IT companies in the Middle East fail to use the web effectively, according to survey

One of the major criticisms that emerged from the 'Gulf Hill & Knowlton/IT Director's survey', conducted among more than 60 IT directors throughout the region, was the poor quality of regional/local information available to them on vendors websites.

The web was identified as the primary initial source of information by 75 percent of respondents but leading international vendors offer, at best, a second rate version of the facilities available to customers elsewhere in the world.

Basic information such as regional availability of products, pricing, specifications and contact details are, according to those surveyed, among key requirements missing from most regional sites.

"The pages of the region's newspapers and trade media are full of vendors talking about the impact of the digital revolution and the importance of e-business," says James Mullan, who heads the Technology Group at Gulf Hill & Knowlton, the Middle East's leading full-service public relations consultancy. "At the same time, however, very few of them are acting on their own words. The irony is not lost on their customers in the Middle East."

The survey was conducted by Gulf Hill & Knowlton, as part of its service to its large portfolio of IT clients. The companies surveyed covered the finance, tourism, oil and gas, retail industries as well as government, telcos, media and cargo industries. It was conducted throughout the Middle East among companies based in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Oman. GHK believes that the findings indicate a problem that many companies operating in the region need to confront, namely the failure to treat communication with external audiences as an issue of 'business critical importance'.

"What initially surprised us in conducting this survey was first, the willingness and second, the passion of the respondents. We clearly touched a nerve," says Mullan. "It's obvious from these responses that the quality of communication has a direct effect on whether companies will do business with particular companies. Vendors should be aware that poor communication makes a difference to their bottom line."

Another significant criticism that emerged from the survey was that many vendors do not understand their customers' business well enough. Several respondents gave instances where they, the customer, had pointed out to a vendor the particular solution from that vendor's portfolio that was most appropriate for their business. Part of the reason for this failure, it appears, is down to a 'one-track sales mentality' on the part of many leading vendors where their priorities are not necessarily shared by their customers.

"The upside of this, however, is that customers are very keen to hear from vendors when they have a product or solution that is directly related to their business," says Mullan.

Good news for local/regional companies is that they are judged to be almost as good at communicating with customers as their international counterparts. 51 per cent of respondents judged international vendors to be the best communicators whereas 41 per cent said that local/regional vendors were better at speaking with them.

GHK concludes its report by issuing a 'photo-fit' of the successful communicator to the IT industry in the region. This is as follows:

Has a strategic approach to communications that delivers a consistent, comprehensive approach to communicating with existing and potential customers

Knows about the customer's industry in depth and brings new developments to the customer's attention regularly.

Is not always in sales mode when speaking to the customer.

Ensures that the local organisation has a local/regional website that is up-to-date and relevant.
Introduces himself and his company in an appropriate manner
Is swift to inform the potential client about a new product/solution that the vendor is offering which may be of interest to the customer.