Small and medium-sized businesses are movin’ on up…to the cloud, that is. And they’re finally getting a piece of the pie. A big piece, actually. The percentage of U.S. SMBs venturing into the cloud is expected to more than double during the next six years, from 37 percent to nearly 80 percent, according to a new study from Emergent Research and Intuit Inc.

Technology is no longer a barrier to small enterprises. The road to the cloud is paved with opportunities that enable SMBs to boost revenues, increase efficiencies, and enter a new era of business—the era of engagement.

The cloud is connecting everyone and everything under one roof—from employees to partners to suppliers, the entire business ecosystem—including the products themselves. Now, smaller businesses can tap into greater resources and drive better business performance with minimal effort, upfront costs, or IT burden. SMBs that adopt a do-it-together culture see more results through collaborations with partners on accounts, opportunities, campaigns, and support cases. They’re also engaging with larger audiences. 

Which brings us to the center of the SMB’s universe: customers.

The majority of small-to-mid-sized businesses earn over half of their annual revenue from repeat customers, so it’s no surprise that they’re investing more of their time and resources on strengthening relationships with existing customers versus actively acquiring new customers.

And it’s paying off big time. Customers who engage with a company online spend an average of 20 to 40 percent more on that company's products.

The game has changed—and companies that don’t adapt to the new norm of user experiences risk their service or customer experience being perceived as inferior or tired. But with all of the different ways to communicate across digital channels, many companies are finding it difficult to participate in the conversations happening around their business and their products.

By removing the barriers and bringing conversations into their company sites and applications via customized, branded communities, SMBs can engage in today’s open, two-way channels without spreading themselves too thin. Better yet, they can bring in sales reps, in-house experts, partners, and even other customers to enable the one-on-one connections customers want (and expect).

And let’s not forget—engaged, happy customers refer new customers, who in turn will keep the community flowing and the business growing.

Learn more about Salesforce Communities by visiting our website, or download the free e-book below.