Tech

Innovation is shaping our world at a relentless pace. Where we once had to queue for the smallest purchase in a supermarket, we can now use self-serve checkouts – a technology that gives customers quicker transactions and increases the efficiency of the retailer. This change doesn’t work in the favour of all brands though, so here’s a look at how how a few are using customer engagement to beat the challenges thrown up by new technology.

Imagine having the ability to communicate with stakeholders on a regular basis, without either of you having to leave your current location. Sounds pretty handy, doesn’t it? Some very accessible technology is allowing small businesses to do just this.

Writing copy for a website is challenging. Should you opt for engaging and clever copy? Or go down the better-ranking SEO copy route? Keep these tips in mind when working on your website’s copy.

CRM is often misunderstood as for salespeople or front line staff who take orders. Increasingly though, ensuring that prospects and customers receive excellent service can no longer be thought of as simply the job of front line staff – it’s everyone’s responsibility and needs to be seen as a company-wide endeavour.

Although cloud technology has existed for decades, a recent Sage survey found less than 30 percent of small business owners understand what the cloud is. Here’s a lesson in the basics.

Whether you’re prepared for it or not, potential customers, clients and business partners are Googling you to see what others are saying. Here are seven easy ways to gain control of what’s being said about you online.

The use of social media may have become more prevalent in the workplace, but it’s still creating unease among employees. New research has found over half of Australians are nervous about mixing their personal and professional connections on social media.

For businesses looking to make or save money, there’s no shortage of technologies ready to help. Just as important as the technologies themselves however, is how they’re delivered.

Social media is a set of tools that create conversations, connections and the sharing of information – making it perfect for helping you build your personal brand online. Here are some ideas for how best to use social media to your advantage.

VoIP may not be as current a topic as social media or mobile communications but it should be taken seriously by small business owners as a reliable tool to help with growth. Here’s how it could work for your business.

Almost everybody’s talking about social media, especially SMEs who want to harness it as a marketing tool, to increase sales or expand their customer base. But to get the most from this highly valuable tool, you need to understand what makes it tick. Here’s a look.

The bring-your-own-device trend has taken off, based largely on the popularity of iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. But the freedom associated with allowing employees to choose their devices comes at a price. Companies have opened up a Pandora’s box of potential technical issues, only some of which have come to light.

Some argue that a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy is now as important a part of the business communications landscape as having a telephone number or a website. Here’s what you should consider.

Australians are well and truly embracing technology as a new way to shop, with nearly 40 percent having used a smartphone or tablet to compare prices and find a better deal, new research has found. There are a few simple ways businesses can capture these savvy comparison shoppers, both in-store and online.

Local SMBs are failing to adequately protect themselves from rising cybercriminal activity, a new survey has found, increasing their chances of becoming victims to online data theft. Here are some expert tips for securing your valuable business information.

Mobility is one today’s most prominent business trends, and for good reason. SMBs that fail to embrace it will become increasingly difficult to deal with and will battle to keep their place on the map. Here are five reasons your business should go mobile.

Your business is growing. As you expand your product range, with this growth comes more employees, more data transactions and more historical information to store. There is more weight on the decisions you make, and you need to be more responsive than ever before. This is when you need to make some important decisions about some new systems for your business.

SoLoMo, an amalgam for social, local and mobile, is the latest digital buzz word. It combines the best of both the virtual, digital and real worlds, bridging the gap between user and the web. These tips will help ensure your business speaks SoLoMo.

Digital technology has fundamentally changed the global economy, what’s less obvious is how Australian SMBs have embraced this shift and integrated it into their own business practices. Here’s a look at the five technologies SMBs will be adopting in the 2012/13 year.

Social media has contributed to the democratisation of information and, armed with this information, customers are demanding different things from sales people and companies. This phenomenon is known as ‘Social Sales’, and businesses need to get acquainted with it if they’re to keep up.