All businesses should prepare themselves for what’s to come in a post-Covid world. But in the wake of new variants and larger spreads of the virus worldwide, it shouldn’t become the absolute top priority. Not at the moment, at least. Instead, the focus should be on the technologies that have allowed them to progress during the pandemic. Whether that’s in implementing more of the existing business technologies in their daily operations or if they can implement the existing ones they use better.
While it’s always good practice to incorporate the latest business technologies, there’s merit in sticking to those that have worked. More so in a pandemic where businesses want to cut down on operating expenses instead of adding on them.
The pandemic created a demand for new business technologies that can help all companies to function while observing basic health protocols. While in the current day, those technologies aren’t new anymore, there’s still room to get more out of them. They’ve become mainstays in businesses in these uncertain times. Here are some of the technologies that have prevailed throughout the pandemic that will continue to do so.
Digital/Online Marketing
Digital and online ads have become the new standard in business advertising and marketing in recent years, and unsurprisingly so. With more and more people spending more time indoors and on their phones, digital ads quickly took over as they have more visibility than traditional print ads and posters. Additionally, targeted ads have made business advertisements more effective. It’s because they can choose a demographic that relates to or interacts the most with a company’s products and services. That means if a person recently searched the internet for accommodations, these digital platforms can show them ads from hotels and inns from the area.
If your company doesn’t have a formal marketing team and follows general online marketing strategies, its digital marketing might not be as effective. The most important thing about digital and online marketing is the content that you push out. For example, a marketing campaign that worked for a car repair business won’t work for an HVAC business. In this case, the HVAC company must implement marketing strategies specific to its needs and the type of customers it attracts. With that information and a marketing team that knows how to use them, the company can create a highly effective marketing campaign.
Digital and online marketing has evolved into an incredible tool that can instantly increase business sales. About 60% of companies in the U.S. have made the switch to digital from traditional marketing. The number shows the effectiveness of digital and online marketing and why it’s here to stay.
Remote Work and Video Conferencing
Remote work and online video conferencing have given business owners and employees the ability to work while staying safe in the comfort of their homes. While there could be some face-to-face meetings that are inevitable, what’s important is having the option to hold meetings online for matters that don’t require in-person attendance. These technologies that allow us to work remotely help reduce the risks of catching the dreaded virus that both business owners and employees share.
In addition to that, businesses can also save a lot on costs when allowing employees to work from home. They don’t have to pay for the regular testing of their employees and cut down costs on medical assistance. These small things can add up and become significant savings to help businesses struggling in the pandemic stay afloat longer.
For as long as the pandemic goes on, and even after, we won’t see remote work and video conferencing leaving the list of prevailing business technologies anytime soon.
Contactless and Digital Payments
Aside from minimizing your and your employee’s risk of catching Covid-19, the same should be the case for your customers. Contactless digital payments have allowed people to continue purchasing goods from their favorite stores while staying safe. It eliminates the exchange of cash bills and coins which are objects and surfaces where Covid-19 can be transmitted. Additionally, it also gives your customers choices and different ways to pay since they can make contactless payments with e-wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay, as well as bank-issued cards. By having all these payment options, there’s always a way to pay if one of the other methods doesn’t work for them.
Even in a post-pandemic world, the sheer convenience of not carrying cash and making contactless payments will become the new standard moving forward for both businesses and consumers.
Final Thoughts
These business technologies are proving themselves as excellent tools that have the staying power to prevail even in a post-Covid world. They have provided a new necessary and invaluable convenience in everyone’s lives that it’s hard to imagine a future without them. So while preparing for what’s to come next in the world of business technologies, businesses shouldn’t lose sight of what is already available. They should explore further how to implement them better and improve upon them in their day-to-day operations.
