In today’s digital age, technology may be the best tool in your business arsenal, yet. Currently providing several businesses globally, with some serious revenue-driving impact, automation and technology are taking centre stage for being one of the most effective business strategies to date.
If you’re not familiar with automation and it’s many uses for business yet, it’s probably a wise idea to start researching – because without any doubt, technology is set to be the very thing to elevate your company to next level success. Curious to know about how automation could be advantageous to your future business prospects? Read our blog to find out more.
Revenue and profit.
It goes without saying, that every ambitious business will want to continually increase revenue and profit and through proper engagement with automation and technology, almost every business can expect to see a significant increase in revenue. Digitally enhancing your brand or business doesn’t need to be all that exhaustive to welcome positive change. Simple measures such as having your own website or e-commerce store, multiple social accounts and regularly updated feeds can maximise marketing reach and encourage more sales conversions. Statistics have consistently shown that consumers of the modern-day market are much more likely to make purchases online than they are to do so in brick and mortar stores and almost twice as likely to complete the transaction using their mobile phone. Technology makes it easier than ever to target your consumers in the ways they’re most likely to be interested in.
Analytics and Insights.
You may think you already know everything there is to know about your business and your consumer base, but technology can provide business owners with the scope to find out so much more. As mentioned already, while having your own website, e-commerce store and social media platforms can increase sales figures, each one of them can also provide essential information about your target audience. Google has its very own service that can report on important analytics about those visiting your site and your consumer base demographics. Many social platforms, including Facebook and Instagram can also provide businesses with essential information, such as how well certain posts perform, and which content consumers are most engaging with. Having access to such important data insights can transform the ways in which businesses communicate with their target audience, effectively strengthening future business growth.
Productivity and better time management.
Business expanding and time just evaporating? It’s a situation that business owners regularly come up against and this is where technology and automation become invaluable. No matter how intellectual or equipped with knowledge we are as human beings, it is no secret that often, computers and robots can efficiently process things far quicker than we ever could.
Many of the most repetitive and routine tasks that come part and parcel of a good, successful brand can now be automated, providing business owners with time-saving solutions without sacrificing on results. Social media posts, newsletters, emails and even appointment scheduling can now be automated, freeing up time that can essentially be allocated to other important business duties.
Project Management.
Beyond saving time, technology can significantly benefit businesses through the use of purpose-built calendar apps, and chat based collaborative platforms. Calendar and task list management platforms allow for business owners and managers to update individual employee task lists to ensure daily activities are continually achieved. Project based chat platforms allow for employees and workers to collaborate and provide real-time updates, particularly for remote workers and those who don’t always necessarily work from the same space. Scheduling software apps and programmes allow for businesses to effectively plan and time meetings and events, providing all employees within the workforce with the relative details and information. This can minimise the risks of double booking and creates a provision of managing a task list around a busy schedule – a critical technology-led solution for several kinds of businesses.
Improving customer experience.
So, here’s perhaps the biggest benefit of technology use in business – it maximises the customer experience at every opportunity. There are so many ways in which automation and technology can improve the relationship between businesses and consumers, from streamlining processes to allocating more control to the consumer. An Airline company, for example, may use technology to allow customers to change their flight date or flight seats through logging into an online portal, as opposed to ringing through to a traditional call centre where they may incur wait times, meaning the process takes longer to complete. Often, when consumers communicate with businesses for reasons such as late delivery, issues with products and or services or to enquire about an existing order – it can help to locate their personal details quickly and easily. Technology can provide several ways for businesses to pull up important and essential information such as bookings, order histories and receipts within just seconds, creating an improved experience for both brands and consumers.
Automation.
When you think automation, you probably think of robots rolling round shop floors, delivering parcels or scanning items, but automation doesn't have to be physical items. When we talk automation, we often mean digital triggers and actions. What does this mean? Well, for example, if you own a hair salon and you wanted your customers to book online - that's easy enough, we'd create a booking form online. But automation makes things much more clever;
The booking form could link to your diary and only show available dates, meaning you don't have to check your diary to confirm the appointment
The customer could receive an automatic email to confirm their appointment, then another automatic reminder email or text a day or two before the appointment
If the customer inputs a date of birth, you could send them an automatic email on their birthday with a discount / offer
The data could be collected and automatically added to your mailing list based on their opt-in choices
...and the list goes on.
Think about how automation could transform the way you work, make things simpler and error-free.
Ouma work alongside brands and businesses to deliver effective marketing campaigns and social media management strategies. We continually update our website with informative and insightful blog posts covering subjects from the latest marketing trends to all the know-how on automation, technology, marketing and regular social media guidance.