Article Contributed by Diana Smith
In the year 2014 most businesses, regardless of their size, have relied on technology solutions for advancement of their businesses and no different it will be in 2015. In fact, if nothing, all entrepreneurs are advised by experts to rely on technology for strengthening of their marketing, product development, and customer engagement activities.
The best way to drive relative advantage over competitors is technology adoption. This is especially true if you are in business with computer and Internet technologies. Even though it seems like your business is technology enabled, you may be missing out on new, fast-evolving technologies. These technologies can be the main trigger in supercharging your business, regardless of its size.
Here are some strategies you may want to look into.
Strategy 1: Embrace Social Media and Expand Your Sales
Owing to the internet, we can now easily communicate with people all around the world with just a few clicks. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and similar have given us the power to interact with our business partners and (potential) clients more easily. Also, they make for great business vehicles. What can rapidly enhance a company’s branding and visibility is adopting an effective social media strategy – communicating with your audience around a direct message or offer, and drive traffic to your website. Naturally, for this to happen, both content and design need to be worth driving traffic to!
In order for companies to supplement current sales efforts they need a social media strategy and focus, and this should be their primary vehicle for all sales activity. Social media is an effective method of marketing over the Internet as print advertising is losing ground to the Internet. Plus, they cost very little.
Once you decide who your target audience is, you need to identify the online communities and platforms where your potential customers spend time. The next thing you should do is create a strategy owing to which you’ll manage to engage with their interests. Further, you need to offer them useful, compelling content and something they can’t get anywhere else.
Strategy 2: Adopt New Technologies to Streamline Your Business
Most private businesses, no matter whether they are small or big companies, have adopted technology — they have created user-friendly websites, call centers and online catalogs and they use financial systems from QuickBooks to Oracle. Naturally, they have also streamlined inventory management. Other evolving uses of technology that are adaptable to small businesses and large businesses are adopting are:
- For marketing and product promotion – real-time, on-demand video (especially on tablets)
- Customer care to “re-personalize” their customers’ experience and online customer relationship management (CRM)
- Tablet-based systems for employees to provide instant, one-to-one responses to customers’ needs
- Minimizing of the up-front investment through subscription-based software as a service (SaaS), providing all kinds of services on a “pay by the drink” basis
Strategy 3: Take Your Business into the Cloud
The “cloud” is probably the most significant technology paradigm shift for private companies. It delivers hardware and software services via a network. It also offers a range of shrink-wrapped solutions which are amazing at reducing a small business’s capital investment in technology. The cloud is also incredibly cheap storage.
With tablet computers being used to take and fulfill orders and manage automated systems, it is so easy to already see the benefits.
Strategy 4: Spend the Money to Create Something New
This is the era of innovation and in order to succeed you need to create something memorable yet practical for your target group to use. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s a mobile App or some entirely new technological breakthrough, as long as it’s original and functional and customers can get it at a good price. Think about it – the offline world relies on good old steady business looking for the improvement of their customer service, storage spaces, warehouses, relying on forklift hire instead of the buy, at least till their business grows. You are in the online world and you need to take a step back and think of what can be done in the virtual realm that will make you special in comparison to somebody else.
Whichever field of technology-based strategies you pick, make sure you give your best to endure and succeed!
About the Author
Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in topics related to business and marketing.