Tips and Trends in Information Technology Services

Information technology services are in high demand. This is a trend that is unlikely to change either. After all, technology plays a pivotal role in virtually everything we do nowadays and thus it is also imperative for all businesses as well. From standard office tasks, to ecommerce, to software development, there is no end to the presence of IT in business in the modern day. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover some more about the tips and trends in IT services.

Social Media

Let’s begin with social media, as this is a platform that has really taken off as of late. There are benefits for all types of companies to gain by engaging in social media, no matter how big or small your business may be or what industry you operate in. There is a huge number of social media websites to market your business on nowadays. However, it is definitely not a case of the more the better! You need to choose a small selection of social networking websites. Otherwise you will be unable to keep up with things. Facebook is probably the only website that all companies are advised to have a presence on. When it comes to the other social media sites you need to consider your target consumer base and the type of content you are going to be posting and whether the site in question is going to be suitable. Take Twitter as a prime example. This is one of the most popular social network websites. However, it only works if you are going to post short and snappy pieces of information on a regular basis, as Twitter uses log in more regularly than any other social media users. Let’s use Pinterest as another example. This is actually the fastest growing social media website. However, it is clearly only useful for image-centric advertising. Moreover, did you know that Pinterest is highly female dominated? Therefore, if you are advertising products that are only for men, you may want to consider choosing a different site. There are of course social media experts that can handle all of this for you.

Outsourcing IT services

The trend for outsourcing information technology services is growing, as most people predicted it would. There are many benefits to be gained by outsourcing part of your business’s IT requirements. You will be able to lower your costs and you can take advantage of a workforce that is skilled in the task you have at hand. Let’s say you require software development. It would not be efficient to employ a team to handle this in-house when it is not a core function of your company, it’s more of a one-off task! Plus, do you really have the time and the resources to train your current employees in the software development? Thus, it becomes much more efficient to outsource this service. You will have a huge number of different businesses at your disposal and thus you will be able to find the best one for your unique requirements. If you are going to outsource to a company based abroad it is vital to ensure you are mindful of certain factors, such as time differences and the variation in your working culture and theirs. You will both need to make compromises and be adaptable in order to find a happy medium.

It is all in the cloud

You have probably become familiar with the word ‘cloud’ now. Cloud basically means the Internet. More and more companies have made the switch to cloud storage and cloud computing, which basically means storing and running applications via the net rather than using physical hardware. When it comes to trends in cloud computing, the majority of companies have turned to a hybrid cloud strategy nowadays. Moreover, businesses that are using cloud computing have reported a number of benefits throughout the year. This includes advantages in regards to the likes of business continuity, cost savings, geographic reach and higher availability. The security of cloud computing was a major concern over the past few years, but it seems that this is something a lot of people have combatted. Furthermore, companies offering this service use security as their main selling point.

The Google crackdown continues

Google is getting more and more intelligent when it comes to ranking websites. Gone are the days when you could produce poor quality content and shove an endless number of key phrases inside! Nowadays the emphasis is on original, engaging and informative content. Google takes a lot of factors into account in order to rank websites. Not only does it look at the relevance of your website or content but it also takes into account your online authority. With the likes of Panda and Penguin, updates in algorithms have been made to ensure that poor quality websites do not rank high. In fact, if you are seen to be manipulating Google in order to feature high on the search engine result pages you will be punished. Thus, companies are focusing highly on creating top quality content. Content is king as they say! Moreover, they are building relationships with high quality, relevant and reputable blogs in order to create worthwhile links that are also going to help them when it comes to climbing the search engine result pages. Hiring a SEO and marketing specialist is an investment that seems highly worthwhile nowadays. Companies would not hesitate to hire an accountant and a marketing professional is seen as just as important in the present day when the Internet has such a huge presence.

Technology as a gateway to cutting costs

All in all, there is no denying that technology is seen as the key to cutting costs nowadays. From devising technology strategies, to outsourcing information technology services, to marketing via the Internet, to project management… all IT tasks seem to present businesses with a way of lowering their costs. And let’s be frank, this reduction in business expenditure does not come at the cost in terms of quality. In fact, quality is usually enhanced. Technology has opened so many doors for businesses over the past few years, especially SMEs that do not have the budget, resources or presence to typically compete with the large companies. Now there are more opportunities for these companies. Because of this, you will find that a lot of companies are actually employing IT service businesses to help them to develop a technology plan and road map. After all, there is literally so much to consider when it comes to technology today, irrespective of what industry you operate in. with a careful technology strategy in place the benefits can be truly astronomical.