of awareness about available AI solutions (50%), a lack of understanding of the benefits (45%), potential costs (43%), and a lack of time to implement these tools (29%).

To help address these challenges, AI services and resources can play a crucial role. The GoDaddy Prompt Library resource is designed to help small business owners understand AI and learn how to leverage it effectively. It provides accessible information on AI tools, explains their benefits in clear terms, and offers practical guidance on implementation. It is free and found on the GoDaddy website.

In essence, while the challenges of understanding and implementing AI are real, by taking advantage of available resources, support, and scalable solutions, these hurdles can be overcome, ultimately enabling small businesses to leverage the immense potential of AI.

Considering the rapid evolution of the online landscape, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of online business?

Reflecting on the trends that have shaped the online business landscape in recent months, the digitalization trend has continued to surge, with 97% of SMBs in our survey reporting that digitalization has significantly improved their business processes. This era has seen SMBs leveraging digital solutions to help deliver their services and products to their customers.

Technology advancements and innovations are not just trends, but are tools designed to empower SMBs, ensuring they navigate the dynamic digital landscape successfully. It’s an exhilarating journey, and at GoDaddy, we’re committed to helping SMBs be their own success story.

GoDaddy is excited to be supporting entrepreneurs and SMBs in India and be a trusted partner with them in their digital journeys, successfully realizing their potential and growing their businesses.

Also Read: Majority of Indian small businesses plan website investments: GoDaddy study 2023