The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and two of it’s key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. As with most things in life, your business enterprise can go through changes and it’s thus important always be mindful of shifts in the landscape and how you may have to adjust. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Don’t Be Left in the Dark in Business: Three Ways to Keep Things Fresh.
* * *
If you’ve been running your business for a while now and things are going well, you might be under the impression of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it.’ However, when it comes to business, things are so fast paced and the industry is constantly moving, meaning if you want to ensure future success, it’s actually worth keeping an eye on things and adapting if you don’t want to be left in the dark ages. Changing technology, changing customer demand and changing expectations mean that keeping your business the same as it was when you first opened up might not be a smart move. Here are some areas you could address, and make changes if needed.
Website and app design
If you’ve had your website for a while and it hasn’t been touched, chances are it’s looking a little outdated. Just like trends in clothes and homes, there are trends when it comes to websites too- and consumers will be able to spot something that looks dated and out of style. In most cases, your website will be the first thing that a customer sees of your business, and so if you’re making a bad impression here it will naturally lead to a loss of sales. Invest in a good web designer to create you something fresh and modern. Update your app (or have one created) at the same time- customers now shop on their phones more than laptops and computers so it’s something you can’t afford to overlook.
Graphic design
A new website should mean fresh new graphic design. A new logo, header and other images that get used on your site and marketing materials. It could be a rework of your current designs, or it could be something completely different depending on how much of a change you want to make. Have an experienced professional do the work for you, it’s crucial that you get this right. The wrong look could alienate customers, put them off and again just look tacky or outdated.
Complete rebranding
In some cases, your business might need to be completely rebranded. If you’re finding that sales have slowed down, advancements from your competitors or in the wider world might be to blame. Instead of holding on, and waiting until you become obsolete (which is what lead to the decline of multi- billion dollar company Blockbuster) use it as a way to move forward. Along with changing your website and graphic design, you might change your unique selling point, or target a different set of customers and even change your company name. If your business is failing, an entire rebrand helps to differentiate yourself from your old image and give customers something fresh.
Sometimes, a subtle change to adapt to modern standards is all that’s needed to keep things fresh. But if your business is suffering or slowing down, more extreme methods might be needed.
How do you prevent your business being left in the dark?
