3 Small Business Technology Upgrades with Great ROI

1. 3 Small Business Technology Upgrades with Great ROI Is your Los Angeles business in desperate need of a technology reboot? Most business owners know they should invest in tech, but many of them get scared away by high prices. But while you might feel a pinch in the short-term, there are a lot of technology investments that could boost your business’s bottom line in the long run. If you’re ready to upgrade your small business technology but want to be confident that your investment will pay off, these three technologies are a good place to start. Capture More Sales with an E-Commerce Site Consumers are still shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, but that’s not where they’re starting their search. Before making a purchase, the majority of shoppers do some research online to decide what they want and where they want to buy it. If you don’t have an e-commerce store, there’s a good chance they’ll spend their money somewhere else. E-commerce is an obvious fit for businesses selling shippable products, and it can also be a smart way to add revenue streams for service-oriented businesses. By dropshipping promotional products such as clothing, bags, and accessories, businesses can increase their sales without adding to overhead costs.

2. Even if your product isn’t shippable, e-commerce is a good call. An increasing number of shoppers prefer to buy online and pick up in-store. Give your customers this option and you could grow your sales without incurring shipping and handling costs. PX Media of Los Angeles offers e-commerce site development catered to your business’s unique needs. Lower Your Bounce Rate with Website Optimization Your business website isn’t free to run and maintain, so ensure you’re getting your money’s worth. If your website’s bounce rate — that is, the number of visitors who immediately click away — is higher than 70 percent, it’s worth spending a little more on your web design. The first thing that drives customers away: slow loading times. If your site doesn’t load within four seconds, shoppers will give up and go elsewhere. Oversized images, custom fonts, and JavaScript are sneaky things that can slow your website down, but a web designer can optimize your page so it loads faster. A good web designer can also solve the other problem that’s scaring shoppers away: poor design. However, while there are a lot of web designers out there, they’re not all created equal. If you’re in the market for a Los Angeles web design agency, be sure to compare portfolios to find a firm with a great track record. Simplify Accounting and Save Money with Integrated Apps Are you still keying bookkeeping entries manually? You might feel like you’re saving money by doing your own bookkeeping, but the truth is, your time and talent are better spent elsewhere. Outsourcing isn’t your only option, however. With initial costs far lower than traditional software solutions, SaaS (software as a service) products have made it easy and affordable for small businesses to adopt accounting software that automates a large portion of their bookkeeping. With accounting software like Xero, Freshbooks, and Quickbooks Online, you can send invoices from your smartphone, automatically input data from your point-of-sale system, and even track inventory based on in-store and online sales. In some cases, accessing all of these features may require additional SaaS solutions that integrate with your accounting app. Additionally, if you intend to run the latest apps and websites from your phone, it may be time to upgrade to the latest model. That way, you won’t have to worry about your smartphone struggling to keep up with times. The iPhone 11, for example, features a powerful chipset and battery that practically guarantees it can handle any business-related apps with ease. Of course, if Apple isn’t your thing, there are plenty of Android phones that can do this job as well. You’d go broke if you tried to keep up with every technology trend, but for small businesses, some tech investments really are worth the money. Upgrades that save money are a safe starting point, like that new accounting software you’ve been eyeing. However, don’t shy away from bolder investments that could boost your business’s sales. When it comes to growing your business, you need to do more than save money — you need to make it too.