Keeping up with the times and the technology that your customer base uses is a necessary part of doing business. While some pieces of technology are merely fads that fade away with time, others become so ingrained in the consumer mindset that running without them is seen as odd or behind the times.

Nobody would deny that barcodes are essential to today’s retail stores, but before the 1970’s they were a fringe case that never saw much use. Times change, and the technology you need to use changes with it.

When you’re adding new technology into your organization it can be tricky to get a hang of. It’s a phenomenon known as digital transformation which comes with its own problems and obstacles, but luckily you can build digital transformation strategies to minimize this.

There are plenty of pieces of technology that have become essential over the years, but in the wake of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic many businesses had to adapt to working in an online space because of restrictions. Tech usage has exploded over the duration of the past two years, and many of what were seen as optional or temporary solutions have become ingrained in the consumer mindset, so much so that they’re seen as necessities now. Below we’ve listed a few of the most relevant across various industries, and how you might go about using them.

Omnichannel Customer Service

You’ve probably come across this problem before, so picture this. You’ve either gone into a store in person or phoned up a customer service line with a query or an issue that needs solving, only to be passed from one person to the other, repeating yourself every time. Not fun, right?

Omnichannel is designed to prevent this, as it wastes not only the customers’ time but that of your employees as well. Essentially omnichannel takes the idea of having multiple channels of communication one step further, coagulating all the information that a customer provides into one single, central database that any employee can then access.

Once a customer has been passed over to another member of staff, that member will have all the details that have been provided so far, saving time and making for an overall more pleasant experience.

Virtual Product Displays

After the start of the pandemic, it became impossible to keep items on display for customer testing without causing a serious health hazard. With that in mind, many retailers began creating virtual product displays, whether on websites, apps or in emails, to let the customer get a better idea of their products without risking spreading a deadly virus.

This proved to be very popular with consumers as being able to fully see the ins and outs of an item before you buy it, from the comfort of your own living room without having to leave the house, is not only a time saver but an overall more efficient way of doing things.

Display types have ranged from simply having many photos, videos etc. to full 3D models and interactive displays, with some niche cases even branching into the world of VR. Overall virtual displays have proven to definitely be a keeper.

Custom Mobile Apps

In the days when you couldn’t even talk to a store employee without potentially putting yourself at risk, plenty of organizations turned to online ways of disseminating information. Websites and social media were among the favorites as they were already established in a lot of cases, but mobile apps have seen a rise too as they’re much more convenient for those on the go.

Mobile apps are everywhere these days, across all major phone platforms. From those that let customers buy directly from you to those intended for purchase tracking and investigation, plenty of businesses use pre-existing hosts such as Amazon or Shopify, but many of the major players are starting to build their own.

This is done not only to cut costs and reliance on other organizations, but to allow customization to their specific needs, including personalized marketing and presentation.

Building an app isn’t that difficult anymore, with plenty of existing frameworks out there, so if mobile transactions are something you’re interested in you should definitely give it a go.

Cloud Software

This one isn’t likely to have much impact on customers directly, but will have massive implications for the day to day running of your organization. It’s a time-saver and a massive boost to co-ordination and the ability to manage daily goings on, so will help your customers have a great time indirectly.

Cloud software keeps all your information stored externally, like a cloud hanging above your head just waiting for the right moment to make it all pour down upon you.

Because of this, anyone with access can receive data in moments, allowing for real-time tracking of every facet of your business that is recorded in the database. You’ll save a lot of time retrieving information for customers, and are more likely to be able to solve their problems in a timely manner too.

In addition, cloud software is a must-have for any personalized marketing or loyalty programmes you want to offer, as the ever-evolving nature or personalized experiences needs a central, real-time place where data can be stored and used if you’re going to keep getting the best results you can.

Wrapping Up

Technology is great when used correctly. It’s something that is seen as a necessity in many sectors of the market rather than simply a useful option, especially after the changes wrought by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Times have changed, and things that were once true simply aren’t anymore, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the digital transformation trends that have skyrocketed to the forefront of people’s minds.

Use your technology, and use it well, as it may in the future be the difference between staying in the game and having to close your doors, as was the case for so many businesses over the span of the past two years.