An Insight Into Small Business Digital Transformation
An Insight Into Small Business Digital Transformation
Digital Transformation is the new buzzword at the moment, but similar to so many swerving business ideas; there is no common opinion on specifically what it means.
Digital technology offers us with instant access, by means of a Smart Phone, to practically any person, all useful knowledge, and any market we could do business in. This has essentially altered the way customers anticipate buying and the ways a company can create value.
Digital Transformation (DT) is the progression of making variations – automating processes, making use of Social Media for marketing, gathering, and comprehending data, providing new products and services made possible due to digital technology – that enable a small business to adapt positively to the latest, ‘digital expectations’ of customers.
In the DT process, new opportunities for efficiencies and growth are created.
Simply because digital technology is revolutionizing business, it doesn’t imply that a small business will automatically adapt Chameleon-like, to this new environment by changing the way it operates; change is dependent on someone recognizing the opportunity and taking action!
Which brings us to…
Digital Transformation Should be Proactive
Not encashing on DT is a lost opportunity and an expensive mistake.
For instance: Assume that your company website is tough to navigate, doesn’t show on page one of a Google search, hasn’t much data on it that customers and prospects benefit, and that nothing has been done to entice people to it, by using Google AdWords, for instance. Provided this, it’s likely that your business would have an ordinary online presence, at best.
Now, suppose that your closest competitor’s website was the opposite of yours – appeared at the top of a Google search, etc. – How do you think the number of site-generated inquiries would match up between the two companies?
Is it likely you would lose business to your competitor because of your substandard website?
What do you suppose would happen to your annual revenue if your counterpart invested in improving customer experience by confirming that each of their digital touch-points (email, Twitter, Facebook. LinkedIn, online ads, blog, You Tube, etc.), were exceedingly user-friendly and engaging?
Disregarding DT is no longer an alternative – small businesses are using technology to change, enhance what they do and how they do it, and benefitting as a result.
