2021 Technology Trends That May Impact Your Business

There’s always a great sense of anticipation at the beginning of a new year as we look forward to a fresh start, and this is certainly no different as we exit 2020. 

It’s fair to say that we’ve learned a lot from last year and for those of us who maintain a glass-half-full mentality, this is a brilliant springboard into 2021. While COVID may have shaken up businesses across the globe, it has also accelerated some sweeping changes which we can now build on as we watch technology trends with interest.

What do you think is going to change in your business this year? Do you think that tech trends will impact you and your customers?

Technology Trends to Watch

Remote offices

One of the biggest shifts in business occurred when we were all sent home with a laptop at the beginning of last year. It was a shock to the system for many, but when you’re faced with no other options, you tend to make stuff work. 

Fast forward to today and remote home offices have become functional and connected spaces where our teams can enjoy the benefits of a virtual office minus the commute. 

The few tools available which facilitated the essential communication between distributed teams have flourished with more coming online all the time. Video conferencing, visual collaboration, instant messaging, and file sharing are now considered essential to today’s business.

While we’re all familiar with Zoom and Google Hangouts, other technologies are being unwrapped which we should take note of. 

For example, Figma has made online design collaboration fun and brilliantly quick. They say of their product, “Packed with design features you already love plus unique inventions like the Arc tool and Vector Networks, Figma helps you keep the ideas flowing. No need to stop to install, save, or export. It’s what any good cloud software should be.”

Another cloud-based innovation comes from Bluescape. They say, “Virtual workspaces enable remote workers to whiteboard online and present and review work from any room, any device, anywhere in the world.”

Remote offices are here to stay, and the tools to make them work better are flooding in.

Online shopping 

If you don’t have an eCommerce arm to your brick-and-mortar store you may want to have a small think about that choice. 

COVID has driven everyone indoors and traditional retail outlets are certainly feeling the pinch as foot traffic decreases. Smart businesses took their products and services online and continue to tweak the user experience to get the most out of this burgeoning platform. 

Optinmonster tells us, “And if you haven’t gotten into eCommerce yet, it’s a great time to start. In 2019, it’s estimated there are 1.92 billion digital buyers, and eCommerce sales account for 14.1% of retail purchases worldwide.

“Since online shopping, in general, is growing so fast, the next statistic shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. In 2023, eCommerce retail purchases are expected to rise from 14.1% to 22%.”

If you want a piece of that pie you simply have to be online. 

Additional elements are coming to the fore to make shopping online easier and simpler. Chatbots are a brilliant example of this and preferred by Millennials who make up a significant percentage of online shoppers. 

E-learning

Closing the schools and colleges in 2020 was a necessary choice but came at a huge price. 

The silver lining of this cloud was the flood of e-learning tech which rushed in to fill the educational void. Faster and more reliable internet connectivity allowed for video conferencing and access to unlimited resources via the security of the cloud. 

This trending technology is proving its worth in business too.

Consider Digemy who make use of neuroscientific technology and automated training processes to cut costs and increase employee performance. They say, “We measure knowledge, not completion rates. Our online learning platform helps you identify knowledge gaps that could be hurting your business and close these gaps by tailoring learning paths for each employee.”

Certainly, online software which offers trackable results without the costs associated with traditional classroom learning is a no-brainer and can be applied to any industry.

In Summary

There’s no doubt that change is uncomfortable, and many people prefer to stay well within their comfort zone and do what they’ve always done. 

However, we have to admit that many of the technology trends that we see heading our way are brilliantly innovative and really rather exciting. 

One thing remains the same though, and that is to ensure that whatever direction your business is going, you need to stay connected.