It amazes me that, 22 years after the Internet came to Bahrain, we still have so many companies here who act like it does not exist.
Companies who put BD150 ($400) price tags on products you can buy from Amazon for $150, and after paying $50 shipping you’re still getting it for half price.
And don’t talk to me about the woefully inadequate websites that Bahrain and GCC companies have.
I should not be surprised though as most Bahrain companies do not understand what marketing really is. If they have a marketing department/person they will probably only be employed to get leaflets printed and distributed by free visa workers, stuck in your letterbox or under your window wipers.
In the same companies the procurement departments are using the Internet fully by putting the correct search criteria into Google and making purchases from companies who have managed to work it out.
If you are a company owner then do a search on Google for your main products, and Bahrain.
If your company does not come out on the top of the list then go to your sales/marketing department and demand answers.
If the answers are not acceptable then you have the wrong people.
If you want to see how a website can display products and generate sales in Bahrain then go and look at the beverage companies. They know how to do it.
Then we have companies who do have websites, but seem to think that putting up a site is all you need to do.
Once it is active you need to keep it current, at least one new news article every week.
So many sites have a news section and the last article posted was 2009!
Also keep your site maintained.
I recently was billed for a website I maintain by the Bahraini hosting company. Now this is a company whose business is websites and their own site was broken and would not accept invoice payments.
Now that’s fundamental and the fact that even a website company can’t keep their own payment engine working is indicative of the poor management and lazy attitude which infests many Bahrain firms.
There is even an Internet provider here whose website will not allow you to raise a support issue.
You go to their website, go to support centre and click on Raise Complaints which takes you to your log in ID, and when you log in you do not have access to the support centre.
Serious problem there guys, I’ll not name names yet but I expect it fixed soon.
I work for a company that is global; I have to deal with China, Hong Kong, Europe and the US on a daily basis. It is not unusual for me to be on a conference call at 10pm or 4am so what do I do when my Internet service goes down?
Well in most parts of the world you call the support line but not in Bahrain.
It seems that Internet providers here who provide a 24x7 service only man their support centres from 9am to 9pm.
So if you have a problem at 10 past 9 in the evening then you’re out for 12 hours, half the working day!
What I want to know is why does the Telecom Regulatory Authority allow this?
If any company is offering a 24x7 service to its customers then it has to have a 24x7 support line.
C’mon guys sort it out.
Jackie@JBeedie.com