Imagine standing in front of a mirror. A screen pops up and allows you to virtually try on clothes in any size, style, and color of your choice. Now, ponder the idea of walking past your favorite coffee shop and your phone dings with a personal greeting and a promotion they are offering on that soy latte you love so much.
According to experts, business models and implementations will change in the next ten years more than it has in a thousand, because of technology.
Those that digitize their businesses will outsell those that do not, like the speed of a Lamborghini darting past a horse and buggy.
With the inevitability of this fourth industrial revolution, here are three ways to keep your business modernized.
Digital Products
That mom and pop diner on the edge of town using a pad of paper and pencil to jot down orders and keep track of their sales is probably never going to expand past that highway intersection.
Whether you are selling chili fries or eco-friendly leather belts, having a data-driven POS system is one way to help you streamline your business.
Companies like Lightspeed have hospitality and retail platforms that help you in a multitude of ways. Things like managing inventory, building a customer database, and setting up online purchasing, will make your business that much more attractive to clients.
Social Media
According to the world's most successful marketers, customer outreach is perhaps the most crucial aspect of growing a business. These efficient money makers have capitalized on social media for it's access to a global audience and getting their promotions out in a timely fashion to captivate it's audience.
Using social networking sites to build your brand, establish expertise, and drive traffic to your website is a cost-effective marketing method.
Some business owners have offered discounts to customers that take selfies with that new sweater or avocado toastie and post them on their profiles. It is a highly effective way of spreading the word about the fantastic products and services you offer.
If your company is having a hard time getting started, there are expert digital marketers like Sally Illingworth at Illingworth Media ready to lend a hand and kick start your social media marketing journey.
Email Marketing
Another excellent tool for getting the word out and keeping customers in the loop is through email. However, we all have been on the receiving end of those annoying sales emails.
Please make sure you have a target list of people that are interested in your products and services. Unsubscribers and being spammed is something you want to keep to a minimum.
Another vital aspect of email marketing is content. Think about the material that you are sending. Ask yourself, is this something I would be happy to have sitting in my inbox? Furthermore, research shows that personalizing an email increases of your emails being read. People like to read their names; it makes them feel valued.
Also, be sure to design for mobile devices. Nowadays, we are reading our emails on our cellphones and tablets.
Be fun! Write catchy subject lines and offer an incentive. Lastly, please track your results to optimize and use that data to improve your email campaigns.
Some Things Technology Cannot Substitute
No matter what state of the art POS system you are using and how pleasant your emails may look, never underestimate the power of human creativity. It is the driving force behind everything your business does. Technology should be the vehicle in which that genius is delivered and grows your business.
Be sure to share everything with your team, and be open to new talent no matter where it may come from. There will be no substitute for creativity, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking in the automated world.
The Future is Now
With the approach of the new decade should come the excitement for what is to be ushered in on the business frontier. There are many changes in technology that are coming, whether we are ready for them or not.
Fate favors those that are prepared, so take a look at what technological upgrades your business can make. Blackberry did not keep up with the trends, and today we all carry iPhones and Androids in our pockets.
