Embrace These 4 Technologies to Excel in Your Industry

The technology revolution seems to be accelerating at a rapid pace. Ten years ago, autonomous vehicles were just an experiment; today they're on the roads on a regular basis in some areas.

Since technology changes so rapidly, it's hard to pinpoint what tech you should adopt and what you should skip. It's not easy to know which tech will give you a competitive edge in your industry. However, when used strategically, the following four technologies will help you excel in any industry.

1. Real-time data feeds

Ever since the nightly news began broadcasting stock data on virtual ticker tape at the bottom of the screen, people have been drawn to real-time data feeds. Even some of the first high-tech pagers from the 1990s featured complimentary stock data by default.

If you're working in the financial industry, real-time data feeds can help you capture more interest and may even support a boost in revenue. For example, say you run a blog about cryptocurrency and strive to keep your readers up-to-date on the current value of popular cryptos. You could create a mobile app for your blog that also provides real-time cryptocurrency data sourced from a market data API.

You could also feed that same data through your blog so your visitors can access the data without downloading your app.

General data feeds

Any source of data has the potential to help your business succeed. If there is data your customers would benefit from having in real time, you can stream that data in all the places your customers frequent, from your website to your physical office.

2. JavaScript-powered web elements

According to web design statistics, 75% of visitors admittedly judge a business' credibility by its website design. What makes a good website design? Speed, reliability, an intuitive user interface, and engaging elements. There's no better way to create engaging web elements than with JavaScript.

Adding JavaScript elements to your website will create better and faster user experiences. Since JavaScript is executed on the client-side in the user's browser, it doesn't take long to load.

Some of the most creative, engaging JavaScript web elements include:

- Information that slides out from a panel when a link is clicked
- Transparent overlays with controllable opacity
- Dynamic image galleries
- Beautiful dialog boxes that match your site's theme
- Interactive navigation menus
- Cool animations

If your website isn't grabbing attention like you want, tell your web developer you'd like to add simple JavaScript elements to boost user engagement. Request a meeting to brainstorm ideas and don't be afraid to completely redesign your site if necessary.

If your developer doesn't know JavaScript, ask if they'd be willing to work with another developer. It's important to ask since some web developers have contract clauses that prohibit other companies/individuals from editing their clients' work.

3. A full-service CRM solution

At some point, you'll get frustrated having to manage separate software programs for your email newsletter, shopping cart, and sales process (among other marketing tasks). If you can consolidate your needs into a full-service CRM, you won't have any regrets.

There are several full-service CRMs on the market, and after many years, Infusionsoft (Keap) still reigns supreme. Although it's a bit pricey, Infusionsoft provides the opportunity to execute high-level marketing strategies with complex segmentation you can't implement on any other platform. Infusionsoft is a full-service CRM that also includes unbeatable marketing automation.

If you're serious about marketing, consider ditching the small, free-and-nearly-free programs like MailChimp and AWeber. These programs are great when you're starting out, but if you're serious about your business, you need to play in the realm of higher marketing strategies.

You want your business to outgrow free programs that limit your ability to execute high-level marketing strategies. In fact, when you hire a professional marketing company that says you need to switch software, consider it a compliment.

4. Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting is trendy, but it's not a fad. Cloud hosting is the future of digital storage, web hosting, and even company networks.

You can't go wrong with a strong cloud hosting account. Whether you're hosting an eCommerce website or running proprietary applications in the cloud, a cloud hosting account will scale with your needs. Along the way, you'll only pay for the resources you need.

Embrace the unknown

If you've been slow to adopt technologies like cloud services and JavaScript, there's no better time than today to move in that direction. With the right strategy, these basic tech innovations can give you just the edge you need.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.