Technology is all around us. There is no area of life that has not been improved by technological developments: health, education and work; but often small businesses are reluctant to embrace technology due to the perceived challenges of transitioning to a new way of working.
However, technology empowers small business to be able to compete against the larger more established organizations that have previously been market leaders. So, if you are contemplating how to grow your business and give it the competitive edge, read on for some inspiration.
Marketing
The business’s website is often the first point of contact that a potential customer has with your business. It needs to perform several functions:
- An online brochure of the products and services that you offer.
- Provide potential customers with key information that they may need; for example, FAQs and contact information.
- Indicate the business’s credibility.
- Guide the visitor from the landing page through to checkout with clear calls to action.
However, your website is also the most influential tool that you have for building and expanding your client base. With search engine optimization, you can use the content of your website to further appeal to the search engine bots and prospective clients alike, to increase the ranking position of your website on the search results pages.
Technology can be used to ascertain the most effective keywords to target on the web pages and within the marketing campaigns constructed to market your business. Website metrics can be analyzed to identify which of the marketing efforts are more effective, and which need to be adjusted. Organic search remains the most reliable way that visitors find websites, but you also have the option of introducing paid search to your digital marketing campaign to put your business in front of your target audience. A digital agency such as clickintelligence.co.uk can provide you with a campaign that will increase your business’s exposure and give you the greatest return on investment.
Productivity and Efficiency
In a small business, productivity and efficiency are critical to the business’s success. Employees often have multi-task roles, and while day-to-day operations currently run smoothly, could they be improved upon? Review each person’s role and understand what tasks and duties that they perform on a daily, weekly, quarterly basis. You will be able to identify where duplication and time inefficiencies occur. To remedy any issues that you identify, the following solutions can improve employee productivity:
- Cloud-based systems streamline business processes with real-time reporting, centralized data and is accessible remotely. The cloud also reduces maintenance costs in comparison to hardware systems.
- Time tracking software is invaluable for automating invoices.
- Project management tools to alert employees to responsibilities.
- Communication technologies such as Skype provide the opportunity for face-to-face meetings which helps to develop relationships between co-workers and enhances business culture.
By incorporating technology into the operational side of your business, you are essentially helping your employees to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively, increasing both their confidence and job satisfaction – all key ingredients for motivating employees to do a great job for your customers.
Technology has leveled the playing field between larger organizations and smaller businesses. Traditionally, smaller firms did not have the same opportunities to use the technologies that could grow their business and make them more productive and efficient. However, times have changed, and you have access to the technologies to grow your business.