How Technology Helps Business Stay Strong Under COVID-19

We are all trying to adjust to our new normal, and that requires adapting our businesses too to the new economy. The pandemic provoked a change in consumer patterns, and every industry is trying to adapt to the change. Technology is rising to the challenge, leading the way with cutting-edge solutions, from online ordering systems to video meetings. This post explains how technology is helping companies pivot and take advantage of the opportunities that this new world brings.

Changes that the Pandemic Brought

The economic map is changing, here are some ways the pandemic changed it:

• Remote workspace – Companies moved to operate online seemingly overnight. While thousands of employees shifted to work from home, the communications lines with customers needed to stay open, as well as customer support. That meant finding a way to meet online, revamp or expand the website capabilities to add payment processing, or migrating operations online.  To adapt, technology companies rose to the task by offering video meeting solutions, swift cloud migrations and payment integration applications. 
• Innovation – Necessity spurns innovation, and new products appear to fill needs created during the pandemic. The healthcare industry is an example, with telemedicine software and fever detection screening.  Drones used in delivery are adapted to spray disinfectant besides dropping parcels. There is a rise in ingenuity and out of the box thinking. 
• Digital Transformation – businesses that weren’t using digital and automation technologies are incorporating digital technologies to improve interactions with customers. An example of these are retailers that are turning their brick and mortar stores into e-stores, or adding shopping applications. 
• Increased CyberSecurity – moving an even larger percentage of our lives to the cloud increases the risks of breaches and phishing scams. Therefore, there is also a rise in cybersecurity solutions and measures to protect from our healthcare data to our bank details. 
  

Technology is proving to be the motor driving the change of these times. At Ample Tech we are helping small businesses use technology to grow. We create custom e-commerce solutions that let companies pivot and achieve business goals. The effects of the pandemic in the business landscape offers opportunities to grow by using technology as driving factor:

Increase in E-commerce revenue

According to Forbes, the pandemic sped up the growth of e-commerce, with online spending growing a whooping 77% compared to last year. This is equivalent to 5 years of growth at the pace it was the previous years. New trends such as Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) are becoming the norm. 

Brick and mortar stores can increase sales and gain more customers by adding an e-commerce website and/or shopping application. This way, customers can access their products from their mobiles or home computers, quickly shop and pay with a few taps. You can offer delivery or pick up in store, which can drive customers to your store. 

Shift of consumer patterns

What customers buy also changed during the pandemic. There is an increase in electronics and computer purchases while apparel sales decreased. Since we are working at home, apparel retailers are pivoting into work-from-home lines and online sales. The traditional back to school spike in sales for office goods and backpacks is changing into a spike in laptop, headsets and printers. Consider adapting your offerings or adding new product lines to reach more customers. 

Technology helps companies scale faster

The spike in online sales can easily overwhelm on-premises systems.  Companies are migrating operations and data storage to the cloud to keep up with the increasing demand. A cloud environment can be quickly scaled up so you won’t have stalling systems and delayed orders. 

Choose a Path Forward

Our team at Ample Tech is working non-stop to create solutions to help organizations during this challenging time. We rely on our agile method and expertise to provide carefully tailored websites and applications that promote growth. We help our clients with digital transformation, finding a path forward to adapt to a changing market. Contact us to get started today.

Anton Kozyritskiy

Ample Tech Founder and CEO