As an entrepreneur or owner of a small business, you already have your hands full. You may not be at the forefront of all the technological advances driving the business world. But you should.
Tech trends like the proliferation of 5G cellular networks, AR/VR, and artificial intelligence are quickly gaining importance. Without incorporating essential tech features in your business plan, you will fall off the wagon and make it easy for your competitors to move ahead in the rat race.
Here are some tech features that must be included in your business plan for 2023.
Business Mobile App
The importance of a well-designed business website is unwavering, but you cannot win your customers’ hearts with only a website.
It is time to expand your reach and connect with your audience via a business application. With the app installed on their phones, your customers don’t need to open the browser and search for your website. Instead, they can purchase what you offer in just a few taps.
Creating an application is also an excellent way of gathering customer data and understanding their behavior, needs, and wants.
Ensure the app has cross-platform compatibility and advanced features like dark mode. Take Google Chrome, for example. Although many people prefer Chrome over other web browsers, the browser makes people run through hoops to enable dark mode on Chrome. There’s no straightforward option. So, how to make Google dark mode? Users must switch to dark mode across their system to turn Chrome a bit darker.
It would be best not to put your users through so much hassle. Instead, make the latest app features available at their fingertips.
CRM or Customer Relationship Management System
A CRM system helps in collecting, organizing, and assessing client information. This allows you to build and maintain long-lasting relationships with your existing customers. The data also helps businesses find new prospects.
There are cloud-based platforms like Hubspot or Salesforce that can help you manage your client relations and drive your business’ growth.
Cybersecurity
Most businesses use network connections to some degree, be it an online POS or internal data storage. Typically, large businesses have robust data security systems in place. But small businesses fall prey to cyber attacks if proper steps are not taken to protect themselves.
You must set up cybersecurity software early in the business to protect customer data and confidential company information.
You can start by investing in antivirus software to guard networks and computers against malware, viruses, and other malicious attacks. Also, consider purchasing a premium VPN to make sure only authorized users are accessing your network.
Project Management Software
Uncomplicating the process of tracking your company’s projects is an essential aspect of boosting revenue growth. As a result, small, midsize, and large companies must invest in project management software to streamline the workflow and make it more efficient and organized.
Project management software boosts collaboration and makes it easier for teams to communicate and brainstorm. Asana and Trello are among the top project management programs used by businesses.
Employee Monitoring Software
The push toward the adoption of employee monitoring software has come about after the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, hybrid and remote teams are here to stay.
Without employee monitoring software, managing remote teams will become a nightmare.
Employee monitoring software is used to achieve granular oversight of remote workers and analyze their productivity. When choosing such a program, look for features like the ability to spot ineffective working practices.
File Converter
In today’s digital age, the ability to easily convert files from one format to another is a valuable asset for businesses. Whether you need to transform documents, images, or multimedia files, a reliable file converter can streamline your workflow and enhance productivity. These tools allow you to quickly adapt to various file formats, ensuring compatibility with different systems and platforms.
A versatile file converter should support a wide range of formats, from PDF to Word documents, JPEG to PNG, JPG to PDF, and many more. This flexibility ensures that your business can efficiently handle diverse file types encountered in day-to-day operations. Additionally, look for features such as batch conversion and cloud integration, which can further simplify the file conversion process.
Chatbots
AI-drive, responsive chatbots are capable of handling customer requests like a pro. They can quickly answer frequently asked questions on the app or website and even direct users toward the right department or let them know of the next steps to be taken to get a satisfactory resolution.
With responsive chatbots, your business will be online 24/7, and you don’t even have to hire a team to handle incessant requests and queries. In addition, these chatbots can be designed to only send such queries to customer care executives that require human assistance.
Online Payments
The inclusion of an online payment system will significantly improve your business and help you achieve your goals much faster. Irrespective of who your target audience is, everyone loves making payments online.
The process of paying online is convenient and saves effort and time.
On your business website and app, you must update the online payment system and ensure to follow strict safety protocols. In addition, you must offer your customers different payment options like PayPal, credit/debit card, Apple Pay, etc.
The Bottom Line
These basic tech features must be included in the business plan of companies of all sizes. They can help reduce the cost of your business operations and enhance team collaboration. Furthermore, they will enhance your relationship with your customers.
