Technology is evolving at a rapid pace and with the growth of innovative small businesses are seeing increased opportunities. Plenty of new technology trends are becoming more accessible to small business owners and are helping to transform how companies operate.
If you own a small business, technology can help take your output to the next level. Whether you own a small online recipe website, a bricks and mortar grocery wholesaler, are a specialist online gateway for casinos in West Virginia, or anything else, the following technology trends can kickstart innovation in your business.
AI is here to stay
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we work and indeed the way we live so now is the time to get on board with AI.
One of the main benefits of AI is its ability to automate tasks, allowing you to increase the productivity and efficiency of your small business. What’s more, AI is still in its infancy and already extremely powerful. Over the coming decades, machine learning will continue to boost operations by streamlining tasks and workflow.
AI can also help small businesses that handle large data sets, providing more in-depth analysis at a fraction of the time it would normally take. By paving the way to save time and money, AI is an important technology you should be embracing.
Preparing content for voice search
Technology companies are developing increasingly intelligent assistants that can listen to human voices and respond in personal ways. As voice engagement increases, users are more frequently conducting searches with their voice, talking directly into their devices to surface search results. After years of typing commands, using a voice is simply easier and more convenient.
By optimizing the content of your small business website for voice search you could reach more users online. Certainly, customers who search with their voice will be able to find your company more easily.
Chatbots to engage customers
It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that many major organizations are now using chatbots as the first contact with customers online. This is especially prevalent in the finance sector, where banks use chatbots to handle basic customer queries. If that query cannot be fulfilled by the bot, the customer is passed on to a human customer support agent.
Image credit: chatbotslife.com
Development on chatbots is progressing rapidly and their capabilities are becoming more intelligent. As AI improves, chatbots will be able to answer more customer queries and eventually overhaul customer service departments. For the small business, integrating a chatbot into your website can give your customers instant access 24/7.
VR adoption
Virtual reality and augmented reality solutions are no longer the realms of science fiction. From VR headsets like Oculus Rift and AR headsets like Microsoft HoloLens 2, this technology is also no longer just for gamers. In fact, mixed reality is arguably becoming more potent in the business sector than it is in entertainment.
Consumers have more access to mixed reality technology thanks to a reduction in price in recent years. With more people wearing headsets in the coming decades, now is the time to prepare your website with some interesting immersive content. For example, a virtual tour of your headquarters, or a virtual breakdown of your products in holographic form.
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