Staying on top of the latest trends impacting small business is crucial to your practice’s potential growth. Here are three top trends for small businesses as we enter the fall of 2016:
- your website is the hub of all of your communication and branding efforts, and making sure your site stands out among the competition is crucial. Studies show that over 97 percent of Internet users take advantage of online research on local services and products prior to making any purchase decisions. Despite this crucial fact, more than half of the websites of small business owners are not responsive to mobile devices (meaning they are lacking positive results via mobile search). In addition, almost 45 percent of small businesses do not have any website representing their company.
- more and more clients of medical aesthetic practices fall in the millennial category, referring to people born between 1982 and 1999. This demographic group is having a huge impact on our culture both socially and economically. It is well known that millennials adjust and adopt to new technology with the greatest of ease, thus spreading information naturally and at great speeds. They are looking for a continuous online dialogue between brands and customers, and over 86 percent of millenials are willing to provide feedback to businesses through online surveys.
- retail spending in the US continues to rise, and it may be worth it for your practice to consider offering products for sale online. If you have products that could sell online, there is opportunity to expand your market past your local area. In addition, 58 percent of consumers will add more items to their online shopping cart to meet a free shipping threshold. And simply being willing to receive payments for services and products through smartphones can create a positive customer experience and lead to increased revenue. This year alone, it is estimated that mobile payments will generate over $142 billion in the United States.
Sources: Entrepreneur magazine