Technology can be very helpful in business. But, there are some business owners who would rather do things the old-fashioned way. While the old-fashioned way of doing business may have worked in the past, unless business owner’s embrace modern technology, they will be limiting their own success.
Here are just a few aspects of a business that could significantly improve through the implementation of technology:
Customer Service
In order for your business to have a helpful and efficient customer service department, you would need to properly train the staff, however, that is not all. You should also have the latest customer service technology installed to make your staff even more efficient. If you set up things like business use email to help answer customer’s questions, online chat support, and the latest phone equipment for your call centre, you can make it much easier for your customers to contact you. This could be great for business.
Productivity
One way to improve productivity is to implement new computer software, such as online planning software. This software would allow you to schedule meetings, assign projects to the right employees, and you would no longer need to send out endless emails to check on the progress of your employees. Everything that you would need is right in one place for everyone to see. This can be a huge time saver.
Communication
For you and your staff to communicate with customers and each other efficiently, you will need more than just the office phone and email. The technology that we have today makes communication much easier. If it is easier to communicate, it is easier to do business. The first step in improving communication is to make sure that every employee has a Smartphone. Just about every type of communication can be performed on a Smartphone. You can make calls, send text messages, check and send email, and even have a video chat if you need to have a face to face conversation with employees who aren’t there. Recent technology has made communication much more efficient.
Enhance Your Marketing Strategy
Technology has made it possible for business owners to use more than just the same old print ads that they have been using for decades. Thanks to technology, you can take advantage of internet marketing. This means that you can create an informational website for your customers to visit. On the website, you can sell your product so that you can reach customers all over the world. To get your business’ name out there, you can take advantage of search engine advertising. Furthermore, because of email, you can send your customers newsletters, coupons, and information regarding new products. Technology also helps you use one of the least expensive and most productive types of marketing today, social media. More and more businesses are using social media to get their name out to potential customers that they would not have been able to reach otherwise.
Make Telecommuting Possible
If an employee’s child gets sick and they are forced to miss work, there is going to be a whole days worth of projects that won’t get done. This is not good for the business. If you update your software, employees can stay home and still be productive. These employees can use online collaboration tools, email, and mobile devices, so they can be just as productive at home as they would be in the office. Many companies today are using telecommuting and flexible time as benefits for their employees. Some employers have employees who strictly work from home, and they get just as much done as the employees who work in the office.
Teleconferencing
Years ago, when a business owner had more than one office in different parts of the country, they had to have regular meetings to get everyone up to speed. This would mean spending a lot of money to send the employees to the meeting destination, and to pay for their lodging. Thanks to technology, employees no longer need to travel. Web conferencing uses audio, webcams, and online meeting spaces to create an interactive environment so that it seems like the group is together even though they could be in different parts of the world. The best part is that it wouldn’t cost you anything.
Updating technology may require an initial investment, however, once everything is up and running, you can save your business and your employees a great deal of time and money.
