A restaurant’s website isn’t just digital decoration—it’s your online front-of-house. It’s where diners check your hours, browse your menu, make reservations, order takeout, buy gift cards, and sometimes decide whether or not to visit you in the first place.

Let’s break down exactly what to look for when building a restaurant website and which WordPress tools can help make it happen—without drowning you in tech jargon or pointless features. Whether you’re launching something new or refreshing an existing site, this post is your blueprint.

Start With the Basics: Non-Negotiables for Every Restaurant Website

No matter your cuisine, style, or budget, there are several must-have features that every restaurant site should deliver. These aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re foundational elements that determine how usable, functional, and effective your site really is.

Mobile-First Design

Most people visiting your site are doing it on their phones—looking for hours, browsing your menu, or seeing how far they are from your location. If your site doesn’t load quickly or format cleanly on mobile, you’ve lost them. A strong mobile-first design ensures that your website performs beautifully on all devices, no matter where your customers are coming from.

Clear and Intuitive Navigation

Diners should never have to dig to find your menu, hours, or phone number. Intuitive navigation reduces friction, improves user experience, and keeps visitors focused on what matters most—choosing what to eat or how to reach you.

Key navigation elements to include:

• Menus (with food categories or dietary tags)
• Location and hours (always visible)
• Online ordering or reservation buttons
• Contact form or phone number
• Events or promotions (if applicable)

Sticky headers and mobile-friendly nav bars with icons can go a long way in keeping users engaged.

Searchable, Digital Menus (Ditch the PDF!)

Here’s a common mistake: uploading a beautiful PDF of your menu and calling it a day. While it might look nice, PDFs are hard to read on mobile, impossible for screen readers, and invisible to Google when it comes to SEO.

Instead, build digital menus right into your website. These are easier to update and more accessible for everyone—including search engines.

Best WordPress plugins for digital menus:

• Restaurant Menu by MotoPress
• Five Star Restaurant Menu

These plugins allow you to create interactive, categorized menus complete with photos, descriptions, prices, and even filtering by dietary preferences—all with a layout that works across devices.

Built-in Ordering and Reservation Options

Want more takeout orders? Fewer no-shows? A smoother booking experience? Then your website should make it effortless for users to reserve a table or place an order. You can either embed third-party booking systems or fully integrate ordering into your WordPress site.

Popular tools to consider:

• OpenTable, Resy, or Tock (for bookings and reservations)
• WooCommerce (to manage in-house ordering)
• GloriaFood (a free and easy plugin for online ordering)
• WPForms or Fluent Forms (for catering or private party inquiries)

The best setup depends on your goals—but no matter the method, speed and clarity are key. Make the buttons visible. Use clear CTAs. And ensure everything works smoothly on mobile.

Location, Contact Info, and Social Links on Every Page

This might sound obvious, but it’s still overlooked way too often. Your hours, address, phone number, and social links should be visible on every page—preferably in both the header and footer.

Tools that help with this:

• WP Google Maps (adds an interactive map for visitors to get directions)
• Schema Pro or Rank Math (adds structured data so search engines highlight your info in local results)

Link to your social channels too—especially if you’re active on Instagram or Facebook. It keeps your brand experience cohesive and helps customers follow and engage with your updates.

Want to Stand Out? Here’s What the Best Restaurant Websites Include

Once the basics are covered, it’s time to think about how to elevate your site from functional to memorable. These features aren’t required, but they offer huge value to guests and give your restaurant a polished, modern feel.

Promote Events or Special Nights with a Calendar

If you host trivia, live music, wine tastings, or brunch specials, a well-designed event calendar helps drive traffic and build community around your brand.

Best tools to add an event calendar in WordPress:

• The Events Calendar (great for recurring events and ticketing)
• Modern Events Calendar (slick UI and customizable layouts)

These plugins let you display upcoming events, allow RSVPs or ticket sales, and even send reminders through email integrations.

Sell Gift Cards or Merch

Gift cards are low-effort, high-reward revenue generators. And if your restaurant has a loyal following, branded merch—like hats, T-shirts, or hot sauces—can build a stronger fan base.

How to do it in WordPress:

• WooCommerce (flexible and scalable eCommerce solution)
• YITH WooCommerce Gift Cards (adds digital or printable gift card functionality)
• Gift Up! (quick gift card setup for digital use)

Add these items to your site’s main nav or homepage. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to support your business beyond just dinner.

Collect Emails to Stay Top-of-Mind

Email marketing may sound old-school, but it works—especially for restaurants. Want to send updates about new menus, limited-time deals, or holiday events? Email lets you reach your loyal customers directly.

Plugins to grow your list:

• Mailchimp for WordPress
• FluentCRM (native to WordPress and privacy-first)
• ConvertKit or Klaviyo (more robust options for larger email programs)

Place your opt-in forms on your homepage, menu pages, and checkout pages for the best results.

Optimize for SEO and Local Search

If your site isn’t showing up in local searches like “best brunch near me” or “tacos in [your city],” you’re missing a huge traffic stream. WordPress has powerful SEO tools that help you rank better—and get more eyeballs on your site.

