You, as a small business owner, are always looking for ways to make your business more profitable and save money. A digital-first strategy is a trend you shouldn’t ignore.
It’s easier than you think to make quick changes in this digital age and transform your business.
What is digital transformation? And why should you care?
Digital transformation simply means adopting digital processes and tools to reach strategic business goals. However, a digital transformation is much more than simply using new tools. To achieve real results, your whole mindset must shift to digital-first.
Your customers can download music, shop online, and schedule appointments online. Your business must be there for these buyers. You can reach your customers online to market to them and collect and understand their online data so that you can provide a better buying experience.
Digital transformation is easier for small businesses than big ones. A large enterprise may have hundreds of employees, and more processes, so its harder for them to make change happen. Smaller teams can pivot quickly into new processes and compensate for a smaller resource or budget.
Where do you start?
Before you begin implementing digital transformations in your business, identify the projects that are most important to your business. Then decide which ones will provide the highest ROI. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself first.
- Is my business missing any opportunities to learn from customers and provide help?
- What five-year company goals can tech upgrades support?
- What back-office tasks take up significant employee time?
These questions will give you some ideas on where to begin your transformation.
Big impact digital strategy and tools
Once you have established your priorities for the business, it is time to implement digital tools to help your business grow. Here are some examples:
1. Create a better website
A recent digital transformation survey by Visa found that over 80% of respondents are motivated to shop with businesses that have a simple website or offer other digital-focused perks. A website that is simple to use for customers includes explaining your business, supporting them, and showing them how they can purchase your products or other digital-focused perks. Your website should provide a positive user experience for your customers. This will help you build loyal customer relationships.
2. Automate Your Back Office to Streamline It
Identify the administrative tasks that you and your staff often do. Are there ways to simplify these tasks? To avoid making financial mistakes, you can automate billing and invoicing using the latest CRM and accounting software. You can also use automated email platforms for reports on how customers interact with your campaigns. These small upgrades can help you and your employees save valuable time.
3. Increase your availability
Chatbots have become a popular way to help customers with their questions while they are visiting websites. These bots can quickly answer simple questions such as pricing and hours, service availability, and pricing. This eliminates the need to have a full-staffed customer service department. A live chat option might be an option where customers can ask questions during non-business hours.
4. Create a valuable app
Digital transformation doesn’t only involve digitizing your processes, it can also include digitizing products. Consider developing an app for your service-based business. It’s easy to develop apps that help people stay on track and inform them. Are you a yoga instructor? You can hire someone to develop an app that allows customers to track their meditations and morning routines. You can help your customers find the right product for them by giving them access to it on their schedule.
Create a collaborative environment
While every company will go through a digital transformation in their own way, almost all companies come out of it with greater collaboration and cohesion. It builds trust and fosters transparency within the workplace when everyone works together to deliver stellar customer service or increase productivity. Employees feel happier and more engaged.
Final thoughts on your Digital Transformation Strategy
You’ve now learned how a digital transformation can benefit your small business. Now, let’s look at where technology can make a difference in your company. As the leader of your company, keep your eyes on the business goals and foster a culture that encourages learning and collaboration. Digital transformation will help your company become more efficient and effective, and that’s crucial for you to survive and thrive in the digital economy.
