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Technology is getting more relevant and valuable in the new normal or post-COVID pandemic. It is the driving force behind innovation, enabling businesses to create new products, services, and solutions to accelerate marketing efforts, boost sales, and change the world. Technology facilitates globalization by promoting diversity and inclusion, breaking down language and geographical barriers, and more.
In 2023, the technological trends include automation, artificial intelligence, metaverse, and Web3, bridging the digital and physical worlds. Many businesses prepare for another crisis by deploying different technologies. Digital transformation has been one of the top priorities of business leaders upon realizing the importance of digital technology during the pandemic. Today, technology is seen as an excellent way to future-proof a business.
Learn how technology can future-proof your business, according to industry experts below.
Digital Marketplaces Provide More Options To Customers
Many business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) companies have digital marketplaces, providing customers with a one-stop shop for products and services they need.
Robert Johnson of Coast Appliances shared his expert insights about creating digital marketplaces and their benefits to consumers. He said, “Future-proofing a business is all about long-term stability and success. Digital marketplaces allow customers to choose the products and services they need within their budget. Businesses that are able to deliver unique offerings on their websites create their own digital marketplace platforms. This business marketing strategy opens more opportunities for future growth because of higher traffic and sales-qualified leads.”
Johnson added, “If you don’t want your customers to visit your competitors, then you have to provide everything they need. They’ll stop looking and become loyal to your brand. A B2C company can create a well-designed e-Commerce site, whereas a B2B company can offer a full suite of solutions to stand out from the rest.”
Digital Signatures And Faxes Hasten Business Transactions
Digital signatures and faxes are widely used in electronic business transactions with security features to ensure authenticity. Businesses across different industries, including healthcare, banking, legal, and the government, use these technologies to study, sign, and approve business loans, sales contracts, and other documents requiring verification and legal validity.
Online faxes eliminate the need to use physical fax machines. Business owners and stakeholders can send and receive fax messages through their email inboxes or dedicated online fax platforms. On the other hand, digital signatures are online versions of handwritten signatures with the same legal validity. These technologies can help businesses prepare for the future when almost all transactions are digitally-based and wireless.
According to Stephen Keighery of Home Buyer Louisiana, digital signatures and faxes can help hasten business transactions. He shared, “I’ve been hesitant at first to use digital signs and online faxes because of security concerns. My perception changed when a service provider demonstrated the security features of these technologies. They can actually help future-proof a business because of their robust security features.”
“Going digital reduces the risk of missing faxed files and document tampering. Every digital signature is created by taking a document’s hash or a mathematical representation and encrypting it using the sender’s private key. The complex cryptographic algorithms of e-signs are difficult to break. If a document, like a service contract, has been tampered with after it was signed, the signature will be invalidated. This makes it easy to detect any unauthorized changes to the document,” he added.
Mobile Technology Empowers Businesses
Field service companies like plumbing and electrical contractors can greatly benefit from leveraging mobile technology. Dedicated field service management apps can future-proof these companies by dispatching workers quickly to attend to more customers.
Simon Bacher of Ling App said, “Field service businesses can use FSM apps as a centralized information hub for workers and managers, which will streamline scheduling and dispatching. The same holds with other businesses. They can invest in business apps to empower their employees and customers, enabling them to get accurate information quickly and securely,” he added.
Bacher also mentioned, “Future-proof your business with mobile technology. Empower your employees using mobile apps, allowing them to perform tasks like invoicing and providing customer service while on the go. Employees can use apps to learn a new language, especially for companies expanding globally. It’s an excellent way to monitor customer responses, key performance indicators, and other relevant business information.”
Social Media Empower Brands And Customers
Sprout Social reported that 72 percent of businesses use social media data to gain well-informed business decisions, and Facebook is the most-utilized platform by marketers. More studies support the great contribution of social media in branding. Moreover, social media has become a customer engagement platform, which also enables customers to review products and read testimonials before making a purchase.
“Future-proofing your business entails harnessing the viral influence of social media. I actually use social media to educate my audience about fishing and entice them to try the recommended tips and products by routing them from my social media page to my business website,” said business owner Wesley Oaks, Founder of Betta Fish Bay.
Oaks also added, “Social media enables people to pursue their passion, such as caring for fish and other animals. My team can put together fact-based information about betta fish online through our website and social media pages. And we will continue to revamp our social media and other digital marketing efforts to spread the word.”
Peter Hoopis echoed the same sentiments, as he uses social media to attract more readers to his website, where he shares his outdoor adventures and life lessons. He explained, “Social media can help future-proof any business because it will stay forever so long as people engage and use them.”
“I’m a social media advocate, helping people raise awareness about work-life integration and fake news prevention. Social media content creators must inspire, representing their brands using positive and engaging posts,” Hoopis added.
How do you want to future-proof your business? Ponder on the above tips from industry experts to ensure long-term business stability and success. Technology plays a critical role in future-proofing any type and size of business because of the rapidly evolving digital world. We can expect more advancements in digital technology, which can help businesses scale and achieve their overall marketing and sales goals.
