The Basic Technology That Every Business Should Invest In
Are you looking for options to enhance your business? Read this article to learn about the importance of a great website to improve your business.
No matter how small a business is, it probably relies on a lot of technology to keep it running smoothly every single day of the year. Even the most traditional stores like a small local village café or even a farmer's stall still require technology to promote their products, order in new materials and keep track of their finances. Whilst technology can be a great asset to any business, these assets can also come with a big price tag. That's why many businesses see them as a luxury when in fact they are often an investment that could really help the productivity and success of any business. With that in mind, here's a look at the basic technology that every business should invest in. A great website
No matter what product or service you provide and how you sell it, it's important to have a great website. If you're a small website that only sells products online, the reasons for having an attractive and well-functioning website are obvious. As that's the only place you make all of your sales, it's important that you do everything you can to persuade customers to part with their money. If you're a small business that can't sell products online, like a café, restaurant or even a dentist, you might think that a website would be less useful. In fact, many customers will choose which of these physical locations to visit by looking at their website beforehand. That's why it's so important to employ an experienced web design agency like ALT Agency to help you design a website that's fit for your purpose. By working with a web design agency, they can help design a website that works for your brand rather than you having to work around a restrictive, pre-built template. For these brick-and-mortar industries that do not rely on internet traffic, a website can also be a useful tool to help them schedule appointments and bookings or browse the products you have in store and pre-order them for collection. Furthermore, a good website with a blog can also help boost awareness of the business, generating more interest which can help drive sales and a larger customer base.
The fundamentals of a good website are that it's easy to navigate and has a clear theme that syncs up with the brand of the business. Don't go overboard with too many colors or big design choices, as that can make it hard to navigate and use. You also want to learn how to best layout your website so that the user is funneled to call-to-actions, which will make them more likely to make a conversion.Computers that can handle the tasks required of them
To save on money, many businesses will try and purchase the cheapest technology available that they think will do the job. In reality, choosing the cheapest device could mean that you end up spending a lot more money on employee wages if it takes them more time to complete their job. If a computer isn't powerful enough to complete its tasks, or it regularly crashes and loses work, your employees simply won't get as much done during the day. Instead, consider exactly what the computer will be used for and pick a device with a fast enough processor, enough memory, and a big enough hard drive to handle these tasks. For example, many new businesses will be attracted to the idea of getting Chromebooks for their staff, as they're portable and fairly cheap and can perform all the basic functions on its web-based Google documents. However, if that business requires staff to download specialist software to perform a function, then that device will struggle as it might not have the RAM or storage capacity required. It's also worth considering if the devices you plan to use match the task. For example, an account using a single spreadsheet should work just fine on a small laptop, but a graphic designer might need multiple full-size monitors so that they can be more detailed with their artwork. As a business owner, it's vital that you ensure that the technology you provide is fit to purpose.Devices to help when things go wrong
Although more reliable computers mean they should fail less, it's important to plan for those occasions when technology will inevitably let you down. Find a way to make sure all of your documents are regularly backed up, either on a separate server or even on a portable hard drive or cloud system.
Also, invest in a security system that will protect all the computers and other devices on your network from hackers and viruses. Every business should have, at the bare minimum, up-to-date antivirus software to detect malware and to destroy it. However, you should also protect your endpoints with a firewall, as this will stop any unauthorized access into your business network. Additionally, if your staff is currently working remotely, it's also a good idea to supply a VPN, which will basically protect your employees' devices when on open networks as it sends its information to a different server, making it impossible to track. The Cloud
Cloud technology is simply essential for modern business, as it helps aid collaboration and keeps documents and files more organized and easily assessable. Cloud technology allows for files and documents to be saved not on a hard drive but over the internet. This means that anyone who has access to the cloud server can view and edit the files. This is ideal if multiple staff members are working on one project. It also helps ensure everyone has the most relevant version of a document, as changes made to a file will be saved instantly.
The cloud is also great for remote working, as it can be accessed from any device, providing you have the login details. This can help make your workforce more adaptable and more mobile, which is a huge benefit. You don't have to worry about security as well, as most cloud providers use sophisticated encryption to protect your data, to ensure that it can never be hacked or stolen.