The creation and implementation of different types of technology has been perceived to have greatly shaped and changed the ways in which we conduct our businesses. Rather than being stuck with a limited means of advertising or selling wares, technology has allowed for widespread communications and, through business expansion, the ability to sell across the world. Some tasks, that may have taken weeks previously to get a message from one store to another, can now possibly be completed in a mere matter of minutes. Having a smartphone can be deemed as no exception.
Receiving Payment
One of the crucial parts of your business, for you to be able to make a profit, is to receive payment from customers. While they may still want to pay with cash or card, some customers also like to use their cellphone’s payment capability to pay. Likewise, you may have a register or terminal, but this may not be very effective should you need to be able to navigate the store at the same time, or even travel to a client’s location. Having a smartphone payment app can allow you to turn your personal or business smartphone into a means of receiving payment. This can also be a great way to limit the number of items that you need to carry around with you at any one time.
Placing Orders
At one point, customers may have needed to travel to your store, make a phone order, or even write to you to place their order. Once computers were introduced, they may have had the option of ordering a product online, but only when in front of their system, and so long as it had an internet connection. Now, around 20% of people place shopping orders online, especially when coming up to public holidays such as Christmas. Having a secure web shop can help you to potentially grow your business even more, by enabling customers to make purchases using their smartphone’s data connection. This will also allow transactions to be completed even when you have closed for the night.
Remote Communications
Research has found that approximately 53 million American adults use instant messaging services. Like with internet shopping, these used to be confined to computers, but are now commonplace with many smartphone owners too. For business purposes, the use of instant messaging can be a good way to communicate with colleagues and employees, without the need to fully distract them with a telephone call. You will also then be able to see when an item has been read, which can help with keeping track of employee activity. The sharing capability of these apps can also allow customers to share your product with others, advertising it without your effort or knowledge required.
In today’s world, it can be quite rare to find someone who does not use a smartphone. Making the most of these pieces of technology could help you to expand your business sales more than before.
