Strategies to Stay Ahead in the Digital Age

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It is a necessity for businesses to implement new strategies to avoid being left out in the evolving digital world. More so, it is important to ensure that these strategies are efficient and effective in engaging consumers. Ultimately, it will grant you an edge over competitors and help to optimize your business.

Shopkeepers were once the experts on products in the store but those days are soon becoming obsolete. Today, customers no longer need to travel down to a store to learn more about a product, instead they gather most of their needed information online. Hence, it is vital for businesses to use new technology and enhance their sales tactics to attract more customers, both offline and online.

First and foremost, we highly recommend that you begin the technological transformation of your business starting with the optimization of your website. Everyone turns to search engines online when they need more information, and it pays off to have a highly attractive and informative website. It would be even better if your website lands on the first few pages of the search engine, having that premium spot would drive more traffic towards your business and products, for that you have to use SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Furthermore, with the wide array of artificial intelligence (AI) widgets made ready for users, it is easy to enhance the overall experience and functions of your website. One such example would be the use of Chatbots serving as a customer service operator. Consumers are expecting a great deal of attention from suppliers and studies have proven that they value customer experience over the price point of your products. With AI, consumers now get their very own customer service support which would be virtually available any time of the day.

A strong online presence is definitely beneficial to your business and brand, which is why it shouldn’t stop with the website. Social media can be used to supplement the website and allows for a different way to engage your consumers. The new generation of shoppers are expecting more transparency and authenticity from brands which influences their decision on buying products. Companies are now able to speak with their consumers on a ‘personal’ level through social media, as it is viewed as an informal platform where information can be exchanged between brand and consumer. When consumers are able to speak directly to the brand, it provides a level of transparency that the company is demonstrating and the willingness to listen to feedback. This builds more trust between brand and consumer. It also increases the effectiveness of improvements and changes as they are tailored specifically to your customers’ needs. Besides the main corporate social media pages, employees and staff members are also encouraged to actively post content regarding the brand on their social media profiles. This is known as social selling and is an effective method in helping to spread the brand’s message to your client’s personal profiles. Everyone has to embrace this digital transformation, both externally and internally.

Creating an appealing website and social media pages would be a step transitioning into the digital era. But one might ask: “how do we attract consumers to these mediums?” The answer is to produce and provide top quality content. We are no longer restricted to meager photos of our products and chunky or cluttered media galleries. New technology has made it convenient for people to upload stunning images and videos that allow consumers to see more without the hassle of scrolling through an entire library of photos. 360-degree videos and photos allow viewers to see how products interact with the environment and everything around it with ease. It has changed and evolved from traditional still photos and makes them more engaging. Technology advancements has also made it easier and cheaper to take stunning high-angle shots with the help of drones. One could easily shoot a yacht sailing in open waters against the view of a beautiful horizon with HD cameras attached to drones. Whereas in the past, these feats could only be accomplished if the filming took place from certain locations or even on a helicopter. Content creation has truly changed from the past with the emergence of these technologies and consumers have become accustomed to viewing content of such nature.

While focusing on digital marketing online, it is also important to remember that technology has paved a new way to engage consumers offline. The aim is to maximize your marketing reach to customers through all available channels. Events, activations, showrooms and exhibitions are still a great way to increase sales and attract potential buyers. But once again, it is important to incorporate new digital innovations into these platforms to attract and retain interests amongst consumers. The variations and ways to market your products on-site are endless with the introduction of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). For example, there have been many great cases of how luxury brands use VR to provide their customers with a new consumer experience. VR transports the user into a virtual world where they are able to interact with your products and make customization easily. It also allows for users to experience the product in different environments and situations without having to physically travel to these places. As consumers have admitted to prioritizing their consumer experience over the price point, VR surely takes that experience to the next level through a highly interactive and immersive interface.

It is much simpler now to transform your business for the digital age with a wide array of technology at your disposal. However, it is important to understand the strengths of each technology and how they can be beneficial to your company. These technologies may be unfamiliar to you at the moment but fret not, because there are dedicated companies around that specialize in such fields, advising and helping businesses grow through the use of innovative technology. Navigating through the technology territory might be a little tough, but all you need is a little help.

Here at SWI, we are currently changing the yacht retail market by redefining the sales process with VR. We have made plans to do the same for other luxury goods soon. So, if you have more questions or are interested in finding out more about how VR can help to improve your business, do not hesitate to contact us.