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As a small to medium-sized business owner, you know how challenging the last several years have been for companies worldwide. Many smaller firms have closed down, and those that have survived have done so by adjusting to the “new normal.”
Your SME is likely more vulnerable to economic shifts than larger businesses. It’s critical to constantly re-strategize and incorporate technologies to keep a leg up on the competition. That’s why Zitrod has listed these essential digital upgrades to consider.
Optimize Your Processes With Business Process Management
One of your first steps toward digital transformation should be evaluating your business processes and determining how to improve them. Learn about the various benefits of business process management (BPM) and research tools that will automate mundane tasks and boost operational efficiency. Employee buy-in should be pretty easy since your team will have more time to work on meaningful jobs.
To implement BPM effectively, continually monitor its effectiveness and take steps to improve the process when necessary. The key is to create a BPM framework and adjust it until it’s working perfectly before choosing which tasks to automate. You can click here for more info.
Build a Staunch Digital Footprint
Everyone is doing things online today. Employees are working, students are studying, and people are socializing through virtual platforms. Your company has an opportunity to capitalize on the trend. But it means establishing a stellar digital footprint for your brand.
If you can afford it, consider hiring an experienced digital marketing specialist or agency with a wide range of skills and knowledge. Upgrading your website is an excellent start because all your digital marketing efforts will ultimately lead back there. But put much of your focus, energy, and resources toward boosting your social media presence.
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms each come with its pros and cons for business marketing. Figure out where your target audience is hanging out, and hit those platforms the hardest.
If you’re searching for cost effective ways to create content for multiple platforms, here’s a possible solution. Infographics are an excellent way to attract interest while informing your audience about something relevant to your business. With an online infographic maker, you can create an attractive infographic for free to use across social media. This is a good way to build your audience.
Up Your Cybersecurity Measures
As you begin incorporating more technologies among your team, you’ll inevitably open your business up to more cybersecurity risks. Make sure you put the necessary systems, processes, and tools in place for protecting sensitive company and customer data.
Investing in top-rated antivirus and anti-malware software is essential. And you’ll also want to ensure your staff creates complex passwords for all their devices, accounts, and networks (and updates them regularly).
Using password-protected PDFs for sharing sensitive files among your team can also protect you against cyber threats. Even if you suffer an attack, your PDFs and the information they contain will be harder for criminals to access. TechRadar points out that you can use an online PDF editor to easily modify and share your files.
Prioritize Online Communications
Most companies work remotely at least partially. The Motley Fool notes that establishing strategies and incorporating tools that facilitate remote work is a crucial aspect of digital transformation. You and your employees should be able to interact with each other, clients, vendors, and partners from wherever you are.
The key is to research and invest in quality communication and collaboration solutions. Look for cloud-based products with automated technology so you can securely and conveniently communicate, share, and collaborate.
Seek Tech Support
Lastly, you need to know support is available for any product you purchase. Digital technologies require a significant investment, and the best solutions offer world-class customer service and support. You never know when you’ll need to troubleshoot a problem, and you want to ensure an expert is there for you when you do.
Conclusion
The only way to keep pace with a rapidly evolving business landscape is to invest in modern technologies and develop strategies that propel your company forward.
Utilizing business process management, investing in digital marketing, prioritizing cyber security, and letting employees work remotely will put you on track to digital transformation. But you’ll need to constantly reevaluate your team’s needs to identify processes and solutions that align with your overarching goals.