Running a business in the 21st century or opting to start one from scratch right now is challenging for a wide variety of reasons. Apart from such factors as competitive markets and the current situation in the world cause by the pandemic, there are also the regular, common problems that owners and managers experience day in and day out. This is especially true in the digital age in which the need for an online presence and the use of the latest in hardware and software are prevalent.
Are you a business owner who has been struggling recently, or an aspiring, young, up and coming entrepreneur who wants to improve their recently opened business? If the answers to these, and other similar questions are affirmative, there is only one thing you need to make sure of and that is a digital transformation. What is a digital transformation for a business, we hear you ask, and what should the owner do to apply it to their business model?
In this article we will talk more about this. More importantly, we will focus on the most obvious signs pointing to the fact that your business is in dire need of a digital transformation. To find out additional information about this important topic as well as to check out one of the top providers of digital services, make sure to visit ezfactory.nl and browse their offer.
1. Poor or No Online Presence
The number one thing that needs to be a part of your business’s digital transformation is a strong online presence. It doubles as an online marketing campaign as well because it does nothing but spread word about who you are and what you represent, as well as draws more customers to your pages. Eventually, these customers will also come to your doors and buy your product or service. What needs to happen is for the business to have an account on every possible social media service where there will be enough interaction with the followers and subscribers. This is the quickest and easiest way of informing the people on the latest you have to offer. Everyone uses social media nowadays so it is free marketing and web presence that will benefit you a lot. Optimizing your pages for mobile devices and having a dedicated app developed are two additional things to think about because most of online traffic is done through smartphones and tablets.
2. Limited Brand Awareness Online
Having social media platforms is only the beginning of your online endeavors. It does let the people know that you exist and where you can be found, but it is not the ultimate online brand awareness you require. The true brand awareness comes in the form of appearing in people’s Google searches. You have to be on the first page of the search results and near the top for the people to pick you over the competition and choose your business. The best ways to do this are through search engine optimization, or SEO for short, and through digital marketing. Social media presence is a part of digital marketing, but there is more to be wanted there. In terms of SEO, the keywords your business revolves around you have to lead to your page, which is done through articles, ads, and many other modern marketing and brand recognition techniques. If you lack these things, your online brand awareness suffers.
3. No Returning Customers
The point of a business is not to have a lot of different customers who only come through the doors once. It is to build a base of trusty, returning customers who like your brand, product, and service so much that they never want to pick a competitor over you. If you never see customers for the second time, it means that they found somebody else whom they like more. Retaining customers is crucial for the longevity of your business and a digital transformation can help with it and assist you with ensuring brand loyalty. To do this, you need to offer the customers more than your service, and for free. Apart from informing them on the latest in the market and how your business reacts to it, you need to offer them top of the line customer service and be there for them after they have already made the purchase. Modern customer service does not only imply answering phone calls. It also comes in the form of emails as quickly as possible, answering their messages on social media, and having automated chat bots on your website.
4. Not Having a Quality Website
Speaking of your website, you cannot begin to do any kind of work in the age of information and technology without a strong, well-built, and stable website to accompany what you do. This is your main online hub and the main piece of software that the customers will use to browse your offer, read about you, look for contact information, and ultimately decide whether they want to pick you for their needs. Social media is secondary to the website because it serves to interact and share the latest content. The website is where the real, professional side exists that makes the difference. A good and reputable web design firm should assist you with it and maintain the server, and there should be no downtime so as not to risk losing customers.
5. Not Using the Latest Hardware
Not all businesses need to use the latest in information technology and hardware, but every business should think about modernizing and using above average computers, interactive devices, and smart solutions to attract, keep, and awe their customers. When they come through the door there should be something that captures their imagination and interest, and you cannot do that with old timey hardware from a decade ago. Modernizing and digitally transforming your store and offices will also allow the employees to work faster and more efficiently, resulting in more customers being served and more revenue coming your way. Digitalization does not only exist online and in the form of software. To run the best programs and have the best apps or websites, you also require the right tools to run them and tend to them yourself.
