Top 15 tech tools your business needs right now

This year is a fresh start to invest in solutions for your growing business. Whether your organization is small or big, technology plays a huge role in catching up with your competitors. Having access to efficient tools will help increase your customer service, sales, and productivity. 

The new normal has changed the way consumers make purchases and how employees work. It also showed how technological tools (like artificial intelligence) is a necessity that every company needs.

Last year showed how unexpected changes happen. We do not know what will happen next, but we do know that we should always be prepared for the next shift. How do we start? By getting more technological solutions for your business! 

We are here to show you the tools you need immediately. Take a look below to know the right technology for your company. 

15. Website hosting service 

Your company’s website is where your audience visits and understands more about your brand. Probably they discovered your products and want to know more about it through your official site. This means that you need to keep your website running quickly and consistently. 

Wondering how to start a website? You can begin by using the world’s most-used Content Management System (CMS), WordPress. It is a domain that lets you customize your website on a data server before publishing them directly to the web. You can also integrate it with the world’s #1 customer relationship management (CRM), Salesforce, to show your stored data. 

14.  Blockchain tech

Blockchain is a technology that stores records of purchases between people or businesses. Since the track of transactions is available to everyone in the network, it is harder for users to commit fraud. The process is even faster than bank transactions.

The advantages of having blockchain technology are transparency, security, reduced costs, and improved traceability. Another tool is Salesforce Blockchain, a platform that creates, secures, and shares data with the benefits of CRM.

13. Add an antivirus software 

Having an antivirus tool shields your computers and networks against viruses, hackers, Trojans, and other malware. Without antivirus software, your business might experience the nightmare of having an infected computer and hacked information.  

It is crucial to have security measures in place, especially when using cloud technology that involves sharing documents and sending confidential information to employees. You can start your security protocols by using a cloud protection tool like F-Secure. This platform provides  cloud protection for your Salesforce software. 

12. Credit card payment tool 

Since quick and cashless transactions are now a thing, your business should have a credit card processor that accepts all payments, this includes major credit cards and debit cards. The services use encryption technology to ensure the buyer’s data is safe while also protecting the business against credit card fraud. 

11. Point-of-sale system (POS)

For your checkout needs, it is best to rely on a POS system. Industries like retail have this type of system, offering packages that include barcodes, cash drawers, card readers, receipt printers, terminals, and other types of retail tools. 

Having this type of tool ensures that businesses have a single track view of the purchase and accounting process. You can also have a POS system like WedgeCommerce solution to be integrated right into Salesforce. It is a great tool to interact with clients as payments are purchased with a click of a button. 

10. Time and management tracker 

Get a tool that makes it better to manage the productivity and time of your employees. Whether it is an office or a work-from-home setting, you should have a tool that keeps track of your employee hours, including work time, on-leave days, overtime, and sick leave. 

In Salesforce’s time tracker, it shows transparency in the project process, and it lets you easily identify the challenges of your employees’ tasks. You can track time in Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and Analytics Cloud. This will finally give you an organized view of your team. 

9. Email marketing software 

Customers want a personalized experience. They like it when a business consistently sends them relatable messages or suggestions they need. That is why it is essential to have email marketing software such as MailChimp or Salesforce Email Studio. 

Statista showed that 49% of customers stated that they would like to receive emails from their favorite brands every week. This data shows that you can send emails to your subscribers weekly without fretting that they will be annoyed. 

If your email subscribers are growing, then it is time to use a tool that helps you categorize your customers and send them the message they want to read. Rather than giving one email for all approaches, you can use the features to personalize the content so that customers know that your brand truly understands them. 

8. Webinar apps  

Your business needs to use an app that makes it easier to show presentations and seminars for your audience remotely. It is also essential to use software that keeps your employees connected. 

For example, you can connect apps like WebEx, GoToWebinar, or ReadyTalk to Pardot, a B2B marketing automation tool. From there, your business has a platform that makes it easier for you to live-stream all your events into your social media pages.

7. Project management tools

If you noticed that your projects are starting to be more complicated, then it is time to consider a project management tool. Having this online software lets you effectively be in charge of tricky projects. 

