Wondering how new advancements in technology will impact your small business in 2021? From building trust to enhancing customer service, technology tools increase productivity and give your business a competitive edge. As organizations invest more of their financial resources in technology tools, it’s important to understand how technology trends impact your small business while finding ways to implement the right solutions for your business.

Managed Services

Managed IT services offer many options that aren’t possible with a smaller IT department. From 24/7 monitoring, enhanced data security, and scalability to keep up with your growth, managed IT services offer the most flexibility without compromising support. As data breaches and identity theft continue to rise, and hackers increasingly targeting small businesses, expert help to safeguard and protect your business and data is crucial.

Customer Reviews to Personalization Your Business

A great customer review goes a long way. Positive feedback from current customers provides social proof that can help you grow your business. Affordable technologies help small businesses extract pertinent data from reviews.  Possible opportunities include:

• Creating new products
• Increasing customer support
• Producing better content

With so many ways to use this data, including boosting sales and increasing web traffic, more small businesses will encourage reviews across multiple platforms and apply this information to develop data-driven strategies.

Increased Social Media Presence

With privacy concerns, negative content, and a decline in organic reach, social media management does have challenges. Plus, it can be time consuming and expensive in terms of a marketing budget. To address customer needs without driving up the budget, small businesses will focus on data-driven decisions. Key areas to watch in 2021 include:

• Social proof adds validation for customers

• • • Businesses that provide value while increasing trust outperform the competition. This can be achieved by sharing customer interactions, leveraging employee advocacy, and building online communities.

• Alternate channels interest users

• • • From Twitter to TikTok, expect to see other options besides Facebook and Instagram attract attention. Where does your target audience play and shop? Consider this and adjust your approach as their technology use changes.

• Maximize customer service on social platforms

• • • 45% of consumers refer to social media for their information. Small businesses that support clients across social platforms instill trust while showcasing their brand.

Collaboration Tools to Keep Employees Connected

Companies with a mobile workforce can save money on office space and tech equipment while increasing their overall productivity. As telecommuting continues to rapidly gain popularity and more people are working from home, the need for collaboration software becomes vital. Tools that connect in-house staff with their colleagues who are working remotely, result in increased productivity. That connection builds a sense of cohesiveness and encourages collaboration, thus getting rid of ‘silos’ and promotes team building.

Increased Reliance on HR Technology

As the labor market continues to change, employers are finding the need to adapt in order to stay competitive. With an increasing number of tech-savvy generations entering the workforce, more employers are investing in technologies for human resources to increase efficiency. Cloud-based HR tools offer real-time data for decision-making, while employee self-service apps offer staff members autonomy and a sense of control over their data. More small business owners will invest in HR technology that creates a seamless experience for staff, including:

• Recruitment
• Onboarding
• Employee engagement
• Health and wellness
• Ongoing training

Want to learn more about small business technology trends? Contact us.