Whether you’re a blue chip company the size of Google (which doesn’t seem to have any trouble keeping up with technology trends) or a small business working out of a shed, keeping in lock-step with technological growth is absolutely crucial to evolving with the market. It may take years before you’re technologically savvy, but knowing where to start is critical. The following measures can be taken as part of a marketing campaign, the launch of a new service, or simply scaling up the office or computer software your company uses:
QR codes to market your URL across mobile platforms. Quick response codes aren’t just a fad; they’re symptomatic of the changing tides of the worldwide web. The Internet is no longer just a static interface on your computer screen, it’s a dynamic global language spoken by billions of possible customers. Your company better learn the grammar and quick.
Pads and notebooks instead of or in addition to desktops. Desktops are good if you’re running a series of incredibly complex tasks at once, say a render farm on computer animated film, but for Internet use and basic documents, you want your employees lightweight and on-the-go. Mobile devices like iPads and Chromebooks are also significantly cheaper and easier to repair.
E-commerce to diversify and expand your retail universe. If you’re only selling your products or services in person at a cash register you’ll be an extinct dinosaur by the end of the decade. People are spending more and more time online and relying less and less on actual physical locations for their shopping. No mater what your business is, you should have an online presence to your services.
Cloud computing and colocation services to scale up your office capabilities. Save money on IT costs while exponentially increasing your broadband speeds and bandwidth powers. Also, decrease the chance of setting your company back weeks, months, or years in the event of network crash or a natural disaster.
Social media and location-based networking to deputize brand ambassadors. Similar to how QR codes are decentralizing and expanding the global network of commerce, so too are social networks and place-based messaging. Enter the newest arenas for marketing and consumer research.
QR codes, iPads, e-commerce, cloud computing, and social media can not only resuscitate a floundering business, they can catapult moderately performing sales figures into the stratosphere by helping your company to penetrate new markets, maximize its profits in old ones and save on overhead costs. Keep your business attuned to the latest trends in technology, or risk becoming obsolete.
