Tech commandments for your business
Obviously, technology is reinventing how business is done locally and globally. Business culture, market dynamics and customer engagement have been formatted by the power of innovative technologies.
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Whether you have used technology before or still trying it, there are technology commandments which you must obey in order to stay in business in this age.
Internet is the future. Don’t doubt it!:
With over 2.5 billion users of the Internet, your business must have an engaging presence online to engage with existing customers or find new ones. With your presence online, your business can be reached by both local and global community of customers in real time. Your website connects you immediately to a bigger world of people and opportunities. Internet connectivity enables web contents to be accessed anywhere on the planet. Internet turns your business into a 24-hour shop. Never doubt the future of the Internet to connect the world into one block of a virtually-alive system including your business.
Don’t take social media in vain:
Many pundits thought that social media would be the shortest-lasting flash in the pan. But it has asserted its power over the years. It connects people with common interests and shared identity and has become the number one activity on the Internet after taking over from pornography. Social media accounts for over 50 per cent of Internet users globally and helping businesses to engage their customers on various social media platforms. Do not fall for the lie that social media will be short-lived or it is a waste of time.
Thou shall not covet just any technologies:
Many businesses fall for the trap of coveting just any technology due to its popularity or affordability. Be sure to find out which technology will work best for your business. Find out if your customers are using such technologies or can use them. If your customers are not spending a lot of time online, you must be careful when you must have an online presence. A website may work best than a social media account or vice versa. Do not go for technologies which may replace your employees and disconnect your business from your customers. Customers love physical connection. Know when to introduce a virtual connection.
Don’t take the power of mobile devices for granted:
Globally, there are over 6.8 billion mobile subscriptions – 502 million in Africa and 27.5 million in Ghana. This implies people can be reached while on the go. Most mobile phones have messaging feature in addition to voice. You can send text messages to owners of mobile phones in real time. Smart phone segment is growing very quickly and vast with fast internet connectivity enabling the billions of downloads of applications. Over 110 billion apps have downloaded on both AppStore and Google Play which are used for different purposes. Tablets are also common now. These mobile devices connect consumers to businesses directly and globally.
Be prepared for the “Internet of Things or Everything”:
According to the Barcelona Digital Technology Centre, over 70 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. This implies that over seven billion people will have nine devices connected to the Internet. The concept of Internet of Things or Everything means almost everything will be connected to the Internet to make our lives better.
Everything, from living and non-living things, will be controlled and monitored on the Internet via a screen. Your business must understand how the consumer will be connected to the light in the bedroom, cooker in the kitchen, chair in the dining hall, television set in the living room, lock system of his or her cars, billboards on the route to work or home, diapers with tweet-enabled alert, discount apps in their local store, to their community of friends nearby.
Do not confuse the human psychology with technology:
Technology is not supposed to replace or hinder human psychology. But it is meant to enhance and improve it. Use technology to enhance your team’s effectiveness or improve the business culture. You cannot employ technology fully in place of human beings, to work for you because you want to cut cost. The machines or technology will not come and buy your products or patronise your services. Use humans to manage your technology. Keep a happy balance between technology and human psychology.
Never forget that the Internet does not forget:
Whatever you post online stays on the web. The Internet does not forget. So be mindful of what you post about your business on your website, social media accounts or posted by others about you. Many businesses feel the negative impact on their profitability when some bad news about their services gets published online and reaches a wide readership. You must properly check the content you also share online. People can save it faster than you can edit or replace them. Bad news about your business will stay a very long while on the Internet. When your business is ‘Googled’ or searched online, the bad news may get higher ranking and visibility than the good news.
Thou shall not take your Cyber Security for granted:
Your security on the internet is very important. Be sure you and your business are protected within the cyber space. Set your passwords using letters, numbers and symbols. Be careful of the websites that you visit or the files you download from various websites. Research conducted by the International Data Corporation and National University of Singapore shows that over US$500 billion will be spent of cyber security prevention and breaches. Use the right anti-virus on your devices and protect them with passwords. Any breach of your business information will result in cyber criminals making money off you by attacking your computer or through social engineering to dupe you.
Thou shall not neglect WhatsApp and what is up:
With over 64 billion messages being processed daily on WhatsApp with 500 million users, you must not neglect the potential of this app to connect your business to your customers in real time via their mobile phones. WhatsApp enables the sharing of multi-format content. You can send text, images, audio and videos of your business to your customer or group of them instantly.
More so, you must also know what technology is in vogue and find out how it can be of use to your business. Find which new technology your customers are spending more time on every day and adopt it.
Be prepared for the “Wearables”:
The new trend in device engineering is the “Wearables” or Fashion Electronics. These are gadgets or electronic chips that are worn on the body directly or embedded in the clothes or accessories respectively. They interact with the wearer’s body and/or connect with their mobile phones. It measures breath and pulse of the wearer. Some of the common ones are the Samsung Gear, Google Glass, Durex Fundawear, Breezing, Kit Mosquito Batch, Addidas Adizero F50 and many more. This helps to know where the wearer is physically, their health conditions and environmental safety. Be prepared for this innovative revolution so as to position your business to reap the benefits of extreme human ingenuity in technology.
Conclusion
Do not be left behind the technology curve. Adopt the right technology for your business. A new era of business transformation is here and you must be ready to surf on the wave or get drowned out of business. Technology is no more an alternative but the imperative in growing and sustaining your business.
The writer is a Technology Consultant, Social Media Strategist, Advertiser & Speaker
Twitter.com/@maxihere