Businesses need a myriad of software and hardware solutions to carry them through their day-to-day processing. Modernization has led to the optimal utilization of these digital resources and have been directly responsible for the growth of companies across the world. If you were to take stock, you’d be amazed at the number of applications you run on a daily basis – and the technologies that enable them.

Are you aware of the technologies you need?

If you deal with the big picture, you wouldn’t be at fault for not knowing exactly what software your business needs to optimize sales. And so, we have compiled a list of some of the most used technologies, so you can see where there be holes in how your business functions.

1. Email

No business can survive without email. Whether you communicate with your own employees and colleagues or send direct messages to your clients and suppliers, you need to have an email system in place. There are quite a few options:

• Free and cloud-based email systems like Gmail
• Paid cloud-based email and marketing systems MailChimp
• Locally hosted email systems like Microsoft Exchange

Depending on your needs and budget, you can find the best fit for your business.

2. Web Hosting

Your website and ecommerce solution will need a place to live. That place is a hosting server, which you could have locally, in your own server room, or on the servers of a web hosting service provider.

Here, too, you have the option of hosting your website on:

• Free hosting servers: Advisable only if you are in the testing phase of your business’ setup
• Paid hosting servers: The best way to go as it will show you are serious about your business

With the prices of web hosting services spiraling toward zero cents, you really shouldn’t think about opting for free hosting. If you opt for free options, it shows your clients you don’t take their data security seriously.

3. Content Management Systems (CMS)

Gone are the days when you needed to manually post every single piece of information. Today, every business that takes the content of its website seriously will have a CMS in place. Currently, WordPress is the most popular CMS system. You can use their product for everything for simple blogging or to running your entire site.

4. Office Suites

Chances are, you use office suites on a daily basis. From documents to spreadsheets, office suites help organize and present information in the best way possible. Examples include Google Docs (free) and Microsoft Office (paid), two of the most used office suites.

5. Defense and Safety Technology

Any device that connects to the internet needs to be protected against threats from hackers and malware. If you think you can run your business’ network and website with the likes of ant-viruses and firewalls, you have another thing coming. This is because either of two things is going to happen:

• Your business’ devices will be hit so bad, you won’t be able to boot a single device.
• You’ll have all your valuable data carefully siphoned off, which will put you and your clients at extreme risk.

You must invest in security for your business. Even if you use a hosting service provider, you would be wise to pay extra for as much security as you can get.

6. Business Systems

As your company grows, the core management of your business becomes more and more crucial. This includes:

• Payroll
• Human capital management
• Procurement
• Talent management

Business process systems like Bamboo HR and Sage can be used to address your business requirements.

7. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

While gaining brand loyalty is extremely difficult and takes time, losing brand loyalty can happen in a matter of minutes. You should always keep an eye on how customers perceive the service you provide. Even the smallest of complaints should be handled with the utmost care. Never take them for granted. Try Hubspot CRM.

Software solutions like Zoho also offer some of the easiest and most efficient of support systems. You should have a dedicated employee (or staff) who will look into and address your clients’ tickets in the shortest amount of time. The quicker you resolve issues, the happier your customers will be – it’s that simple.

Get It All

You have seen all the technologies required to run a successful business. Now, it is time to actually use them! Start with Capterra, which can help pinpoint which solutions you might need.