How the Right Technology Can Boost the Revenue of Small Businesses

It is safe to say that virtually every business relies on technology today. Even if you are running a small local store, you still need to manage your employees, inventory, or supply chains. You can do it the old-fashioned way, but this may turn out to be just a waste of time and resources - or simply impossible. Using a simple management system instead will help you streamline the most common business processes.

However, while proper management can surely help you increase your work performance and save you time, it is not the only way your business can benefit from using the right technology. For example, when it comes to marketing, deploying effective marketing strategies on different social media platforms and introducing a blog to your website can help your business gain traction and attract new customers.

There are unlimited ways in which you can use technology in your business. Read on to learn more about some of them, including customer relationship management and online marketing.

Customer Communication Management

Communication with customers is where your business can shine. This means you need to learn how to make the most of modern communication tools. The first one is customer support. An online chat system can help you stay in touch with your customers 24/7 so that you can solve their problems on the spot and prevent them from leaving negative feedback.

Many cloud-based management systems offer a customer support module to help you organize your communication with customers. This tool will allow your clients to register their new accounts and keep track of their orders. What's more, they can also be used to serve as a helpdesk, as clients can submit requests there, and you can respond to their inquiries.

However, don’t forget about more old-fashioned means of communication, especially if you have a highly diversified audience. But even when it comes to such a traditional means as a phone, you can still do a lot to improve your performance and availability. For example, what is hosted VoIP? It’s a system that doesn’t rely on hardware; instead, it’s cloud-based, helping you save money on installation and maintenance. It might also help you manage your employees, as this technology allows for audio and video conferencing, instant messaging, and more.

To keep your customers interested in your products, you may want to introduce a blog to your website. Blogs are a great way to share your expertise and attract new customers. When you publish new posts regularly, your business will become more trustworthy to your clients. As a result, you can improve your conversion rate.

Online Marketing

Online marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote your business. In fact, with the right marketing strategy, you can reach out to a pool of potential customers that is much larger than that of your local area.

The first step in your online marketing strategy should be developing a website. If you want to make your business stand out, you need a professional website that can help you make an impression on your visitors. On top of that, you can implement Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) strategies to ensure that your website appears on the first page of search results.

You can also increase your online exposure by using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. All these social media channels have their own audiences, so you should choose the ones that are best for your business. For instance, if you are running a restaurant or a local shop, you can use Instagram to post photos of your dishes and Google My Business to share information about your business hours and address.

Project Management

Even if you do not work in a big company, you can still benefit from project management tools. These systems allow you to organize your workflow and stay on track. After all, even if you are a one-person show, you need to get things done!

Project management platforms are beneficial if you have multiple projects to manage. The most common features these tools offer include setting deadlines, assigning tasks to different employees, adjusting their workload, and tracking their progress.

When it comes to organizing your workload, it is essential that you prioritize your tasks. For example, if you have a lot of clients to take care of, you should check their orders first. Otherwise, you might end up having an urgent task to finish while other projects are waiting for your attention.

However, even if you do not use project management apps and tools, you can still stay organized using Google Calendar. This app will help you manage different projects and prevent you from overloading yourself with work. What's more, you can share your schedule with other team members so that they know what tasks need to be completed.

Document Management

Another vital thing to consider is a document management system. Using a paperless office can reduce your expenses and save a lot of time.

As a business owner, you have to deal with and manage an overwhelming amount of documents and files, including contracts, employee files, payrolls, and invoices. To make your work easier, you can use a digital filing system.

Such a system allows you to create an organized library of all your documents so that they are always easy to find. What’s more, with one of these systems, you can also scan your files and export them to different cloud-based services, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. Therefore, you can access them from any device. Also, you won’t need to worry about running out of space.

In Conclusion

Thanks to the technological boom, small businesses can now afford great tools previously available only to big corporations. The technologies mentioned above are only a few of many available options. When it comes to choosing the right ones, you should consider your business needs, contact a reliable IT company, and ask them to recommend the best tools for your business.

While the solutions mentioned above won't give you an instant boost in revenue, they will surely help you build a solid foundation for the future development of your business. Who knows, maybe some of these technologies will even help you achieve your business goals faster than you thought.