The pandemic has made the importance of digitising businesses and other operations clear. Nowadays, when people instead shop and conduct transactions from the safety and convenience of their home, digitising your business can be the solution to customer retention and increased sales. While we can’t be sure what the “new normal” will bring, we can try to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to the new change.
If you haven’t made a move to a digitised business model, here’s the go signal for it. Offering digital services for the business you run is not only innovative. It’s also an innovation that other companies do. Brick-and-mortar shops now sell their products through e-commerce sites. Startups have focused their efforts on developing apps, while others have started storing and sorting their files on cloud-based filing systems.
Digitising your business not only saves you valuable time and money. It can also attract more customers to your business, enhance their experience, and improves productivity and efficiency. If your business doesn’t offer any digital service in this day and age, you risk losing your customers and getting left behind. If you haven’t made a move yet, here’s how to get you started transitioning to a highly digitised mode of business.
First and foremost, get customer feedback
Making the transition to digital is all about the convenience and satisfaction of your customers. It’s essential to find out what they look for from your business. Just as you want to get their feedback on a new product to improve future sales, you should also consider getting input on their online shopping experiences. What do they like about the online shops they frequent? What kind of online services do they use? What do they think could be improved when it comes to online transactions?
Doing your research on something before setting out to do it is always the first step. After all, you don’t want to invest too much money on it, only for it to be ineffective. Looking for customer feedback ensures you know what your customers want and need. It also offers an opportunity to scope out the competition and look for areas of improvement that can give you a leg up from other businesses.
At the same time, it offers valuable insight into the readiness of your business. This includes how long it would take for you to fully digitise it, what resources you’d need, and the next steps for you to take.
Incorporate a cloud-based filing system
One digitalisation move that you can feasibly take at the start is to move all critical documents into a cloud-based filing system. Cloud-based technology is quickly becoming the norm for many businesses, especially those whose employees regularly work from home. The cloud allows you to access files and applications from any device and securely stores all of your files without needing to set up any complicated IT infrastructure in-house.
In particular, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) are two of the most commonly used cloud systems in businesses. Investing in either of the two or both can help get your business started on digitisation.
Allow the use of mobile payment options
If you run a brick-and-mortar shop or are still testing the waters with expanding digitally, you can start by offering customers the option of paying for your products or services through mobile payment. It’s safe, convenient, and more accessible for plenty of customers. You can also deposit the funds directly into a connected bank account without going through the hassle of going to the bank yourself.
Invest in digital marketing
In a world where everything is online and millions of people spend most of their time on their phones, the most effective marketing strategy has become online or digital marketing. Digital marketing includes methods like paid advertisements, search engine optimisation (SEO), and social media marketing. Promoting your business online helps you reach a wider audience and is cost-effective since you can run social media accounts from your own devices.
Create your own site or app
If you can, you can take digital marketing one step further and create your own website or app for your business. Nowadays, many tech companies offer web and app development and management services, so there’s no shortage of opportunities to grow your business. Some also provide network testing services for enterprises to ensure that things run as smoothly as possible and that no issues arise when you launch your site or app. Creating an online presence has never been easier than it is today, and it’s best to take advantage of it.
Setting up an e-commerce site or even your own mobile app allows customers to place orders and pay for them without having to leave their homes. Not only is it more accessible this way, but you can potentially reach more customers this way, especially if you’ve been doing your digital marketing right and linking back to your sites or social media.
With these ideas in mind, shifting to the digital landscape can be a manageable process. Don’t let constant change stop you from doing your best in running your business
