You Need a New IT Strategy to Keep Up
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) based business models are wildly popular among businesses of all sizes in 2017, because they let companies both improve their bottom line and innovate quickly. And it’s clear that this trend will continue into the future—just look at what Uber, Spotify, and Netflix have done for their respective industries.
But your company can’t take advantage of SaaS if you don’t have an appropriate infrastructure in place – every business is different, after all. So how can you ensure that you’re using the right tools to support your digital transformation?
First, you’ll need to recognize that the traditional IT model is no longer sustainable; the modern tech landscape is far too dynamic and demanding for such a rigid system. So adapt your current tech stack with these best practices:
Reinvent Your Network Infrastructure
The network is one of the most important components in any tech infrastructure, but it’s also one of the most overcomplicated and underutilized. There’s a reason for this: traditional networks were built to carry voice communication, not data – but that was decades ago!
Now, your business must process huge volumes of data, which creates crucial demands on network architecture. Data speeds are constantly increasing (and will likely continue to do so), but your network isn’t getting faster, so it’s time to rethink the architecture.
Basically, your network should be designed to accommodate all of this new data – and that means making some major upgrades. Virtual switches are a good place to start because they allow you to reconfigure your infrastructure easily.
Introduce Software-Defined Networking
After you’ve upgraded your network switches, it’s time to create a software-defined infrastructure. By combining SDN capabilities with new virtual switches, you can create networks that are far more manageable and efficient than anything you could have built using traditional hardware.
Instead of buying individual hardware components and installing them onsite , your team can use software to build virtual networks that are centrally managed. If one piece fails, you can simply replace it with a new version of the software.
Don’t Forget About Security
As your infrastructure becomes more dynamic and efficient, hackers will become increasingly interested in breaching it. With attacks like WannaCry ransomware proliferating on the dark web. It’s clear that the industry is grappling with major security concerns.
And it’s not just cybercriminals that you have to worry about. Increasingly, data security has become a political problem since government agencies are beginning to restrict how businesses handle consumer information. You’ll need an IT team that can keep your infrastructure safe—without slowing down response time or cutting corners.
Your IT Solution Needs to Be Robust
The key value of SaaS is that you get access to better technology without having to store bulky software onsite. Instead, everything runs off the cloud, which means that your team can use it from any device with an internet connection. That’s very convenient, but it also means there are certain limitations.
Get A Website To Power Your Digital Transformation
Since your company is likely trying to engage with customers online, you’ll need a website that can keep up. You should always be optimizing for mobile-first and responsive design because it’s the only way to ensure your site will function properly no matter what devices consumers are using.
And if you’re running an eCommerce business, your site should be integrated with a billing system that’s capable of handling SaaS subscriptions. Some providers are better suited to eCommerce than others, so it might take some time to find the perfect match.
Optimize Your Site For SEO
Your website needs to be well-designed and easy to navigate, but it also has to be optimized for SEO. As you overhaul your site’s URL structure, make sure that every page title is properly tagged with relevant keywords.
You can’t create an intuitive browsing experience if customers can’t find your site in the search engines. That’s why it’s imperative to create a sitemap and submit your URLs for approval.
If you want to improve your site’s SEO, you’ll need an SEO expert or agency that can do it for you. Just make sure they have experience with analytics because this will give you more insight into how customers are engaging with your business online.
Create Code That Works
Your company’s website probably has a lot of code behind it, and that code is going to need constant upkeep. If you’re not an expert in coding or don’t have access to a talented team. You should hire someone who can take care of your back end.
After all, you want visitors to stay on your site for as long as possible—not leave because they can’t find what they’re looking for. That’s why code optimization is so important: It affects your customers’ browsing experience and your SEO ranking.
Use The Power Of Social Media Sites
You’ve probably already created a social media presence, but are you leveraging the full potential of these platforms? Customers who visit your Facebook or Twitter pages might not always be ready to make a purchase.
That’s why you should create materials that explain how much your company cares about its customers and what sets it apart from its competitors. If you can show your followers how much fun it is to be part of your community, they’ll stay engaged for longer.
That said, don’t forget about other social media sites like Pinterest and LinkedIn. You might not want to limit yourself to a single platform, especially if you want to reach as many people as possible. In the end, you should never try to do everything yourself. Mark Otto, the technical co-founder of Twitter even created a website called ” Build A Framework,” which you can use to create any social media site from scratch.
Stand Out In The Marketplace
You might be thinking that all businesses are essentially similar nowadays—but that’s not true at all. You can still find ways to set yourself apart from the competition, even if you’re in a crowded market.
For example, Adobe is always coming up with new tools to create digital assets. That’s pretty useful for web designers who might not want to use competing software like GIMP or Krita. If your company does something similar, it will be that much easier for customers to spot your brand.
You want the average person to be able to stumble upon your business online and immediately know what you’re all about. If you don’t focus on branding, it’s more likely that consumers will confuse your services with those of another company or simply forget who you are all together.
Always Be A Student Of The Industry
You probably already know a lot about your customers and the kinds of things they want, but that’s not enough. You need to be constantly learning how to do better business.
For example, if you’re selling products, you might consider using an eCommerce provider like Shopify or Bigcommerce. There are plenty of providers like these that can help you get started with online selling and scale up when your business gets bigger.
Even if you’re not selling anything, you should still think about how people will be using your site. For example, maybe your company works in an industry like cloud computing or analytics. And it’s easy to make a website that showcases all of your impressive techs.
You should also make sure to attend any relevant industry events and make connections in the real world since these contacts will be vital when you want to scale your business. Always remember that return on investment is more important than anything else when it comes to analytics. That’s how you can rise above the competition and remain competitive for years to come.
In The End, You Need To Put In The Work
You might have a great idea for a website, but you can’t expect it to come together without a lot of effort. We all know how the saying goes: “If there’s anything worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
That said, your website design isn’t the only thing that needs to be great. The code you write will be the foundation on which your company’s success rests. Since not everyone has the expertise to create custom coding, some web design firms like Springtime Design can help you with this aspect of online business.
