Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home Focus How digital is your business?

How digital is your business?

13 October 2017, 16:53 CET

Is your organisation a leader in the digital world, or do you feel that you are following current trends without fully understanding how this is impacting your firm? In fact, positioning yourself at the forefront of digital change is crucial if you want your business to grow.

The digitally empowered world continues to present new organisational challenges to businesses of all kinds. Even if you consider your business to be up to date and positioned to perform in the digital world, there are bound to exist areas in which your business can improve. Traditional business models are having to shift and adapt to meet with the new contexts of the digital age, such as current competition, consumer demand and company changes. So even if you consider that your business has adapted well to the digital age, there are still areas that you will need to improve on before considering that you are truly a 'digital' business.

Changing business models

The very nature of how we do business is changing. Consumers are now spoilt for choice when it comes to conducting business at the tap of a screen or touch of a button. In fact, the digital economy is fast overtaking more traditional business markets. Purchasing power and the speed at which transactions can be completed is leaving more traditional businesses behind. From using Apple Pay to contactless transactions, digital ensures quicker and easier transaction times in addition to consumers now even being able to pay for goods without using cash or their credit card. To meet with this shift, businesses have to change their business models to meet with a rapidly developing market. From increasing the size of your digital team to exploring whether apps could improve your overall customer experience, it's crucial to incorporate digital into your business model.

You may also want to consider which areas of your business will benefit the most from a digital boost. Going digital no longer means having a strong IT department, in fact, areas such as marketing and sales can also implement digital strategies to meet with their business requirements. From exploring social media to digitalising how your sales teams interact with customers, not only does going digital save time and energy, but it can also improve your customer service. As artificial intelligence continues to provide new solutions, more traditional methods of customer service, such as call centres or post, are fast becoming an element of the past. Therefore, if you haven't incorporated digital into your business model, or didn't consider this to be an area of key investment, then you will want to consider rethinking your current strategy.

Optimal results

As the way customers interact with brands and businesses continue to change, so too are marketing and PR methods. Businesses are looking to digital to meet with the differing ways in which customers consume and interact with media, supporting the entire purchase experience from start to finish. If you are not familiar with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) or perhaps you have never used PPC (Pay Per Click) campaigns before, then consider exploring how a digital marketing agency could be of benefit to your company. While you might already be using digital to interact with customers or provide updates about your products or services, the chances are you could still be doing more to improve your business's results. Factors such as keywords and positioning your content effectively can have a huge impact on your digital presence, and will improve traffic and interaction on your company website or social media pages. You may also want to consider using e-commerce platforms to drive traffic to your site, improving search engine pick up of your brand or website. Digital marketing offers a range of options and alternatives to help boost your digital presence, so don't overlook this area of the digital world. Once the groundwork is in place, you are sure to see an improvement.

Ready for change

Digital technologies have challenged and stretched existing business models and continue to do so. In fact, the influx of digital technologies on the market offer new ways in which people can connect, collaborate and conduct business. Digital touches the core of all business functions and is even shaping the way that organisations are managed. To ensure that your organisation is ready for change, you will need to make sure that each and every department is in sync and prepared. Digital encompasses a broad ecosystem of processes, business functions and infrastructure that will need to progress and evolve together. From digitisation to digital transformation, it is not just a question of deciding to do digital. You will need to ensure that your entire workforce is ready and open to adapt and grow with your business. As the physical and digital worlds of business continue to blur, it's essential that your business be prepared to adapt current models and designs to enable growth and expansion. Going digital will see a shift in current working times and more traditional corporate practice, as you will be able to conduct business from anywhere across the globe, no matter the time of day or night. Smart business leaders are exploring these alternatives and incorporating them into future business plans – are you prepared for the digital revolution in your business?

A digital future

Implementing or improving how you use digital across your business should be a gradual process. Not all alternatives work for each and every business model, so it is important to trial and test which element of digital works best to meet with your requirements. From improving customer experience to revising how you use social media, there are elements of digital that you could already be using, but at reduced potential. Digital transformation is not solely dependent on incorporating new technology, but it also relates to a wider change in thought and organisation culture across the world. To ensure that your business is ready for this change, get ready to accept a change in pace and an influx of innovative digital solutions on the market. Embracing this new type of forward-thinking culture will help your business and employees to thrive.

Document Actions
Weekly Diary

The Week Ahead no. 623
Waste framework directive - microplastic pollution - agriculture situation and Ukraine - Multilateral Investment Court

→ EUbusiness Week archive

Subscription options