3 reasons why businesses must stay technologically current

More and more, success in business hinges on our ability to adapt to technology. Those unable to evolve suffer from stagnant growth and fall behind, unable to keep up. Simply because a business has a website doesn’t make it safe from peril, either. The speed and fluidity with which technology advances require that business owners do much more. Hiring a web designer is only the beginning if you want to take full advantage of what technology offers and use it to grow your business. Here are three critical reasons why it’s so important to stay ahead of trends in technology.

Expand your client and customer base

The primary goal of every business owner is to grow or at least maintain their customer base. He does this through various means, with more businesses turning to the Internet to achieve their marketing goals. By now, we are all familiar with the modern outreach tools of social media, email lists, and the like. However, those are not static sectors and evolve with the rest of technology.

So, even if you are already utilising current technology in some capacity, stay on top of improvements and related technology that could help you get even more out of it. For example, you may have a business Facebook account, but are you maximising its potential by measuring and monitoring metrics through Facebook Page Insights? You may already have an email marketing service, but when was the last time you looked at what advancements the competition offers?

Enhance the customer experience

In addition to staying in step with improvements in online outreach technology, it’s essential to remain aware of options that can assist your leads and customers in conveniently reaching you. One way to increase your online profile is to assess the performance of your business website (for example, using Google Analytics) and use the latest in design technology to improve the user experience.

Investing in responsive web design and creating a mobile app have quickly become two critical components of a successful online business campaign. Mobile apps and responsive web design improve the customer experience and reduce the bounce rate. Additionally, in the UK, 32% of people who own a smartphone make an online purchase at least once a month. The latest website technologies can remedy losing out on roughly one-third of the market.

Improve employee output and productivity

The primary focus of new technology is to make life easier by providing us with tools that shorten the distance from point A to point B, both literally and figuratively. Some of the world’s most famous inventions, such as the car, the personal computer, and even the microwave oven, prove that efficiency sells. It makes sense, too. Those items and many others have made our personal and professional lives much more manageable.

That is why, as a business owner, it is incumbent upon you to watch out for new and soon-to-be-released products and services. Why? Whether it’s a new file-sharing app, analytics program, teleconferencing service, or the latest 3D printer, technological innovations will increase and improve your employee’s productivity and output and your business overall.

Take the ‘cloud’, for example. Since the cloud revolution began, some small businesses have successfully transitioned all their work to a tablet, forgoing the more expensive and cumbersome desktops and laptops. The cloud has saved them significant money in computer hardware, and the employees are completely mobile, if necessary. Those kinds of changes can result from keeping tabs on technology.

The more time and money saved on production costs, the more time and money you have to invest into further improving your business. Some savings could then be passed onto your leads, clients and customers through promotions. This further exposes your brand, as promotions are good conversion tools.

Technology does not have to be synonymous with the expense. Many programs, apps, and much of the available hardware are well within the reach of even small businesses. The nominal upfront cost will also pay off over and over in an expanded customer base, enhanced user experience, and improved employee performance and output. Keeping up with technology and implementing the right software and hardware for your needs is an efficient, highly effective way to grow and sustain your business.