Digital transformation as a key business growth strategy

Go digital or get left behind

In today’s business landscape, one thing is certain - digital transformation is redefining businesses and how they operate. We can apply this on an internal level, but also externally. The most important result of this process is the way that businesses improve customer experience. Getting ahead of this trend is your top priority if you want to stay on track with the competition (or, ideally, ahead of them).

As a buzzword that gets tossed around a lot, digital transformation might seem confusing for businesses outside of the tech sphere. You might even ask yourself if it’s relevant for your business at all.  Understanding the term is the first step to getting your answer. Simply put, digital transformation is the process of turning your company into an organization that can compete in the modern marketplace.

We can approach this topic from a couple of different angles. It entails a foundational change in how a company operates, communicates, and engages with customers. We are going to focus on the steps you ought to be taking to easily navigate the complexities of the market.

Evaluating your requirements and getting your money’s worth

Maybe the most repeated mistake businesses make when they decide to transform is reaching for the more convenient solution - or at least the one that seems like it at a first glance. Often, business owners will pick a transformation partner that promises cheaper and faster services. Usually, they do this in the hopes of reaching their goals as soon as possible. This is an honest mistake, as they may have been confused by the sheer amount of choices at hand. However, the seemingly-easier route is a complex trap, and not getting trapped in it is a much better option than learning how to exit it.

Obviously, companies in every industry share a lot of the same troubles. However, they also have specific problems that need to be addressed and solved on a case-to-case basis. These needs cannot be fixed with a one-size-fits-all software solution. Even worse, this kind of solution can sometimes magnify the particular problems your business is facing.

This is the moment your ideal partner steps up and employs their expertise and problem-solving skills. They'll do that by analyzing both the major and the minor requirements you need to resolve. Having your needs carefully considered will lead to custom-made software that should optimize your processes. More importantly, the result should create a valuable experience for your customers. This will also position you as a go-to choice with your consumers. Standing out as a pillar of quality is a cause that any business that’s in it for the long haul needs to get behind.

Case in point - a client case study

In order to narrow down exactly how these changes can help your growth, we’ll analyze a project we did with another client. Their transformation results speak a ton. In this case, we partnered with a company in the car retail industry, but businesses across industries can reap the same benefits.

The client in question is a household name in their region within the used-car market. They’d already had a relevant market presence, but the business had started to stagnate. Logically, they needed to find a way to halt that trend. They weren’t a fully non-digital business either. They had an existing website, but it didn’t seem to be bringing in too many sales. However, the digital technology they were relying on was pretty much obsolete at that point. It didn’t seem to be making the buying process any easier for their customers. If anything, it was more convenient for the buyers to visit a dealership and browse the offer in person.

How we helped

Obviously, we all agreed that this practice made no sense for any modern business. So we started crafting an idea that would make the experience of buying from them online a logical choice. The solution was implemented on two fronts:

• a web e-commerce
• a dashboard that allows our client to constantly update their catalog and track user behavior.

The results were a success that helped optimize their existing business flow, achieving the results that our client was hoping for. The multi-channel retail model has proven itself to be effective for the modern buyer, and our client has been successful in implementing it under our guidance. The main idea was to make the experience of purchasing a new vehicle convenient and easy, which is what we focused on when we kicked off the project. Together, we put significant effort into aligning their retail business model with modern customer shopping habits. As a result, we created a web store that saves both time and nerves, and provides the buyers with various purchasing options.

Picking the right team to help

As with any other change, the most efficient way to adopt an innovation means taking careful steps. However, with technology evolving as fast as it is, you also need to ensure that you are moving at the right pace. If you don't you can risk losing out on business opportunities. For businesses of all sizes - from SMEs to large enterprises - hiring the right consultant to prepare them for the process (and kick-start it, later on) is key to positioning themselves in the market.

The good news is that you don’t need to be navigating these twists and turns on your own. Getting into the right kind of partnership can be a game-changer. With some help from experts in the field, you can turn your business into a thriving force. The difference a great consultancy can make for you is immense. With that in mind, you need to ensure that they are an adequate and competent partner. More importantly, you should verify that they are a fitting partner for you especially.

Be wary of risks

The dangers of partnering up with a non-transparent and non-collaborative company are many. Unfortunately, they far outweigh any other potential benefits that may seem attractive at first.  In many cases, this means that you will end up with a cheap and ill-fitting result. This is not only a waste of time and money, it can also pose a serious business setback.

Digital transformation - not a choice, but a need

With digital transformation becoming a growing necessity, if you are not embracing it, you are losing out on business. However, you shouldn't be looking at it as a constraint for growth. As important as it is to implement these solutions in order to gain a competitive edge, it is also a chance to grow and showcase to the world what makes your brand and your company stand out. Not only that, you will also be able to reach a much bigger market than you may have been targeting. Going digital means erasing borders of all kinds and reaching for results that you hadn't considered.

As exciting as this sounds, you should still abide by a certain logic that will not put you at risk. If you’d like to start a smooth digital transformation with a team of experts - we’re here to help. You can book a free 30-minute consultation regarding the topic of your own digital transformation model with a consultant from our team.

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