Regardless of what industry they operate in, a company’s online presence can have a huge impact on its success or failure. And yet some companies still don’t realize that for the majority of customers, if they don’t have a website, they don’t really exist.
According to Statista, it is even estimated that: global smartphone penetration has reached 78.05%. That means almost every financial decision maker in the world has access to the internet. Other statistics show that 81% of store visitors conduct online research before making a purchase, with as much as 80% of shoppers using their cell phone while in a store because they were looking up reviews, comparing prices, or looking for a different store location.
Of course, the quality of your website can also affect results, giving customers access to features such as a mobile app, AI-powered virtual assistants, an intuitive interface when browsing your website, and more. Some businesses feel that they are not technical enough to have a website or believe that their store or business does not need a website or other technology for whatever reason.
Sometimes it’s the potential cost of technology that makes a company hesitant. But with new technology being developed every minute and old technology adapting, updating and changing as quickly as possible – having a website and integrating technology into every aspect of your business – it becomes more important than ever.
The impact of technology on businesses today
If you go back just a decade, you will see a lot of changes in business today. Technology has revolutionized the way companies do business by providing the tools that enable small and medium-sized businesses to level the playing field with larger competitors.
Improved communication processes
One of the major benefits of technology in business is the improved communication tools and methods available today. With SMS or instant messaging, emails, websites and mobile applications, they enjoy better communication with their customers. By combining more than one type of communication technology, these smaller companies can saturate the economy with their message.
At the same time, it is easier for potential and current customers to give feedback about their products and services. Inter-office communication is also improving, with teams able to collaborate instantly, wherever they are or at the time of day, thanks to intranet social software. By integrating different technologies, much of this communication is automated. So when a customer buys a product, the accounting, sales, logistics and production departments get a relevant warning.
Ad effectiveness is increased
Today’s technology allows companies of all sizes to reach economic markets that may have been unreachable before. Instead of just selling their goods and services to consumers in their local market, they can create targeted advertisements that can also reach potential customers in regional, national and international markets.
While eCommerce websites are most likely to reach multiple economic markets, a website provides businesses with a low-cost option that potential customers can visit 24/7, whether they just have a question or want to buy something. Carefully curated ads and intuitive targeting help you deliver the right ad to the right customer at the right time.
Operating costs are reduced
How technology affects business is not limited to improving communication and advertising. One of the driving forces behind the development of any technology is the desire to make something easier and thus more affordable. With the most basic business software, a company can automate many of its back office functions, including accounting, payroll, and administration.
By automating these tasks, there is less chance of potentially costly human error. You also don’t need to hire that many staff to perform each task. Where before you might need an entire department to manage your administration, automated software can reduce the need for one or two team members to do the same work in half the time.
Websites: the most important foundation of today
There was a time when creating a website was a lengthy and expensive process that involved hiring teams with dozens of experts in everything from design and backend coding to SEO and content creation. But with the plethora of easy-to-use tools and technology available today, almost anyone can build a website with very little help and at an almost negligible cost.
There are solutions for every budget and every need. But if you still need to be convinced, here are the top reasons your business needs a website.
Gives you credibility
One of the main reasons why the importance of a good website to your business cannot be measured is that it gives your business credibility in the eyes of potential customers. Chances are there are multiple companies that offer goods or services similar to yours. One way to show that you are not a risky choice is to build a website that looks good, contains relevant information and clearly communicates that you are a high-quality option.
Without a website, people may wonder how legit your business is. But with a website you don’t just make a great first impression – you let people know that you are a real company that cares about what you do.
Establish your brand
Your brand is the image that customers have of your company. It is a combination of who you are, what you stand for and what you stand for. if you think about that 43% of customers spend more on brands they are loyal to than brands they are not loyal to, and 89% of customers say they remain loyal to a brand that shares their values, establish your brand is essential to your overall success.
But without a website or online presence where you can show potential customers that you share their interests and values, you can’t take advantage of customer loyalty. Your brand can also set you apart from your competitors. But if the only information about a specific product or service comes from those competitors, potential customers are likely to choose their company over yours.
Generates leads
Another important reason to have a website is that it is an easy way to generate leads for your business. People find you online, are interested in your product or service, and contact you because they want to know more about it (or your company itself). This gives you another chance to close a sale and capture their data for future targeted marketing campaigns.
Every website has a price, as do data-based learning tools. Some may believe that they need the massive amounts of data generated by websites like Amazon or Facebook to be worthwhile. But the fact is, with the right combination of tools, even the smallest batch of data can give you valuable insights that will help you increase your ROI and grow your business.
A communication portal with tons of information
Many businesses receive calls from customers who simply want to know their hours of operation, their address, or have a quick question or confirm details about an announcement or sale. If they look for this information outside office hours or if for some reason they don’t reach anyone, you could lose a potential customer.
Answering those calls and the 10 or 20 “quick” questions that may follow distract your staff from focusing on their actual work. If the customer forgets or gets confused, things only get more complicated. A website is online 24/7. And with careful planning, it can be an all-in-one destination for all those “quick” questions, updates, and announcements your customers need to know about.
Your internal productivity is better and your customers are happier overall!
Makes collaboration and outsourcing easier
Business technology allows you to outsource certain business functions to other companies in both national and international locations. By outsourcing tasks that you or your employees aren’t good at, you can lower your operating costs and focus on the things you do best. Examples of frequently outsourced business tasks are customer support and IT support.
With today’s information and communication technology, collaborating with other companies, online influencers and your own staff is easy – wherever you are.
With web-based project management applications such as Slack, Basecamp, and Zoho Projects, you have all the tools you need to track projects, delegate tasks, keep clients and team members informed about project status, share documents or files, and more. With the right partnership, you can expand your business into an economic market you hadn’t previously considered or had access to.
Using your website as a versatile business tool
Everyone knows that it is possible to make money and grow your business with an online presence. But there is no easy or instant win method to do this right, whether you are a small local business or a multinational organization. However, one of the often overlooked tools to generate revenue for your business is your website.
Many people see it as nothing more than a digital brochure that tells visitors only the most basic information: who, what, when and where you are.
But a website can do so much more for you. With the right analytics tools, you can analyze what type of people are viewing specific areas of your website, thereby creating accurate buyer profiles. By reviewing this information along with comments, FAQs, and reviews, you can accurately gauge which new products your customers might be interested in.
The importance of technology in business cannot be measured by one thing. Without technology, companies would not be as diverse or as successful as they are today. Technology allows companies of all shapes and sizes to successfully address the differences between them and their competitors.
This leads companies to be more innovative so that they can differentiate themselves from potential customers, which promotes healthy competition and results in even more innovation. And so the cycle continues. But this all starts with website design and branding. It doesn’t have to be the Mona Lisa of websites right away, because you can always improve it over time.
The point is, you have to start somewhere, and today is a good day.
Laetitia’s passion has always been to understand the “what” and work out the “how”, and her ability to dig into the details and apply a broader strategic lens, states the Kicking Pixels team formulates a strategic solution that is unique to each client’s goals.
Laetitia has worked for major international companies such as JP Morgan & UBS and domestically for Westpac.
For over 20 years, Laetitia’s roles have been tailored to retail customers, bringing them into the psyche of consumer behavior.
Often working on high profile projects, Laetitia is able to quickly question and decipher tasks so that solutions are built on
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