As the digital marketplace continues to change quickly, it's important that small businesses stay abreast of changes and adapt to the marketplace as it changes. It is also important to make sure that company security is up-to-date, especially when dealing with cyber security. A lack of attention to cyber security can cost a Small Business big, especially if it involves hacking to steal business funds from sites like PayPal. Taxes are also an important issue because Congress and the President are currently working on tax reform, and there are tax reforms that are needed to help small businesses grow.
Digital marketing trends to watch out for
Digital Marketing changes very quickly. What works one day may not work the next. Forbes reported that there were several digital marketing trends that small businesses needed to watch out for this year. The most important trend is video streaming. Not only is YouTube an important place to market a small business online when using video, using Instagram and Facebook are important too. Video lends credibility to marketing efforts because it can be personal. Live streaming offers a "you are there" perspective. With video, it allows the small business owners to give a personal perspective, something many consumers are looking for before making a purchase.
Other trends that Forbes noted included both augmented reality and virtual reality. Augmented reality allows consumers to use technology as part of their reality. An example is Pokemon Go. Virtual reality provides an alternative reality or experience to the person who uses the technology. Viral marketing and behavior-based email marketing will also become important as small businesses want their content to go viral while behavior-based email marketing allows small businesses to send email based on consumer choices.
PayPal rolled out a suite of business tools this year to help small businesses grow while getting all their services under one roof.
The need for increased cyber security
Small Biz Trends reports that there were seven types of Cyber attacks that small businesses needed to be aware of. The denial of service attack is where hackers send so much information to a small business website that it shuts down the servers.
Malware is also a common problem, and it's important to make sure that small business systems are clear of malware because key logger attacks can occur because hackers sometimes use malware to spy on systems. Brute force attacks and dictionary attacks often occur because employees don't use secure passwords. Pet names and personal information are examples of passwords that are often used but a bad idea. Inside attacks are also possible when employees misuse company information, so it's important to make sure that employees properly use private data so that it is kept safe.
