Jerry Gerber, Negosentro | Roughly 55% of all small businesses in the United States fail in their first five years, according to Statistics Brain. Statistics such as this can be discouraging to business owners and entrepreneurs. However, you can increase your business’s chance of success by embracing the following technologies.
#1) Website
Think your business doesn’t need a website just because you don’t sell products or services online? Think again. All businesses — local, online and hybrid — can benefit from having a website. When a prospective customer or client wants to learn more about your business, he or she may search for it online. And if you don’t have a website — or if your website isn’t optimized — they won’t be able to find it.
Here are some tips to optimize your business’s website:
- Publish your business’s name, address and phone number (NAP)
- Optimize pages with title tags and meta descriptions
- Create high-quality content that’s centered around your business’s industry
- Install Google Analytics to track important metrics
- Update your website regularly
- Embed Google Maps into your website, showing visitors exactly how to reach your business’s physical address
#2) Customer Relationship Management Software
In addition to a website, another essential technology for businesses is customer relationship management (CRM) software. Whether it’s Zoho Office Suite, Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Apptivo, Act!, Nimble, etc., your business needs some type of CRM solution.
CRM lives up to its namesake by allowing business owners to better manage their relationships with customers. While other business software may offer a single function, CRM has multiple uses. For instance, a typical CRM solution collects customer information, handles email marketing, rates the quality of your leads, sends you important notifications, automates sales and more. Granted, you can perform many of these tasks without a CRM, but using a CRM saves time and resources, making it a smart technological investment for all businesses.
#3) Accounting Software
As explained by HuffingtonPost, poor accounting is one of the most common reasons why small businesses fail. First-time business owners often spend all of their time and resources on the core functions of their business, such as refining their product or service and reaching out to prospects. As a result, bookkeeping gets placed on the back burner.
#4) Cloud Computing and Storage
Cloud computing and storage is becoming increasingly popular in the business world. According to Right Scale’s 2016 State of the Cloud Survey, 95% of respondents use cloud technologies. Cloud technologies such as this. Cloud computing involves the use of remote servers to process data, whereas cloud storage specifically involves the storage of data on these remote servers.
Cloud technologies offer a simple and effective way for businesses to cut their operational costs. Instead using local servers — and wasting resources in the process — businesses can use remote servers to meet their specific individual needs.
#5) Educational Programs
Business owners and professionals alike should continue their education to develop new skills. Developed by GMAC, the Executive Assessment is a 90-minute standardized test that evaluates candidates who are interested in joining Executive MBA programs. With an MBA, you’ll have a more robust set of skills and knowledge to further grow your business.
Of course, an MBA is just one of many educational avenues to pursue. Feel free to explore other educational programs to determine which one will benefit you and your professional endeavors the most.
#6) Mobile App
Finally, consider investing in a mobile app for your business. Studies show that 77% of Americans own a smartphone. Some people today even prefer using a smartphone or a traditional desktop or laptop computer. By creating a mobile app for your business, you’ll be able to reach this ever-growing demographic; thus, increasing brand visibility and potentially driving new customers or clients to your business.
