As we do with many aspects of our daily lives, we often adopt an approach to business best illustrated by the phrase 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. While there's a reasonable point here, specifically regarding the futility of reinventing the wheel, such stagnation can also be problematic. Refusing to upgrade can cause significant problems in the short and long term. Whereas investing in digital development can be well worth the effort.
With each business being so different, there's no complete one-size-fits-all approach for everyone. However, by looking at some standout examples from the business world, we can gain an appreciation of what an upgrade can bring. Not to mention the benefits of what immobility can cost.
As the internet's first major online store, eBay got its foot in the door early. By being successful so soon after its 1995 launch, the company was already well on the way to its current value of $45 billion. Momentum, however, is also about seeing the changing of the winds. At first, eBay only accepted simple payment systems like credit cards and cheques. Over time, eBay expanded to cater to the growing number of options for an increasingly online world. Thus, adopting payments from PayPal and Apple Pay. Many other online stores have seen similar success through this route, such as Amazon and Etsy.
On a programming front, one of the most recent profound internet-wide changes has come from the death of Flash. Seeing this system's short lifespan, YouTube left Flash in 2015, turning to a much more flexible and reliable HTML5 backing. Online casinos like Betway underwent a similar development, as their games drop Flash for more modern software. Even their titles like Thunder Struck II and Hyper Strike underwent complete reprogramming, thus adapting to the changing market.
On more general websites, another important change has come from greater emphasis put on mobile functionality. As on Mike Gingerich, mobiles are responsible for around half all of the web traffic since 2017. This proportion is likely to only grow more. With this in mind, business websites find that proper mobile scaling is a worthwhile pursuit for continuing engagement.
Looking through the above examples should give you some indication of where to start. Though there are some common options that practically everyone can benefit from. The most profound of these comes from investments in security systems and software. As on Mike Gingerich, there are some powerful free tools available. But, these only scratch the service of what you could need.
One of the more common ways businesses upgrade their digital infrastructure is by investing in cloud computing. Again, this is something to learn more about if you're unsure about what these systems entail. The general idea here is to store data offsite and rely on powerful inbuilt security tools. Thus, the risk of data theft and drive failure is mitigated. With less of a risk of failure and simple recovery tools, you can eliminate the dangers of older systems.
Otherwise, you can track down which solution could be the most beneficial by getting family members or friends to act as customers. Ask them to go through the steps of purchasing goods or services on your website. Then comparing yours to others, they give you an indication of where yours might struggle. While you can do this yourself, you need to understand that as somebody so close to the business and your systems, you're not seeing them as an outsider would.
Once you have some ideas for change in mind, it's time to consider which would be worth the effort. It also allows you to see which won't be worth the cost. As Lucid Chart explains, performing these procedures is relatively simple, even without professional help. For a demonstration of this pursuit in action, we could look at the need for changing a website to work on mobile phones. If your website doesn't integrate with modern phones well, then the cost of upgrading would easily be worth it as a form of futureproofing. If your website only doesn't work well on older devices, however, the cost of addressing this issue might not be worth it. Especially, considering the declining number of older phone users.
With this, all we have left to recommend is that businesses take their time and don't rush into anything. It can be appealing to take a drastic approach. However, rapid changes can also introduce problems. Ensure all staff are aware of changes before they happen. You could soon experience a healthier business for both yourself and your customers.
