Whether you conduct business in cyberspace or run a local small business, the Internet inevitably will influence the success of your business. Recent years have seen web technologies evolving at an astonishing pace. These five trends represent some of the most vital web trends that businesses should know and consider.
1. Cloud Services are becoming Standard
Cloud services have leveled the playing field between businesses of all sizes. Unfortunately, this also means increased competition. With the cost savings and productivity benefits of cloud services, many businesses will need to consider not whether they can afford to utilize cloud services, but whether they can afford not to use them. From allowing more work outside the office to managing clients, cloud services offer affordable ways to accomplish more at prices any business can afford. For an in-depth guide on cloud services, consider this guide at InfoWorld.
2. Webinars are changing the Way that Businesses Conduct Video marketing
From product demonstrations to question and answer sessions, webinars are quickly becoming a popular way for businesses to engage their clients and customers. Though in-house events and promotions will always have their place in business routines, webinars are becoming an ever-popular way to invite others into some aspect of your business and to build up buzz about a product launch or event. These online events are also a great way to capture information for marketing purposes. Chris G offers a brief overview of how webinars work and what they have to offer your business.
3. Virtual Environments are the Next Hot Trend
Virtual environments, such as those offered by InterCall, are one of the newest ways to host events and extend your business’ online presence. From virtual trade shows and meetings to employee training or online learning, virtual environments combine popular elements video marketing, Internet conferencing, webinars, trade shows and other business events with an easy to use Internet interface. This allows customers, clients or employees to attend from anywhere in the world with a few clicks of their mouse. Many virtual environment hosts make it easy to customize the environment with branding and other visual elements for increased engagement and marketing potential as well. As an emphasis on globalization, cloud services and other technologies continues to grow, this innovative solution will become more popular.
4. Internet Video Conferencing is becoming increasingly Affordable and Vital
Video conferencing is helping to eliminate physical distance as a hindrance to business communication and productivity. From small team collaborations and personal conversations to full-scale conferences with hundreds of attendees, there are a variety of platforms available to meet business needs. Most modern conference call services support numerous ways for attendees to get involved. Features, such as collaboration, conference archiving and file sharing, provide numerous benefits over traditional or phone-based conferencing. Whether they are streaming the conference to their smart phone while on a business trip or sitting in a virtual conference center with other attendees, the result is a fully interactive and engaging experience for everyone. Computer World recently outlined 7 of the most popular solutions.
5. Social Media is Here to Stay
In the last year, social media has solidified its place in the business process. While the coming year will likely see many businesses analyzing the benefits of social media with increasing depth, it is certainly not going anywhere. Customers are beginning to view social media as a common communication platform as well. A recent post at eWeek outlines some of the findings from a recent Gartner study on social media expectations. Gartner predicts that by the end of the year, businesses that fail to establish a social media presence and monitor it regularly could see a significant backlash from both existing and potential customers. If your business has not yet established a social media presence, BlogTyrant offers a great guide on choosing the right platforms and getting started.
The Internet continues to change the way that the world does business. From making it simple to communicate around the world to providing new and powerful ways to market your brand or products, the Internet is an essential tool for any business. These five trends are likely to shape businesses in the coming year.
About the Author: Stephan Jukic is a freelance writer who generally covers a variety of subjects relating to the latest changes in white hat SEO, mobile technology, marketing tech and digital security. He also loves to read and write about location-free business, portable business management and finance. When not busy writing or consulting on technology and digital security, he spends his days enjoying life’s adventures either in Canada or Mexico, where he spends part of the year. Connect with Stephan on LinkedIn.