How the Internet Continues to Shape Business
- Jan 4, 2012
Modern technology has changed our society permanently. Long gone are the days when you had to wait 24 hours for a call back or, heaven forbid, perform research in books to find the answer to a question. Today cell phones are permanently in hand (the health effect of which has yet to be established) and Google has become a verb. People are working longer and harder because the internet, laptops, iPads and cell phones ensure they are accessible 100% of the time. This ability to stay connected, even halfway around the world, is probably the greatest benefit we experience, largely thanks to the internet.
The internet has become a major component of our lives, whether we are using it for work, shopping, research, communicating or entertainment. Information is now available at all times at the touch of a fingertip for a very low cost (or none at all if you are accessing free Wi-Fi). It has had a substantial affect on businesses today.
Long gone are the days when businesses relied heavily on magazines, newspapers or mailers to drive their marketing efforts. Most companies now invest heavily in their company websites, which provide company information like content information and services and products available as well as information on specials and promotions.
Companies can buy postage labels and send packages with just the touch of a button and a scale attached to a computer. They can even request a courier pickup for larger packages.
Bills can be paid online, claims can be filed and documents can be viewed quickly through PDF files.
Search engine optimization plays an important role in marketing, as do pay-per-click advertisements, which make it easier than ever for companies to locate businesses in whose services they may be interested. Marketing tactics are constantly changing as social media is playing a larger role, changing the business world even further.
Having kicked off 2012 it will be interesting to see what further ways the internet will shape business as the year progresses.