Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, machine learning, cloud or the contactless are some of the technologies that are profoundly changing the business models of SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) in Portugal.
Whether in customer serviceIn the creation of new products or the opening up of new sales channels, these and other technologies are the image of a process of change. digital transformation of companies which is not only unstoppable, but also profitable.
Digital transformation: a look at the changes in small businesses
One of the biggest transformations we've seen in the digital sphere is the development and democratisation of the channel of online sales.
After several years in which e-commerce was mostly carried out using its own website, the social networks and their marketplaces have radically changed the paradigm.
By opening up this sector to new businesses, many of which are more informal, marketplaces have become a kind of modern "neighbourhood market" which, without any major costs, allows virtually anyone to starting a business and sell immediately to an "audience" of thousands of consumers.
Online shopping: a growing consumer habit in Portugal
According to the available data, this way of democratising online sales is proving to be a success.
For example, according to DPD, the e-commerce carrier operating in Portugal, in 2023 around 71% of Portuguese consumers will have shopped online, which translates into an increase of five percentage points compared to 2022.
Although more conservative, data from ANACOM (Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações) confirms this trend by revealing that 44% of Portuguese consumers between the ages of 16 and 74 shopped online last year, which represents a growth of 1.3 percentage points (p.p.) compared to 2022 and feeds the idea that e-commerce has definitely entered Portuguese consumer habits.
From the online world, where we could still talk about the impact of the chatbots in the provision of customer service and in the pursuit of omnichannelThis is a strategy that brings together online retail and traditional retail, and we are moving on to the growth of online media. digital payments no contact.
As has been easy to follow through the REDUNIQ InsightsBetween 2019 and the end of 2023, the percentage of contactless transactions carried out will rise from 16% to an extraordinary 81%. This exponential growth also applies to the weight of contactless in business turnover, which in turn rose from 6% in 2019 to 63% in 2023.
So, by betting on contactless payment methods that allow their customers to pay more comfortably and quickly, small businesses are becoming more mobile and digital, thus attracting more customers and increasing their sales.
However, none of this would be possible without the adoption of technological tools created with the needs of SMEs in mind.
Essential tools for digitising a small business
In order to reap the benefits of digitalisation, businesses in Portugal can count on the support of new technologies that not only make it easier to sell, but also to communicate with customers and receive payments.
If, as we saw earlier, the inclusion of customer service chatbots have come to allow an online business to offer personalised service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to its customers, payment solutions such as REDUNIQ@E-Commerce and REDUNIQ@Payments came to reduce friction at the height of the check-out (finalising the purchase with payment) and making business management simpler and less bureaucratic.
In practice, while REDUNIQ@E-Commerce allows those who sell through a professional online shop to receive e-commerce payments with debit and credit cards, Visa and Mastercard, from customers all over the world, the turnkey solution REDUNIQ@Payments gives to whom sells through marketplaces or social networks the possibility of receiving online payments by e-mail, SMS, WhatsApp, Multibanco reference or MB WAY, with Visa and Mastercard cards, with no membership costs, fixed costs, monthly fees or integration.
In addition to these, it is essential to highlight the existence of initiatives and tools that complement this process of digitalisation and innovation in business.
We're talking about tools like National Network of Test Beds which aims to support the technological innovation of SMEs in Portugal by providing equipment and infrastructure for testing new products, or the Digital Business Neighbourhoods which aims to digitally adapt small businesses to the challenges of digital commerce, it is important to emphasise the development of TPA (automatic payment terminals) that are helping businesses adapt to new consumer trends.
In the latter case, REDUNIQ responds to this need by offering retailers three different payment terminals that adapt to the specific needs of each business: REDUNIQ Easy, REDUNIQ Smart e REDUNIQ Soft.
Created with businesses that make a profit seasonally in mind (such as a food truck business) or those with low turnover, REDUNIQ Easy POS allows them to accept credit and debit card transactions (Visa and Mastercard brands) via PIN, contactless and MB WAY, with no commissions, minimum revenue or loyalty period.
For businesses with a higher volume of transactions, there's the REDUNIQ Smart Android POS, a terminal that can accept payments by contactless card and chip, MB WAY, Apple Pay and Google Pay, but also allows the installation of management and invoicing apps, such as the REDUNIQ Smart app. Parcela Já com UNICRE.
Last but not least is REDUNIQ Soft, a piece of software that looks like the future of payments which takes technology in Portuguese SMEs to a new level.
In practice, it's an app that is installed on the retailer's smartphone or tablet and will enable them to receive contactless, NFC or QR Code payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of where they are.
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