5 Ways to Use Technology to Help Your Business by Neil Debenham
From software to hardware, the right technology can be a valuable asset for your business that helps you to sell, manage and grow more effectively.
Many businesses are apprehensive to make use of new technologies but whilst technology has an obvious learning curve, mastering new tools can give your business a significant edge over your competitors and play a major role in fueling long-term growth.
Below, business expert Neil Debenham explains five ways that you can use technology to help your business grow, develop and improve, from improving the efficiency of your advertising to making it easier to collect payments from your customers.
Improve you and your team’s productivity
While technology can be a distraction when it’s used poorly, it can be a wonderful asset for your productivity when used correctly.
From day planners and to-do lists to collaboration tools, numerous different applications can make both yourself and members of your staff more productive, allowing you to get more done each day and produce better results.
Other applications, such as collaborative communications tools, can make it easier for members of your team to communicate with each other, enhancing collaboration and allowing your staff to work together on projects from any location.
Manage projects and other tasks more efficiently
Project management software is one of the most crowded sectors in the world of software as a service, or SaaS, and for good reason — the right project management apps can make staying on top of your business an effortless process.
Modern project management apps allow you to keep track of multiple projects at once from the convenience of your computer or mobile device. As the leader of a team, you can set objectives and break them down into specific tasks for your team members to complete.
You can also monitor progress with ease, letting you keep track of major priorities without any of the time-wasting meetings that can hold back productivity and slow down your business’s ability to get things done.
Laser target your advertising campaigns
Whether you sell directly to consumers or to other businesses, effective advertising is one of the best ways to grow your business and generate more profit.
Although online advertising has been around for decades, today’s digital platforms and tools are ideal for laser targeting your campaigns and delivering your message directly to the people and businesses most likely to work with you.
From Facebook and Twitter to Google’s own search and display advertising networks, make use of online advertising platforms to reach your audience directly and bypass the key inefficiencies of traditional marketing.
Other tools, such as content marketing and search engine optimisation software also give your business the ability to tap into valuable, high-ROI marketing channels to reach more customers and produce more sales.
Make collecting and receiving payments easier
Neil Debenham goes on to say, one of the most difficult, frustrating aspects of business is collecting payments from your clients and customers. From late payers to non-payers, many businesses struggle to stay on top of the accounts receivable side of their balance sheet.
Enter modern technology. With digital billing software, your business can automate much of the process of collecting payments, making it easier for your customers to pay you and even easier for your business to get paid.
From online platforms such as Stripe to credit card processing hardware designed specifically for retail, a variety of technology-based options are available to make collecting payments fast, simple and less of a headache for your business.
Offer better, more effective customer service
Finally, one of the most effective ways to use technology to help your business is to assist your customer service team.
Although customer service doesn’t drive sales from new customers, it plays a major role in your customer retention efforts — one of the most important parts of running a business that depends on returning customers and recurring revenue.
From customer support ticket systems to automated email follow-up sequences, there are many ways to use technology to help with customer service. Put these tools to use and your team will be able to serve more customers to a higher standard, helping to improve your retention rate.
Closing thoughts
Although technology can’t solve every business-related problem, the right combination of tools, applications and services can make running your business an easier process, freeing your time so that you can focus on high-level decisions.
From productivity tools to customer service apps, view your company’s spending on technology not as an expense, but as an investment in better results and a smarter business.
Neil Debenham www.neildebenham.com