In a Hive study, 77% of high-quality projects use project management software. In managing tasks, you can allocate resources, observe your team members, documents, assets, and many more. It also has the technology for teams to communicate and view the updates and reports. 

Salesforce has multiple project management apps like Inspire Planner, Milestones PM+, and Taskfeed. It is now time to look at these tools to enhance your team projects this year. 

6. Chatbots 

According to IBM, chatbots can help businesses save around 30% on costs for customer support. This means that it doesn’t only save time but also money. Using a chatbot is a crucial part of customer service nowadays. 

Before using a chatbot, you should know how to integrate it with human touchpoints, train your agents how to use it accurately, work closely with your software reps to integrate Artificial Intelligence, and learn what drives customers to buy your products. 

Tools like Einstein Bots can help your agents automate customer service through multiple channels. It responds to messages right away and directs it to the customer service representative who knows the issue well. To know more about Einstein Bots, click here. 

5. Portable tech

Want to increase the productivity of your employees? Then it is time to know more about wearable techs like FitBit or Android Wear! These tools will change the way on how your business functions on a day-to-day basis. 

In 2014, Salesforce made their software match with wearable techs like Android Wear, FitBit, ARM, Philips, and other devices. It gives a convenient approach to run your businesses in these modern times. 

This tool is perfect whenever you are on-the-go. Research from Real Business showed that using wearable technology can increase employee satisfaction by 3.5%. Using wearable technology for your business will help track project performance and communications with your employees quickly.  

4. Internet of Things (IoT)

What is IoT? It is a system of internet-connected objects that can collect and shift data through a wireless network. What makes this cool is  that it does not need any human intervention. 

In 2016, customers spent $157 billion on devices that connect to the internet (Nelson, 2016). This includes wireless cars, thermostats, smart TVs, security systems, and many more. All you need is the internet to control your items– you can do it through your smartphone too. 

Here at Third Pillar, we also include IoT in our technology solutions for various industries. For real estate, we use it for our utilities to be connected and gather data from mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. 

3. AI 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the concept of having software controlling computers or robots to do tasks mostly done by humans. It does work that relates to reasoning, planning, and even understanding language. This technology has an impact since it makes our lives more productive and convenient. 

A study from McKinsey showed that 44% of firms report a decrease in business costs in departments that use AI (McKinsey, 2019). This helps save money and, at the same time, lets your employees focus on tasks that cannot be handled by software. 

One AI tool you can use is Salesforce Einstein. It utilizes data gathered from the users’ activities to supply predictive analytics, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP) capabilities to employees. Einstein helps users to review a customer’s activity, provide analysis, and gather insights.

2. E-commerce software 

More people are into online shopping, especially in this day and age. When you look at our Accelerated Packages page, you will see the link, “select”, that adds an Accelerator Pack to the cart. 

Your site must have a shopping cart so that your customers can purchase remotely. With Salesforce’s Commerce Cloud, the world’s leading B2C and B2B commerce solution, you can have a platform that creates a one-for-all buying experience from various channels such as mobile, social, web, and store. 

This tool not only lets your customers buy your products easily, but also have a memorable and personalized experience. 

1. Customer relationship management (CRM) 

CRM software is a perfect place where you can store all your data online. All you need is the internet to get access to all of your information anytime and anywhere. 

One great example of SaaS is Salesforce. You can add all of your crucial data, integrate your other apps, and track your team all in one cloud. This is basically a one-for-all software that has tools that personalize the customers’ experience. It also enhances sales, marketing, and customer service. 

No wonder it is ranked number one in our list. 

We offer CRM solutions here at Third Pillar. Click here to check out how we integrate it to businesses. 

Your company deserves the technological solutions that will bring your system forward. Our team at Third Pillar wants to ensure that you will catch-up with your competition.

We’re also willing to integrate Salesforce, the world’s #1 CRM, into your business in just three weeks! Click here to get access to our Accelerated Packages ebook, or contact us here to know more about our innovative solutions.