Sometimes it is difficult to think back to a time when business was conducted without a computer or smartphone. A day when there was no email communication, internet searches, telecommunications and even mobile marketing. Can you think back to how business use to be conducted? It’s hard to imagine, but yet business was still done. Purchases were still made and people hired other people to provide a service.

Now we find ourselves engrossed in a world where you can find answers to your questions instantly, find out all about a business and read reviews before you may have even stepped through the door of the shop. Powerful tools for communication and conducting business are now in the hands of company owners. But is this way of life better than it use to be? Can technology help or hinder your business? Is there any value to trying to go back to the old school ways? We thought it would be a good time to explore some of the ways technology can enhance your business, even today, with new innovations being released.

What about communication?

Mobile phones have revolutionised the way we do business, wouldn’t you agree? Now, no matter where you are, you can conduct business sales or respond to customer enquiries in a timely manner. It is also a great was for employees to keep in touch and communicate about their leads and productivity. Smartphones have really revolutionised this now, making it even more easier to work on the go. Answering emails, sharing documents and pictures has never been easier and could be done at anytime of the day. Business use to be conducted from office points only, with only one form of communication being a landline. But using mobile phones has definitely aided businesses to expand and communicate more effectively. We would definitely agree that this sort of technology has transformed the way people do business in the 21st century.

How does technology enhance your marketing power?

The innovative improvement in technology today has aided small and larger business to become free of specific print ads or door to door advertising. The internet has revolutionised the way interact and advertise to both existing and new customers. From having a website about your business to promoting products and services on various social media platforms your options are much more varied these days. Decades ago you relied solely on print forms or knocking on doors, where as this technology has enabled you to advertise in a more discreet and less intrusive way, but offers a faster and more effective result. Now, companies focus a great deal of their time on their marketing and social media strategies. Using the likes of blogs, Facebook profiles and visual platforms like Instagram to appeal to various different people at any point of the day or night.

What about when it comes to inhouse systems?

Technology hasn’t just improved the way communicate with each other and our customers, but also the way we are able to do the business we do each day. Inhouse systems have advanced from a physical paper trail to smart customer management systems. From desktop large computers to smaller mobile laptops with access to online storage mediums such as http://www.icloudlogin.com/. It’s crazy to think that the two main tools people use to have for selling to customers would have been a notepad and pen. Now we have access to visual presentations and a vast amount of knowledge at the end of our fingertips. Is business better this way? Some would argue not, but it certainly means that both businesses and consumers are far more informed than they ever have been before.

Can technology really improve productivity?

Any small business owner would agree, that they need to ensure they pull out every ounce of productivity from the operations side of their business. If anything but to justify the cost of the business itself. Technology can enhance the results and provide the necessary tools to ensure that any small or large corporate runs their operations side of things far more effectively than ever before. It could range from printing out marketing materials to systems enabling you to respond to customers through email or even a lie online chat function. The enhancement in technology has one main goal when it comes to productivity levels, that is to free up more time for other tasks.

Are there other ways you can provide good customer service?

Thankfully, technology when it comes to businesses is there to enhance the communication and speed between business and consumer. There are many ways in which a business could respond to a customer when it comes to a service point of view. Phone calls, emails, live online chat functions or directly through their website. While some communication is still done face to face, you will find that the majority of your communications and customer service is done through some form of technology. Effective customer service will still come down to an individual, and that is why any business should never rely solely on the use of technology. But, it can certainly help enhance the service you provide.

Does technology enhance the working conditions you offer employees?

Of course, the use of technology not only enhances a customer experience but that of your employees as well. It enables some employers to offers the colleagues flexible timing when it comes to work, and enable them to visit customers on the right as well as work from any point. This is of great benefit to a business. But it also means that things like teleconferencing can be easier to achieve. Where meetings no longer have to take place at one point, people can join from all over simply by dialing into the meeting. Even things like video chats and video conferencing has made communication much easier. Business owners can even interview bia video with link ups like http://www.skype.com.

All in all you will find that the enhancements in technology has vastly improved productivity. You may find that technology and the innovative way people conduct business these days has transformed local entities into global contenders.