60% of businesses didn’t have a website last year.
Let that stunning fact sink in. In this online-first world, 60% of businesses don’t have a website.
You probably have a website. But where are your rivals edging ahead of you? Here’s what tech needs to change in your business.
1)Customer Experience Technology- Customers expect more and more from customers. As a matter of fact, many companies have dedicated customer service accounts on Twitter. Still, that’s not enough. Your own website needs to be up to par. The technology on your website needs to be responsive to the needs of your customers. You should have a chat box. Additionally, you should consider software that allows customers to schedule the date and time of important meetings, like sales calls.
2) Artificial Intelligence- Machine learning is getting better and better. As a matter of fact, some people can’t even tell the difference between cutting-edge AI and human interaction. Yet, good AI takes time, energy, and effort to develop.
3) The Internet of Things- Amazon’s Alexa is revolutionary tech, tech that has us talking to our devices. No one imagined how influential the internet of things would become. Even Google approached the space in a lax manner, which allowed Amazon to gain the first mover advantage. Don’t make the same faux pas that Google made. Don’t underestimate the internet of things. Of course, you probably aren’t making IoT hardware, but your apps should run smoothly on all the major IoT platforms.
4) Better Landing Pages- Engineers have become better and better at making well-designed sites. There are websites that specialize in helping you create your own eye-popping landing pages for a low monthly fee. You can outsource web design work on sites like Fiverr or Upwork for a cheap fee. There is a tremendous amount of resources available to any company that wants to make a modern landing page. That’s why there’s no excuse for businesses to keep outdated landing pages.
5) 3D Printing- Very little waste. That’s the one maxim that 3D printing advocates loudly tout like a town crier. Here’s the skinny on 3D printing. There are two types of manufacturing, additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing. 3D printing is a type of additive manufacturing. Subtractive manufacturing usually is largely associated with traditional manufacturing. Here’s a quick example.
- a) Additive Manufacturing- akin to building a snowman in your front yard.
- b) Subtractive Manufacturing- like when Michangelo crafted the statue of David from a huge piece of marble.
As you can imagine, creating the Statue of David wasted marble. Michangelo needed the whole block of marble, but the chipped off pieces are superfluous. Yet, in the snowman example, you only use the snow you need. No waste. Without getting too technical, the 3D printing process has very little waste. So, it’s cheaper and therefore more accessible to businesses. 3D printing can be used to shave costs off an old product line. It can also be used to create a new product line. The lower cost makes the tech worth exploring, even if you’re not a manufacturer or distributor.
Tech Is Changing. Your Business Should Change Too.
As mentioned in the intro, 60% of businesses don’t have websites. Yet, obviously a website alone isn’t something any business owner would feel complacent about. Business technology is changing. So, why should barely keeping pace with your industry be any different. Explore new frontiers and adopt cutting-edge tech for your business.
