While having a business website is mandatory by today’s standards, some other forms of digital media such as apps, QR codes, and virtual reality are not. Which ones do you need?

The online and digital world of marketing is often influenced by technological achievements and advancements. As great as these may be, each innovation is not necessarily a good fit for every business/industry. Yet with articles and popular interest talking about the latest trends, you may feel obliged to integrate them with your business for fear of being left behind or not being with the times. Yet this does not always mean that it is a good idea for your individual business as technology is not a one-size-fits-all.

Apps

Yes, apps are all the rage – and for good reason too. Their easy accessibility and use of push notifications are great marketing tools. Most businesses will have an app nowadays, but we must question if most businesses need apps.  Take your local doctor/GP surgery as an example. Dealing with your healthcare is obviously an important and personal matter. Would you prefer to book an appointment through an app or ring the clinic and have your booking confirmed by a person? If you are waiting on test results, would you prefer your doctor to ring you and explain the results when they return or to receive a random push notification during the day with the results transcribed? For the more personal and more important (as opposed to frivolous and extra-circular) activities, an app is a poor and alienating substitute for a human approach.

QR Codes

Arguably it was before Google placed an emphasis on mobile websites that QR codes were at their most popular. The ability to scan an innocuous symbol with your mobile device to be taken to an online destination was a way for businesses to bring you straight to their website/content with no SEO required. Most of the time, however, QR codes just brought the user to a landing page of a mobile website. Yet now with the majority of people accessing mobile websites through their mobile devices, scanning a QR code to be taken to a mobile website became a redundant and time-wasting step.

Virtual Reality

Arguably the most niche of the three listed here; virtual reality is in the early stages and has great potential for businesses. Yet what we can learn from looking at apps and QR codes above is that it may not be worth much (if any) of your time to invest in this for your business. Do not be distracted by the shiny bells and whistles here. If you run a marmalade-making business, does anybody really need a virtual reality view of your workspace, the marmalade-making processor of the finished result? This would be a superfluous and not a beneficial business exercise.

Consult with the expert digital and online marketing team at Ireland Website Design to optimize the technologies that are going to make your sales and not the technologies that are going to make you waste business time.