As a business owner or leader, you’re consistently faced with evolving technology promised to help you run your business better. Inundated? Overwhelmed?
Ready to give up on technology altogether? Stop. Take a deep breath. And keep reading, because if you were truly wondering if you really need technology to run your contracting, distribution, or service-based business, the answer is yes. And we’re going to tell you exactly where and how it helps:
1. Data storage and security. Cloud storage solutions like Dropbox and Google Drive offer affordable data storage options for keeping and sharing documents online.
Why this matters for your business:
- Cloud storage frees up space on your internal hard drives and networks.
- Companies like Dropbox and Google have extensive IT resources in place to ensure data security, lessening the load on your own IT staff or vendor and decreasing vulnerabilities.
- Cloud storage facilitates collaboration – among co-workers, partners, vendors, and contractors. No more sending different versions through email; live edit and share. File too big for email? Upload it to Dropbox. You get the gist.
2. Email and Internet marketing. Do you really need to be spending time on e-blasts and social media? If you want to cultivate a community and increase engagement, the answer is likely a ‘yes’.
Why this matters for your business:
- According to Convince & Convert, in the past year, 44% of people surveyed made at least one purchase based on a promotional email. It takes time to craft the right headline, determine the right content that will be useful to your audience, and coordinate e-newsletters or e-blasts, but those who opt-in are typically qualified leads looking to learn more, so the payoff potential is large. Tools like MailChimp, AWeber, and Constant Contact can help you get started quickly and easily.
- Social channels like Facebook and Twitter offer the opportunity to engage with customers and fellow industry members, strategically driving traffic to specific landing pages, news, and other interesting information. Simply remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should be about your customers, partners, and industry; 20% should be focused on how you can help them.
- Online reviews can make or break the intangible, pinnacle of marketing: customer-generated word-of-mouth. Engaging with reviewers on sites such as Angie’s List, Google Places, HomeAdvisor, Yelp, or other applicable sites is an excellent way to build customer loyalty.
3. Customer service and satisfaction. We live in a society that craves instant gratification. Web and mobile solutions enable your business to provide that for its customers.
Why this matters for your business:
- Your website serves as a 24/7 sales professional. Differentiate your customers’ experience by providing a unique, easy-to-navigate web presence. Consider the most frequently asked questions about your services, products, team, location, experience, etc., and get them answered on your website.
- Perhaps your customers don’t want to wait to schedule an in-person meeting. Tools such as Skype, Google Hangouts, and GoToMeeting offer reliable solutions for holding client meetings virtually, allowing you the opportunity to satisfy customers faster.
- Cloud-based project management tools like Asana, Basecamp, and Zoho are perfect for facilitating collaborating among your team so that the customer is delivered the best service possible.
4. Sell with technology. Your sales team is a finite resource. Your website and e-marketing will back you up to a certain point, but empowering your sales team with technology will further extend their ability to meet with clients and make the sale.
Why this matters for your business:
- Create estimates and quotes on the go with mobile estimating software. Apps like JobFLEX allow your sales team the flexibility to deliver quotes in the field, equipped with all the resources they need to generate a professional, branded estimate, with or without internet.
- Don’t wait for the drive back to the office to deliver. Set up bluetooth-enabled devices to print wirelessly from the field to back up digital delivery with carbon copies.
Where is your business lacking in resources? Which processes just aren’t flowing efficiently? Consider the problem, and we guarantee there’s a technology solution that fits your business and can make life easier. From online business training to cloud-based system apps, technology is at the crux of everything we do in our businesses.
P.S. If you’re a small- to medium-sized business regularly generating quotes or estimates for projects, JobFLEX is the technology your business needs (and it’ll likely help you sleep better at night). Discover what we’re about in our product info, see how customers are using JobFLEX, and schedule a no-hassle demo today!
