5 Incredible Tech Tools To Leverage For Boosting Your Offline Business.
In the centuries past, prior to the advent and widespread of technological tools, entrepreneurs in different parts of the world went about their business operations traditionally. While some fell off the ladder as with any other concept in the existence of humans, some others recorded a huge success so much that they’ve become household names.
Although the “brick-and-mortar” business model has stood its ground and proven to be the most relevant thing that comes to mind when talking about entrepreneurship, there’s been a recent emergence of its twin -the Online Business Model.
As opposed to the regular “brick-and mortar” business, an online business is that which is set up on the web. It employs technological tools to create, manage and control its existence right on the web and is quite easier to set up compared to the offline model.
Statistics from the 21st century global studies have shown that, 50 per cent of offline business owners do not subscribe to the online business model because they believe the model is cumbersome and requires being highly tech-savvy to navigate through, 20 per cent others believe that it is an expensive model while the remaining 30 per cent are either indifferent to the concept or consider it non-relevant to their business structure.
However, due to the of challenges encountered by offline businesses including but not limited to location constraints, lack of brand awareness, inability to reach enough customers, lack of funds to acquire physical stores, and automation in the world of work, more entrepreneurs in this category have embraced the online business model by either converting their “brick and mortar” stores to web-based stores or merging both models to optimize sales.
Here’s What Technology Has to Offer Your Offline Business…
Due to the rapidly changing nature of the business world, it is only desirable to take advantage of the various technological tools springing up on the web to overcome challenges encountered in business operations. Some of the advantages of incorporating elements of technology into your offline business model are;
- ability to reach a wider audience and not just the passers-by at your offline store.
- ease of measuring business performance through analytic tools.
- excellent data management.
- improved customer relations.
- faster communication etc.
Either you own an offline store or you’re just planning to establish one, incorporating some elements of technology into your business strategy is one of the most rewarding business decisions you’ll ever make.
“How To Leverage Tech Tools To Boost Your Offline Business.”
As an offline business owner, establishing an online presence for your business can sound like an overwhelming task but if approached carefully and correctly, you’ll be sure to achieve great results in the short and long term.
While the process of taking a business digital may seem complex to non-tech-savvy business owners, the concept can be implemented by taking gradual steps which includes taking advantage of some free tools available on the web.
So, here are five incredible tools to help you get started;
1. Social Media.
Social Media is a very effective tool that allows you to connect with existing customers and also attract new customers. For your already existing offline business, the features of social media platforms such as Business Pages, Ad Campaigns, shares, likes, tags etc. are great tools to create and share engaging contents about your business.
These features will help increase your brand visibility and customer acquisition among the pool of internet users.
Some popular social media platforms are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Whatsapp.
With the ever increasing amount of active social media users, it only makes sense to break the physical barriers around your business and maximize the opportunities that abound.
2. Local Business Directories.
A Local Business Directory is an online portfolio containing details of businesses such as name, address, phone number, work hours etc.
One unique way to promote your offline business is by listing it in business directories. There, it can be easily assessed by internet users searching for the kind of products you offer and this increases your chance of reaching a larger audience within a short period of time.
Some Local Directories are Google My Business, Facebook and Yelp, they act as mini search engines for users looking for a particular type of product or service.
3. Electronic Mail.
E-mail- as it is popularly called, is one of the cost-effective ways of connecting and interacting with your customers on a confidential and professional level.
Electronic Mail will help you strengthen your connection with your customers, improve your brand perception, improve communication, build credibility, generate genuine feedback and evaluate your business processes.
To get started with Electronic Mail, you can politely request your offline customers’ e-mail addresses, create a mailing list and start sharing and receiving valuable information from your customers.
4. WordPress.
After having explored Social Media, Local Business Directories and Electronic Mail, you want to consider building your own home on the web whereby even more internet users can assess as much information as they want about your business.
WordPress is a popular Content Management System (CMS) used for building blogs and websites. It is a widely accepted blogging tool due to its ease of technical setup, mobile responsiveness, cost-effectiveness and SEO potentials.
Gone are the days when you needed to pay a programmer heavily to build your website. Even if you don’t have the time to build a WordPress website yourself, your knowledge of WordPress will come in handy if you need to make little changes to basic texts or page additions.
5. Sales Copy.
A Sales Copy can be likened to the Sales Representative in your offline store.
The Sales Copy aims to persuade your online audience (blog readers, social media followers or subscribers on your mailing list) who do not see you physically to take a specific action.
When creating a Sales Copy, it is important to keep your audience in mind.
Your Sales Copies shouldn’t just be about your products and services. You need to educate your audience on what benefits they stand to gain by using your products and services and make them see reasons to buy from you instead of your competitors.
By making use of any or all of the above tools, you would have better positioned your offline business before a larger audience thereby unlocking your potentials for business growth.
Based on the advantages that can be derived from the technological tools around the web, one can metaphorically say…
“Offline business is Cake while Online presence is frosting.”
Sounds Pretty Cool… Right?
The digital world is moving faster than ever and the best time to leverage its opportunities is NOW! Therefore open your mind to learning digital skills and be ready to give your customers a run for their money!
