New technology can be daunting and intimidating for many, especially in the context of business. There’s always some brand new gizmo you’re expected to master, and just when you finally do, another new gizmo comes along demanding to be learned.
It’s commonly believed that technology done right contains the secret to unlocking some great, mysterious hidden revenue. Society’s increasing reliance on it means tech-averse people often feel anxious about getting left behind, perhaps with good reason. So how do you get technology right for your business? Here are some tips.
Identify and Match the Needs
Decide what you need your technology to do, and get something that does it. That sounds like basic advice but it’s very easy to get carried away in shiny gimmicks, secondary features or marketing hype. Before you think about technology, think about what human problem needs to be solved.
Address your team’s pain points. Maybe the leaders of your company need to communicate more, and better. But you may worry about keeping sensitive information private given how often breaches have been in the news lately—you’ll feel less worried after you see how board data security can help protect your privacy with the latest software.
Learn specifically what shortcomings you and your team face in communication, and get software specifically designed to address this. You definitely aren’t the only company with these needs, and there’ll be a variety of software that can more than adequately perform these functions. So how do you know which to buy?
Verify From Trusted Sites
The internet is flooded with fake reviews and phony write-ups about every conceivable thing available for purchase. Make sure the reviews you read are credible before you buy software or a new device. You have to be careful: companies know how influential user reviews are for potential customers, so sometimes companies review their own products, pretending to be real users.
Capterra is a software reviewing website founded in 1999. It has more than 600,000 verified users posting reviews. You don’t need to put all your faith into any one website, and it’s always better to consult two or more sources before making any purchasing decision. But sources like this are a good place to start. So long as you also test the tech before buying it, consider your team’s input, and get your data only from trusted sites, then taking reviewer’s suggestions can be very helpful.
Never Forget Your Goals, and Stick To Them
Remember, so long as the technology performs the functions you’ve identified as crucial, it’s the right technology for you. Ideally it’ll be the easiest for your team to use and integrate with other devices, as well as the most powerful. But so long as it does what you need it to do, and it’s comfortable to use, that’s perfect.
It’s wise to research before buying, but once you’ve made a decision, don’t get too concerned about whether some other device is technically superior. “Decision fatigue” can be paralyzing for small business, before and after the purchase.
At the end of the day the important thing is to focus on growing your business. Technology should always work towards this goal, and not become an end to pursue in itself.
