It’s the start of the new year, and over the past twelve months, the way business is being done has felt a significant shift, so what better time to take stock of the basics and see if there’s anything that needs an upgrade.
In business, it’s easy to fall into the mentality of “that’s just how it’s always been done” or, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but the truth is, business is evolving, and technology is making huge strides, so a review of the basics, even those things which appear to be going well, could provide some interesting insights.
Marketing
Establishing your brand identity has become paramount over the last few years. Customers want to know everything about your business, not just about the product or service, but where you stand on almost every topic. Not only that, they want that voice heard consistently through all channels. For example, if you have a very laid-back and chatty style on social media but your website comes across as more formal and corporate, it might reduce the trust you are trying to build and send mixed signals.
If your business hasn’t found its “voice” yet, this is something that needs working on as a priority.
Then, of course, there is a myriad of new ways of connecting with customers. Web presence can make or break a business – when done well, it is your shop floor to the world, done badly, and it could end up losing you customers. Look at how your website is stacking up against competitors to indicate whether an update is in order.
A businesses’ social media presence is also critical when it comes to marketing a modern business, and with so many channels to choose from, you may be better off choosing just the ones that perform the best for you and doing them well instead of stretching your attention across too many. A social media audit could make all the difference to how effective it is as a marketing tool for your business.
Customer service
Not only is social media a way for businesses to speak to customers, it’s also an increasingly popular way for customers to speak to a business, making the job of maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction that much more important.
Keeping a close eye on how effectively your customer service operations are running and making adjustments is vital. If you notice the volume of queries and complaints arriving from a variety of channels is becoming unmanageable, you might consider updating your current system with some modern technology.
To find out the kind of thing on offer, click here to see how happitu improves customer journeys with their software.
Avoiding damaging online reviews and public complaints via social media could save you a fortune in lost customers, so it’s worth putting some time and perhaps money into making sure your processes are running smoothly.
Employees
The secret to a productive business is to make sure you have good levels of employee satisfaction.
With wages being the highest financial cost for most businesses, making sure that money is well spent on happy, hardworking staff working makes good sense financially speaking.
Modern ways of working mean there are now a variety of new opportunities to keep everyone smiling. From flexible working hours, home working, personalized gifts or care packages, even mental health support, don’t underestimate the ROI on making your business a great place to work.
These are just a few suggestions for how reviewing your business fundamentals can lead to some unexpected improvements. Take it back to basics once in a while to keep your business at the top of its game.
