By Swatil Binte Mahmud, Lava Protocols
Do you believe the internet has changed our lives forever? In the early 2000s the internet became popular in households with broadband connection. 23 years later the internet has evolved to an extent that it is almost unbelievable. From ordering groceries online to video chatting with astronauts in space, the technological advancements and the internet have changed our lives forever. However, there will always be someone or a group of people who think life before the internet was better. At the same time, there will be a counter group who believe in change and advancement. This is why our mindset matters a lot when we are running a business. If we are not open to change and insist on being adamant about our traditional way of doing things, we can cause more harm than good for our businesses.
A digital-first mindset can make your business efficient, productive, and customer-centric. This is why most businesses nowadays choose the path of digitalization with the help of Salesforce.
What does digital-first mean?
In simple words, digital-first refers to providing digital experience to customers through your products and services. Companies who are digital-first have a competitive advantage and their chances of being successful is higher than those who are stuck in their traditional ways. Most customers nowadays want to browse products, make purchases, ask for inquiries, and receive customer services online. They expect a seamless experience in all of your touchpoints.
Another important aspect of being digital-first is the digitization of your operations and processes. If you want to provide digital services to your customers you have to digitise your company inside and out. These changes cannot be seen by your customers but they are experienced by your employees. Digital processes will help you to scale your business in an efficient and effective way.
How can a digital-first mindset benefit your business?
Digital-first mindset can improve your customer intimacy and interaction. If you are a small business then you have a handful of customers, and it is easier to remember their names and details. You can rely on your personal relationship with them to provide them with what they want and when they want it. However, when you scale up your business your customer number will grow exponentially. You will not be able to remember every single detail of each and every customer. It will also be extremely difficult to keep track of all information and share those with your team. This can cause serious issues for your business. Your teams will feel disconnected and lost, and your customers will feel uncared for. This is why when you decide to digitise your company you will collect more comprehensive data across your customer touch points, and share them with your teams. With Salesforce, the largest Customer Relationship Management platform, you can store, collect, and analyse data in a matter of seconds. You can also extract useful insights about your customers behaviour and use them to enhance your customer experience. These data will enable you to refine your marketing, sales and service strategy and operations. Hence, you will have a holistic system running for your business which will make your employees more efficient and customers more satisfied.
How can you become a digital-first business?
If you are a business owner, the first step to becoming digital-first is changing your mindset. You have to be more open and welcoming to changes and believe in the power of technology. Once you instil a digital-first mindset, it will trickle down to your employees and impact the business culture.
It is also important to have a long term plan and holistic view when you invest in technology for your business. The options available nowadays are huge and can be confusing for business owners. You have to understand that your business is unique in its own way and needs the technology that makes your life easier without putting a dent on your wallet. This is why you need experts and professionals who know what you need and when. This is why small and medium business owners who have limited funding should invest in a platform that can grow with your business. You do not have to go big and all at once to be digital-first. You have to be smart and make intelligent decisions which will help your business in the long run. This is why Salesforce has a wide variety of products and services which cater to all shapes and sizes of businesses.
How to be a successful digital-first business?
The concept of success is subjective. Also, if you have a small or medium business chasing success can be exhausting. This is why instead of focusing on being successful, you can put more effort into growing. Salesforce grows with your business. It will tend to your needs and give you solutions which are suitable for your business. For example, you do not have to be a multi million dollar enterprise to have your data collected, stored, and analysed. You can choose to work with data and data analytics even as a small business. This small digital transformation will help your company to grow and make intelligent data-backed decisions. You can learn more about the options by Salesforce for small businesses here.
If you choose to instil a digital-first mindset, success will come your way in one way or another.
Lava Protocols is an authorized Salesforce Partner. Want insights into data analytics? Drop us an email to: hello@lavaprotocols.com.