When the entire world shut down due to the pandemic, that’s when technology shined really bright, showing its worth. Overnight, the ability to connect to customers and even employees became almost impossible as governments around the world have imposed lockdown and social distancing measures.

That’s when businesses realized that they need to move online to keep their business running. After all, customers moved online to shop for goods and services. So, it only made sense for brands to meet them there.

But, besides building a stronger web presence, many businesses also increased their investments in tech tools for improved collaboration and communication. This article explores the most useful six tech tools that your business should start using right now for better management of the resources you have.

1. Communication Software

Effective communication is key to business success. In fact, in contrast, poor communication in the workplace can cost businesses millions of dollars per year. Data shows that workplace miscommunication can cost organizations an average of $62.4 million per year. If you dig deeper into the numbers, you will find out that this means a cost of $26,041 per worker every year.

So, it’s official: your business needs effective communication to thrive!

Communication software can help here, especially if some or all your employees are still working remotely. Apps like Google Chat or Skype allow your employees to send quick messages and documents to one another. Plus, they can also have video calls when needed.

So, make sure that you equip your team with the right communication tools.

2. Human Capital Management System

Your employees are your business’s most important asset. They are the ones that ensure that your business keeps on running and your customers are happy.

Using human capital management tools will make it easier for your business to find quality talent and go through all the complex processes of onboarding, training, assessment, and goal-tracking more efficiently. The good news is that today you can find more complex tools that, besides helping with the onboarding process, can also help with plenty of other tasks. For example, the tool Timesheet Portal application also involves help with document signing, project analysis, expense tracking, time tracking, time off bookings, and more.

3. Customer Relationship Management Software

Like it or not, no business is successful without paying customers. After your employees, your customers are the ones that keep your business running and getting profits. So, it’s vital to ensure that your brand has a great relationship with its customers. You can do so by using CRM software.

Today’s customers are really picky when it comes to the experience they get with brands. And, it’s only natural for them to do so when there’s such a competitive market, and they can choose between so many brands.

Don’t believe us? Here are some stats that will show how important customer experience is for modern customers:

• Annually, $1.6 trillion is lost by companies due to poor customer service.
• Customers are willing to spend 17% more for a good experience with a business.
• Companies with an approach focused on customer experience drive revenue by 4-8% higher than the rest of their industry competitors.
• 96% of customers claim that customer service is an essential factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand.

For all the reasons listed above, your business needs to invest in efficient CRM software to maintain a positive customer relationship.

A customer relationship management tool helps your company gather and access crucial data about your customers, including past communications with your brand, purchases, the prices they paid, and more. This data will help your customer service employees better manage each of your customer’s portfolios, problems, and needs.

4. Cloud Storage

Businesses are dealing with massive amounts of data these days. And, properly storing all these data can be a major challenge. Cloud storage tools can save your business an immense amount of time, money, and headaches, as there is no more need for massive server rooms, expensive IT staff, costly updates.

Effective information storage is crucial for modern businesses. And, cloud storage tools can help with this.

In-house servers are very vulnerable to attacks by ransomware and malware, which can put your business and customer data in danger. In contrast, cloud storage solutions come with plenty of security measures that ensure that your most important information is properly stored and protected.

5. Social Media Management Software

Is your business on social media networks? If yes, you need social media management software to attract and engage your audience.

Social media networks are more than just for sharing funny pictures and videos. They can be really effective business marketing tools. Most of your target audience is on social media, be it Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or others. The trick is to find out exactly where your prospects spend time on social networks and meet them there.

And, to make it easier for you and your marketing team, your business should use a social media management tool. Social media management software allows your team to create engaging content, schedule it and post iton your different social media accounts. The content you create will be posted automatically, as per your calendar schedule, to ensure that your brand stays in your audience’s mind.

6. Security Tools

Last but not least, every business that operates in the digital environment needs plenty of security tools to protect business and customer data from ill-intentioned people.

Here’s the deal: with the amounts of data increasing by the day, businesses have a greater responsibility of protecting this sensitive information such as names, email addresses, financial information, passwords, and more. Customers trust and expect brands to ensure that the data they share to purchase goods and services is kept safe.

Failing to keep your business and customers’ data safe can literally destroy your business. A data breach can get your brand into a pretty ugly scandal that can destroy your reputation and draw customers away from your business. So, make sure that you use several cybersecurity tools to keep sensitive data safe.