VNI Consultants use Zoho Sites to boost engagement and revenue
- ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
The company
"A lifelong interest in organizational design and development and a passion for understanding people's behavior are some of the main reasons for starting VNI Consultants. We specialize in organizational development, learning and development, and behavior and change management. VNI designs and develops bespoke learning and development programs."
- Dr. Pieter du Toit, Owner & Manager, VNI Consultants
VNI has also created several products in the learning and development sphere. Kayos Kitchen (a productivity app), Royalopoly (a business board game), EduNomix (a virtual learning platform), and BluAgile (Body of Knowledge for practicing holism and well-being) are among a few of them.
Some of their diverse and notable clients include Astron Energy (RSA), Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS), Basil Read (St Helena Isl.), Ma’aden Gold (Int.), Hindustan Zink (Int.), Anglo American (Int. & RSA), Glencore (Int. & RSA), Goldfields (Int. & RSA), Wits Health Consortium (WHC), and Impala Platinum (RSA). They have delivered projects in India, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Brazil, Australia, Zambia, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Mozambique, and various European Countries.
The challenge
VNI has been a digitally aware and savvy brand from the word go. They started with an Excel-based CRM solution and a static website on Joomla way back in 2008. However, this setup did little to enhance brand awareness, expand their client base, or increase revenue. They transitioned to WordPress in 2011, adding blogging and Mailchimp, but their online presence remained limited.
The primary challenge was to build a website that went beyond displaying basic information. Without an interactive website, it became increasingly difficult to amplify brand awareness, attract new clients, and drive revenue growth. VNI needed an intuitive and user-friendly website builder to create a site that was not only customizable but also efficient in facilitating seamless operations—a priority for Pieter.
The solution
In 2019, just before COVID hit, VNI made the strategic decision to move to the cloud, opting for Zoho One solutions. They migrated their website to Zoho Sites, transforming it from a static platform into an interactive and engaging website.
"Our static website became an interactive website when we moved to Zoho Sites. Imagine a brick and mortar store that got a lot of walk-ins—that's how our website turned out. We could instantly engage with our visitors effectively, with CTAs facilitating meaningful interactions."
- Dr. Pieter du Toit
According to Pieter, VNI achieved over 80% of their goals, including improved operational efficiency. Blogging became a central part of their website activities, and he appreciates the ease of creating and managing posts, especially the auto-save feature.
"Zoho Sites is an easy-to-use website platform. It is continuously developing and renewing functionality, which keeps it current. Its ability to integrate with other Zoho applications makes it a comprehensive and user-friendly platform."
- Dr. Pieter du Toit
They've also integrated with Zoho Bookings (to manage appointments), Zoho PageSense (to understand customer behavior), and Zoho SalesIQ (to automate customer engagement with chatbots), among other business applications.
Benefits and ROI
VNI’s migration to Zoho Sites enabled them to create an interactive website that engages effectively with their audience.
"When we started in 2021, our website did not even reach 2000 session counts (number of times a new or returning user visits the website). By 2022, that number jumped close to 15,000, and in the following year, it rose to 40,000. As of October this year, our website sessions have reached 95,000, and we’re aiming to hit the 100k mark by the end of 2024. The key to this exponential growth is having an integrated website."
- Dr. Pieter du Toit
Pieter emphasizes that this increase in traffic has positively impacted the revenue. Overall, Zoho Sites has helped VNI amplify their brand whilst growing its website visitors and, subsequently, revenue.
Looking forward
VNI is committed to further enhancing brand awareness and achieving a 25% increase in turnover. They also plan to double their member and client database. Pieter emphasizes that they will focus heavily on maximizing the efficiency of Zoho Sites and Zoho Campaigns to reach these goals.
On the business front, VNI is gearing up to expand its offerings by adding more educational courses to their website, investing in change management, and securing additional trademarks to strengthen their intellectual property.
To learn more about VNI, visit their website https://vniconsultants.com/