Every business needs to have a digital footprint to stay competitive and relevant in today’s marketplace. Businesses that do not have goods or services that can be delivered online use digital technologies to attract and inform potential consumers.
Yet, digital technologies are not just what you use to make an online presence for your company. It is also about using tech solutions that make your work processes simpler, more intuitive, and streamlined. It is about finding ways to free up your employees from repetitive work that can be automated.
These employees can then focus on creating better customer service solutions. A big part of using digital solutions is to understand how they can help to uplift your services. This is necessary for making you stand out from the competition.
Start by associating the type of digital solution you need to enhance a service you offer. An auto body shop that can offer a new directional spray booth for cars should not only think about promoting this feature online. It should also find a way to incorporate a design software to give customers a wider range of paint style selections.
Telecommuting Applications
Digital solutions that allow employees to work out of the office and set up mobile offices in secondary locations are especially popular these days. The pandemic has underlined the necessity for businesses to consider buying into cloud-based applications. The applications take the office environment online. Managers can track employees, employees can collaborate, and all work and hours are logged and backed up to ensure productivity.
Cloud-Based Storage
Physical storage is becoming increasingly redundant except in the case of very specific business requirements. More companies are choosing to use cloud-based storage as this allows employees to access necessary information at any time from anywhere.
The various storage options come with different levels of security encryption. Managers can decide how much access is allowed at which levels. They can vary access depending on what each project requires. The encryption is becoming more secure over time. This gives companies added security in storing sensitive data.
Offer Online Payments
Consumers have embraced cash-less payment options with enthusiasm. Now, most people expect to have this option no matter the type of business they are dealing with. It is an advantage for a company to offer online and mobile payment options as there are many benefits.
Businesses will no longer have to worry about chasing missed payments, theft within the store, and can fully avoid the hassle of dealing with counterfeit cash. Transporting cash at the end of the day has always been a difficult operation to secure for many small business owners. They will no longer have to worry about these risks if they use online payment solutions.
Invest in a Virtual Office Application
These are applications will put all your processes online in a secure cloud location. This means that you can work from anywhere as long as you have a secure device. A secure device is any internet-enabled device that has permission to be linked to the application.
It reduces the need for a physical location, allows you to stay current on customer service queries, and manage payment and processes from your smartphone. The app can be programmed to regularly update work as you go, meaning you never have to worry about losing data.
Incorporate Social Media as a Customer Service Tool
You may want to have more direct dealings with your customers but lack the software. Not every business can invest in a customer relationship management software in the early stages. Social media can mirror many of those processes.
Social media customer service management means that you will be notified every time a consumer makes an inquiry or has a complaint. You can use both pre-approved responses and make best-practice choices. This gives your customers bespoke solutions to their needs.
Use Your Website for More Than Representation
Most companies simply use their website to attract customers, serve as the online face of the company, and provide some information. But the website can be used as an online store that can take over many of the necessary tasks of running a business during off-hours or company downtime.
Your website can be where clients can seek detailed FAQ answers to queries, schedule appointments, buy items, and even go through the process of returning items. The convenience will give you a greater chance of ensuring customer retention.
These are just a few of the digital solutions that technology can offer to a growing business. There are many more solutions out there that can enhance marketing approaches, streamline collaboration and training within the office, and help improve office productivity.
Finding the right solutions for your business is sometimes about trial and error but most times, you can find exactly what can help you if you do enough research and seek testimonials from other small businesses.