Various technologies enable businesses to improve their results. Equipment allows us to work on our tasks in a faster, safer, and more efficient manner. Using the right technology to market your business online can help you enjoy a competitive gain. Innovations allow you to better cater to your target audiences, improving engagement and conversion rates. How is it possible that technology is hurting your brand?
For starters, it is the habits we developed over time that stop us from taking full advantage of technology. You could be using the wrong kind of technology. You could be hiring the wrong services or companies. It may also be your unwillingness to let go of certain responsibilities that you are not an expert, to begin with.
Innovations are made available to help us accomplish different results. But it is how we choose to use technology that can either help build the business up or put it at a greater risk. If unfortunately, you developed the following tech habits, then you could already be harming your brand without knowing it.
Poor Data Storage
Brands deal with tons of data each day. You are not only dealing with business plans and marketing strategies but your clients’ and partners’ sensitive information as well. How you collect and store data can have a direct impact on your business. For instance, if you still opt to collect and store data on your business computers, you are only giving your IT department a hard time protecting such pertinent data. This is since data can be lost or hacked easily if you simply store them in computers and backup devices.
Many things can lead to data loss. The three top causes are hard drive or system failure, human error, and software failure. According to research, 140,000 hard drive crashes weekly in the U.S. If you only rely on your hard drive, then you are putting your business data at risk.
One way to solve this is by using cloud computing solutions to better protect your business data. These help boost your productivity and allow easy access to your specified team members. You get to access data on the go and adjust your subscription to suit your changing business needs. The best part is there are ways you can improve cloud security to ensure your data is kept safe and private.
DIY Digital Marketing
Many business owners think hiring and outsourcing SEO, Marketing, Web Design, and Graphic Design are just a waste of money. But in reality, working with a local company that specializes in these areas such as Sigma1 can be a worthy investment. For one, why try to do everything on your own when professionals are readily available to take such challenging tasks off of your hands?
Digital marketing is a strategy no business can afford to take for granted. But just because you managed to set up a simple business website and did the graphics yourself, you no longer need the pros to optimize your strategy. If you want to get ahead of your competitors, you will want to invest more in digital marketing. This includes letting the pros handle this for you.
Marketing online won’t yield results overnight. It is not enough that you managed to boost site traffic. It requires a long-term commitment so you can enjoy better conversions. Hiring the pros enables you to access different talents that can optimize your digital marketing. They will use the best practices and keep up with the latest trends so you can focus on what you do best while staying competitive.
Handling Tech Issues on Your Own
Chances are, you already invested in certain pieces of equipment to support your brand. But then, many companies choose to cheap out when it comes to their equipment maintenance and repair. Many would allow their techy employee to do the troubleshooting as an attempt to save money. A survey conducted by the National Business Association revealed that up to 40% of business owners DIY their company’s tech issues.
You and your employees already have lots of responsibilities on your plate. Letting the pros handle the tech issues saves you more time, energy, and money. You can avoid costly mistakes that will only worsen your tech problems. It would be best to invest in competent tech support so you can make the most out of your precious resources.
Simply investing in technology won’t be enough to maximize your investments. It is only a must that you do what you can to protect your investment at all costs. This can mean hiring experts to handle your tech issues or outsourcing your digital marketing tasks. It can also mean depending on a better data storage solution to avoid possible data loss and breaches in the future.
