6 must-have technology solutions for small businesses
Technology has become an integral part of life. Think about it: calling an Uber, renting an Airbnb, using drones to film ads, ordering food online; technology has ingrained itself into every level of existence. The same goes for the business world.
For you to maintain a competitive edge over others in your industry, you will need to evolve alongside technology and use such advances to your advantage. In today’s article, we’re taking a look at 6 must-have technology solutions every small business should know.
Migrate to a cloud-based service
Traditionally, having a lot of data as a company translated into having a filing room with rows and rows of files and documents. The situation is similar for companies that use server-based systems to store their data.
Maintaining a server takes a lot of space and personnel. Over time, these costs are bound to stack up. Migrating to a cloud-based service will save you from having to maintain a physical server room. This will open up funds that can then be redirected to marketing and other essential aspects of your business.
Don’t have the skills or time to invest in learning how to go about this migration process? You can outsource the entire task to specialized IT services like Valto. They will do it for you quickly and ensure that your data is secure.
Invest in email marketing
Email marketing is quickly becoming one of the more effective ways of advertising and generating leads. While social media trumps all – if you’re looking through the lens of mass reach – creating an email list will allow you to send personalized and tailored ads. For this reason, you should consider investing in developing a potent email marketing strategy.
Again, you can choose to outsource your emails to a specialized email marketing team and have them generate copy. However, be sure to brief them on your goals, expectations, and brand voice so they can create high-value emails that will generate leads.
Take advantage of SEO
SEO, which is short for search engine optimization, is the process of ensuring that your website and blog content are optimized to rank on Google or any other search engine. A key part of SEO is understanding your target audience and what they want, how they speak, and why they need your products and services. Looking at it from this perspective will enable you to come up with great, informative content that will add value, inform your prospects about your brand and even possibly generate leads.
Consider getting collaboration and project management software
Having project management software will allow your staff to work on different projects together even when they’re not in the same room or even country! These systems became a necessity in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic when people were forced to work from home. Such programs are projected to remain in the business world even post-pandemic, and it’s crucial to invest in one soon.
Having collaboration software will allow your staff to work on different projects together even when they’re not in the same room or even country! It also makes it easier for them to provide feedback on each other’s projects and all together work as a team.
Upgrade your internet bandwidth
When running a business, internet costs should be accounted for in the budget. Good, reliable internet ensures that work runs smoothly at the office. If you’re using a cloud-based server, for example, a glitchy internet connection will interfere with everyone’s tasks.
As your company continues to grow, lease out more space and hire more people, you will need to get faster connection speeds. It would be a good idea to upgrade your internet each year. As such, before choosing an internet service provider, make sure they have the ability to scale up to match your business growth.
Stay on track of time
It’s easy to waste time and be unproductive when you’re not tracking it. Adopting a time management program will allow you to stay on track of time and spend it wisely.
Most of these programs work by letting you assign specific tasks a given timeframe. When you’re aware of everything you need to do in one day, you’re significantly more likely to tackle them more effectively.
Choosing the right technology solutions for your business
Technology moves at a faster pace than many other aspects of life. Each day, something new is developed to help make work even easier. When running a business, it’s important to stay ahead of such technological advancements and use them to gain a competitive edge.
That said, you don’t have to jump onto every new fad that sees the light of day. Figure out what your business needs in the long run, and eliminate anything that doesn’t serve your purpose in any way. On the other hand, keep an eye out for anything that you believe will help grow your business somewhat.
