When Apple announced the iPad back in January of 2010, many users, including myself, didn’t really see the big deal. I had a hard time understanding how this mobile device could replace my desktop without sacrificing any functionality. I remember saying to people this is just a larger iPod, more of a toy than anything.
The big element I was missing was not the limitations of the iPad but more the limitation of the applications that presently existed. The applications that were to come down the road were the very thing that would shape and pave the way for the 25 Millions iPads already sold.
When Bill Gates stated that every home would have access to a personal computer some day, many people laughed. Again we were missing the big picture, the software & applications that would change how we live our lives.
As individuals and business owners it’s often a difficult task for us to adopt new technology. We have this hidden feeling that by embracing these new items we are actually sabotaging our businesses. Are we missing the big picture? How many lost opportunities have slipped through the cracks because we did not embrace new methods and our competition did?
I have the privilege of meeting with local business owners on a daily basis and the number of them that seem to be stuck in the stone ages often shocks me. A large majority of them don’t even want to discuss social media (Facebook, Twitter). They assume it’s not for them and that there is no way it can help their business. However when I ask them “what is the best form of advertising your business can do”, they always reply “Word of Mouth”, yet social media is not for them!
According to reports, mobile devices will replace desktops by 2015. As mobile devices are taking over and replacing our desktops at a rapid rate, are we aware of what we are missing out on? Most websites currently in operation will not function properly on mobile devices such as Tablets or Smartphones. We thought we had reached the ceiling with social media but in reality we are just at the beginning of watching it explode.
The question we need to be asking ourselves is: “ Are we willing to embrace this new technology or we will let it pass us by?” Are websites and current processes up to par or should we start investing now before it's too late? We can’t expect to achieve great results using methods that will no longer be accepted.
The average iPhone user spends 55% of his on-device time browsing, chatting, using social media, and playing games. Mobile devices are not just tools to make phone calls anymore. They are devices that engage the users to do so much more. As business owners are we engaging these users or are we hoping the phone will ring?
If your website is not supporting, Social Media, Mobile Browsing, or Email Marketing then you need to take some serious time and starting investing in the future of your company. Mobility will kill the desktop by 2015 and will have at least 10 Billion devices. We need to start implementing today to prepare for tomorrows success.
If your website needs some helping embracing these changes, we are more than willing to help. Give us a shout at 905-933-4910.
