Today’s business environment is more competitive than ever before. This means than any business owner needs to be on top of all of the latest advancements in technology to stay relevant and avoid falling behind. With how rapidly business technology has been changing, however, keeping up with the cutting edge is much easier said than done. In this article, we’ll go over some of the technological trends a savvy business owner should not only be aware of, but know how to use well. If you’re able to take full advantage of the following tech as a business owner, you’ll be more likely to have a leg up on the competition.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO as it is commonly called, is a topic covered frequently on this blog. SEO consists of a number of strategies and techniques that ultimately help people find an item or service more easily online using search engines. Since many people today use the internet as their primary means of finding what they need, the business owner who is easiest to find online has a significant advantage in any market. Using specific techniques such as the right keywords and a well-organized and labeled website can help draw in business locally and even around the world.
Read more about this topic in our previous blog post, “Search Engine Optimization Demystified”.
Cloud Services
Data access is absolutely crucial in the contemporary business climate. When data is lost, employees and clients alike can be affected by loss of productivity, inconveniences, and even security threats. Technological experts have fortunately come up with a solution to today’s data problems in the form of cloud computing. This is an easily available service that, through an internet connection, gives any business owner access to very powerful off-site machines where they can store and retrieve their data instantly. Because these machines are secure, this prevents loss of any important data. Additionally, cloud computing allows you to buy cheaper machines since most of your computing needs will be handled by the off-site machines.
Social Media
Many customers today spend much of their time plugged into various social media outlets, as this is where they turn to for news or to investigate a potential new product. The business owner today needs to be here as well. Accounts on multiple kinds of social media are a must, enabling the owner to communicate directly to customers and answer any questions they might have. The immediacy of social media allows you to efficiently update your customers with any change in your business such as a change in a seasonal restaurant menu or the creation of a coupon that customers can use.
Mobile Payments
People today expect to have a variety of options when it comes to making payments, the most recent of which being payment via cell phone when on the go. Make it easier for customers to pay with software such as Apple Pay and Android Pay, which make it much easier to make credit card purchases on a smartphone. Customers who can get in and out of as store quickly are customers who are likely to return there again and again, and the same applies to online stores.
Video Conferencing
When a company has clients and offices across the nation or across the globe, it can be hard for employees to communicate with each other. You can reduce air fares and keep people in touch with each other and on the same page using video conferencing software. This type of technology allows several people to video chat at the same time in the same call without anyone having to leave their office. Costs are minimal and the benefits are huge. Be sure to invest in a high quality resolution webcam and microphone to make the process flow more smoothly, and test your chat devices before the conference to avoid any possible mix ups.
Smartphone Apps
Nearly everyone today has a smartphone, but does your business take full advantage of everything these amazing pieces of technology have to offer? As an owner, you can look into various types of management and teamwork facilitation apps, and have all of your employees install them on their phones. There are apps that can allow team members to chat in a distraction-free environment, to-do-style checklists, and even mileage-calculating apps if you have drivers that need reimbursement. This is a golden age for software innovators, and there is likely software out there to assist and speed up any kind of work. Why not take advantage of the portable computer in your employees’ pockets and have them use software that will make them more productive?
These are just a few of the latest technological trends that you should look into to avoid falling behind as a business owner. Several of these topics have been covered more in-depth in this blog, and others will be covered further in the future. There will no doubt be newer business technology in the not-so-distant future, so stay up to date with all the tech relevant to you by following our blog!
