Eyes on the Prize: 2013 Business Trends to Watch
In our ever-changing world, it is extremely important for you as a business owner to keep abreast of 2013 business trends that will affect your bottom line. When you are planning business milestones to reach in 2013, look for ways to include changes in the way you do business that will benefit both you and your customers.
Filtering Overwhelming Content
One of the biggest 2013 business trends is the filtering of the massive amount of content that is available to individuals on a daily basis. Many people receive information from phones, computers, tablets, television and radio, not to mention online chat and texting.
As a smart business owner, you need to pay attention to where your company's content falls in this spectrum. For instance, consider Google's new personalized search. Each person gets different search results based on that individual's search history. This affects how people find you online. Because your customers are critical to the success of your small business in 2013, you need to make sure you connect with them.
Year of the Tablet
One of the biggest 2013 business trends to pay attention to is the growth of mobile technology. If you are not technically savvy, you may not realize that mobile technology includes not just mobile phones, but also tablets. Customers are buying tablets in droves, and they are using them to search, browse, and buy products.
It is time for you to make sure your company is ready for this 2013 business trend, because it will make a difference in how your customers perceive you and how much they buy from you. The most obvious way to increase sales generated from tablets is to be sure your Web site is optimized for tablet viewing. Customers often find tablets easy to use because they have touchscreens and are far more lightweight than laptops.
The Cost of Doing Business
Keeping up with 2013 business trends does have a cost. At the very least, you may have to invest some of your time learning about the new technology by buying your own tablet and seeing how your Web site operates from it. Depending on how old your current Web site technology is, you may find yourself paying as much as you did for your original Web site if you decide that you want a full-scale mobile site. However, you may find that with a few minor tweaks, you will be up to date.
When it comes to figuring out how customers find you and how search and other content technology can build on that connection, the biggest expenditure is time, unless you hire a professional firm to look into it for you.
There is no question that 2013 business trends are focused on information. As a business owner, you need to create business milestones that apply those ideas to how your customers connect with you and use them to your advantage to strengthen your personal connection with both new and existing customers.