With technology advancing faster than ever, moving with the times has never been more crucial in business. If your company is languishing in the dark ages, you run the risk of falling behind and losing customers. Here are some simple strategies to bring your business into the 21st century.
Getting your website just right
The Changing Trends in Modern Web Design
You may have noticed from looking around you at a coffee shop or joining people packed onto a train at rush hour that the Internet is an integral part of modern life. We spend more time on our phones and tablets than ever, with the average US adult devoting over 5 hours per day to surfing the web. If you’re not already creating a buzz online and trying to generate and convert leads via your website, you’re missing a trick. The majority of people now prefer to shop and source service providers online. It’s essential to implement a marketing strategy that will enable people to find your website, but it’s also vital to make sure that your site delivers. You don’t want to attract potential customers to lose them the moment they land on a page or try and buy a product. Review every page, invest in professional web design, and include features that will appeal to your target buyer. Reading text and looking at a price list isn’t enough to impress web users in 2019. You need to be able to offer more. Provide answers to questions, engage with customers online, and use images and video clips to showcase your products and services in a captivating way.
Taking advantage of automation and AI
Technology is evolving at pace, and today, business owners can take advantage of a raft of features and innovations to generate leads, improve the customer experience, cut costs, and increase efficiency. There are several ways to introduce automation to Google Ads, to enhance customer service with phone lines manned by chatbots and to save time creating and sharing emails and social media posts with scheduling tools, for example. If you’re still waiting around to send messages, you’re bidding for ads manually, or you’re missing calls when you’re out of the office, exploring new technology could revolutionize the way you work. Look into software programs, tools and technical equipment that is relevant to your business, and consider the long-term cost savings before you decide where to invest.
Providing an experience for your customers
Customer Experience Is the Future of Design
Consumer habits change, and trends come and go. At the moment, customer experience is a hot topic. If you consider a restaurant or a hotel, for example, you’ll see that many customers are now looking for more than just a tasty meal or a comfortable bed. They want an immersive experience that will provide opportunities to post fabulous shots on Instagram and the chance to make friends and followers envious. Shoppers also want more from browsing virtual aisles. They look for features that enhance the experience and make it more enjoyable. If you’re selling clothing, for example, you could provide videos of the clothes on models, personalized sizing and outfit recommendations, and the chance to share images of your purchases with others. With furniture, you can use augmented reality to enable buyers to see what a sofa will look like in their home. Be original, think outside of the box, and use market research to keep up with emerging trends.
The world of business moves and evolves constantly, and there’s always a risk of falling behind. If you’re losing out to competitors, or your company isn’t as efficient or profitable as it could be, hopefully, this guide will come in handy.