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Covid-19 has changed every aspect of how we do business, and there’s no going back. Read our 7-step plan to digitise your small business.
Covid-19 has changed every aspect of how we do business, and there’s no going back.
Digitisation was already a major trend bringing change to Australian businesses, but it has only accelerated after COVID-19.
Digital technologies will have a starring role to play in creating a resilient, post-pandemic economy. There’s much to benefit from – from more efficient operations to expanding your online presence so more customers can find you.
For SMEs to keep up, it’s time to implement the digital infrastructure to future-proof your business.
The first step to digitising your small business is to work out where the areas for improvement are.
What processes are you implementing manually, which could be done much more efficiently and accurately if it was digitised? Specialist softwares can help remove the risk of human errors, as well as making your operations faster and easier to carry out.
As well as assessing your internal operations, another approach is to compare your business to the major competitors in your industry. Do they have a website or other online capabilities that your storefront doesn’t seem to have?
Try to reimagine every part of your business operations as taking place digitally, whether online or on a custom software platform.
Once you’ve identified your digital gap, the next step is to prioritise the areas of focus.
Here, the key is to focus on digitalisation that will bring the greatest reward for the lowest cost.
Prioritisation is critical because the process of implementing digital technologies can take time, personnel and other resources. Don’t try to do everything at once!
More than ever, your customers are moving online to discover, consider and buy what they need.
If you don’t already have one, building a website should be your first priority. This is simple enough to do! Once you have bought a domain and web hosting service, all you need is a subscription with a website design service that will give you templates to get started.
Also, cover off your basics – Can customers contact you from your website? Are your business details correct on Google Maps? Are you replying promptly to customers’ comments and messages on Facebook and Instagram?
From there, you can experiment with more advanced tools. For example, try an AI-driven chatbot to have 24-hour customer service on your website.
Already have an established website and active profiles on social media platforms? Don’t stop there. Try digital marketing to expand your online presence.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is your first port of call. An optimised website will work on autopilot to bring potential customers to your website.
However, online advertising campaigns pair well with SEO. Platforms include TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest and more.
There’s no point in strategising and paying for digital technologies, unless your employees know how to use them.
Make sure your employees have been trained in how to make full use of the digital platforms and softwares your business is rolling out.
Many platforms come with free training that teaches your employees how to use the platform. Otherwise, there are many free and paid tutorials and courses online that you can make use of.
With proper training, employees will understand how to leverage their digitally adapted role and become a source of new ideas or opportunities for digitalisation.
Digitising your business admin helps to streamline how it all clicks together – and this is especially true for your payment systems.
If you want to declutter your business admin, start by digitising your payments. If you offer a subscription model to your customers, try a secure and customisable digital payment system such as Payleadr.
