It’s easy to think that what’s good for one business is good for them all, but of course, in a competitive space that’s rarely the case. However, when it comes to the adoption and propagation of technology, companies that become early adopters of standard formats can find themselves with a real advantage.
For example, it’s hard to think of any business that doesn’t incorporate the Internet in some way, even if that’s as simple as having a Google Business listing. Even Ma & Pa takeaway restaurants will integrate platforms like Uber Eats ordering into their workflow for greater reach and to compete in their space.
Moreover, as we’ve seen with the development of AI, more and more companies are looking to boost productivity and develop a capable portfolio as we move further into this new year. For this reason, it’s worth considering a few tech standards almost every 2024 business could, and should, hold.
With that in mind, let’s begin:
Embrace Digital Security Protocols
If you utilize digital systems, they need to be secured. That doesn’t mean you should hire an in-house cybersecurity expert who does nothing but look after your systems, but outsourcing your IT to a reliable company that knows how to connect and work with your needs is key.
Embracing digital security protocols at this level will help you avoid lost customer data, downtime, and improper digital hygiene that could lead to social engineering, and thus unwanted security failures on the part of your staff. Teaching them to change passwords often, and having a robust VPN login system in place if they work remotely, can provide capable protection and peace of mind. This is also a non-negotiable consideration, which is why we place it first in this article.
Multiple, Convenient Payment Systems
Long gone are the days when cash-only payments are the only option we have, even in small village shops this standard is quickly eroding. Having capable payment systems in place will ensure a customer can give you money in multiple secure ways, which is the ultimate goal. Anything you can do to limit the friction between deciding to pay and paying is a smart one and allows you to avoid putting consumers off or making new consumers worried about trusting your unknown brand. With a payment SDK for devs that works among all your platforms or can integrate with unique systems (like tableside payment for restaurants), all of this will provide a worthwhile outcome.
Prioritize Accessibility For All Users
Following on from the essential theme of accessibility, it’s very important to consider how to integrate that within your systemic approach. For example, instead of asking customers to create a brand new account with your business and your business alone, you might integrate easy features like Google or Apple sign-in, allowing them to provide all their information in a matter of moments. For websites that offer online stock and checkouts, this can add a level of security and familiarity that will help you stand out among the competition of a similar size. It can also help you avoid integrating less secure account management options that might not be as ideal while outsourcing all of that systemic maintenance to such large enterprises. Having such tacit integrations can also help your brand seem more trustworthy from the top down.
Leverage Data Analytics For Informed Decisions
Data analytics is more than just identifying statistics of the market or how many customers you have in a given week, they can inspire the major changes your business makes. For example, Kodak once decided to invest fully in cryptocurrency management after seeing trends that suggested its boom, but then used better data to reverse the decision after the plan failed. Why is this a good example of how data analytics can help a business? Well, it shows that even with a mistaken direction, it allows you to course correct appropriately.
Leveraging data for this analysis can also apply to SEO management and integration on your websites, or managing the reality of your remote work conversion to see if it’s impacted productivity. We’re seeing all manner of trials integrated into the modern marketplace, such as businesses trialing four-day workweeks to consider just how productive they may be with a rested workforce.
To conclude, not all businesses could or even should adopt the latest tech integrations simply because it’s new and shiny. For example, electric cars are going from strength to strength, but not all logistics firms are investing in a full fleet just yet. But for those technologies that matter, such as those above, almost every business can benefit.