Top tools to boost SEO:

• Rank Math or Yoast SEO (on-page optimization and meta tags)
• Schema Pro (adds rich data like hours, reviews, and location)
• Google Site Kit (connects your site to Google Analytics and Search Console)

Don’t forget: great photos, updated alt text, and fast load times also factor into SEO rankings—especially on mobile.

Quick-Reference WordPress Tool Stack for Restaurants

Build a Site That’s as Good as Your Food

We’ve helped restaurants from fast-casual to fine dining build websites that reflect their brand, connect with guests, and make doing business easier. The secret isn’t just a great design—it’s building a site that works hard behind the scenes and serves your real business goals.

If you’re ready for a restaurant site that helps you get more reservations, more orders, and more love from search engines, let’s cook something up together – let’s chat.

In this post, we’ll break down the core components of Events Calendar Pro, how it works with tools like Event Tickets, Promoter, and Event Aggregator, and—most importantly—why this suite is a win for your business and your users.

What is Events Calendar Pro?

Events Calendar Pro is a premium WordPress plugin developed by The Events Calendar, a team that’s been leading the way in calendar and event management plugins for years. It extends the functionality of the free Events Calendar plugin with advanced features built for businesses, non-profits, creatives, and anyone who relies on scheduled programming.

But it’s more than just a pretty calendar—it’s a strategic tool that handles everything from recurring events and venue management to robust ticketing and automated marketing.

The Core Features that Make Events Calendar Pro a Powerhouse

Let’s walk through why this tool is more than just functional—it’s a smart investment in your digital infrastructure.

1. Recurring Events Done Right

If you host regular meetups, classes, webinars, or services, creating and re-creating those events manually every time can eat up hours of your life. Events Calendar Pro makes recurring events a breeze. You can set:

• Weekly, monthly, or custom recurrence rules
• Exceptions for holidays or cancellations
• Multiple recurrence patterns in a single series

This saves time, reduces errors, and ensures your event listings are always current.

2. Custom Views = Better UX

The plugin offers multiple layout options—month view, list view, day view, and even a photo view. You can display events in the format that makes the most sense for your audience. For example:

• A yoga studio might use weekly view to show classes
• A music venue might highlight photo view for visual impact
• A nonprofit could default to list view for easy registration scanning

When users can find what they’re looking for easily, they’re more likely to engage, RSVP, or buy tickets.

3. Smart Venue and Organizer Management

Each event can be tied to venues and organizers—complete with Google Maps integration. This is great for SEO, brand cohesion, and user confidence. It also allows repeat venues and partners to be reused and cross-linked, which makes calendar setup faster over time.

4. Seamless Ticketing Integration

Here’s where it gets really useful: Events Calendar Pro plays beautifully with the Event Tickets and Event Tickets Plus plugins.

That means you can:

• Sell tickets directly from your site (no third-party fees)
• Set capacity limits
• Offer multiple ticket tiers or pricing levels
• Track attendance
• Sync orders with WooCommerce (if you want)

No more redirecting users to another platform. You own the full experience, which increases conversion rates and keeps your branding consistent.

Bring the Promo Game: Events Calendar + Promoter

Once you’ve got your event on the calendar and tickets in the cart, how do you make sure people actually show up?

Promoter is an email marketing automation tool that integrates directly with your events. It allows you to:

• Automatically send reminders to attendees
• Promote upcoming events to previous ticket holders
• Follow up after events with surveys or calls-to-action
• Segment your audience by ticket type, date, or behavior

This isn’t a generic newsletter blast—it’s targeted communication tied directly to event behavior. Think Mailchimp meets event intelligence.

Save Time with Aggregator

Let’s say your events live across multiple platforms—Eventbrite, Meetup, Facebook, or Google Calendar. You don’t want to manually copy/paste every date into your WordPress calendar.

That’s where Event Aggregator comes in. It pulls in events from other platforms and syncs them into your WordPress calendar. You can even import via iCal or CSV. For businesses juggling many events across departments or sources, this is a huge time-saver.

The Real Business Value of Events Calendar Pro

Okay, we’ve talked features. But what’s the actual ROI for your business or organization?

Own the Experience
When you manage events through your own site, you keep your audience on your domain, in your brand, and on your terms. That builds trust, improves SEO, and increases sales.

No Platform Fees
Selling tickets on Eventbrite or other platforms? They take a cut. With Events Calendar Pro + Tickets + WooCommerce, you manage your own transactions and keep the full revenue.

Scalable
Whether you’re managing five events a month or 500, this system scales with you. Add-ons like QR code check-ins, attendee registration forms, or integrations with CRMs let you grow over time without rebuilding the wheel.

Better Data and Insights
Know which events perform best, track conversions, and monitor attendance trends over time. With built-in reporting tools and WooCommerce analytics, you have real metrics to guide future decisions.

Boosted Marketing Power
With tools like Promoter, every event becomes a marketing funnel. You can re-engage lapsed attendees, cross-sell similar events, and even build custom email sequences based on purchase behavior.

Who Should Use Events Calendar Pro?

If you’re running a WordPress site and you host any kind of scheduled programming, this plugin suite is worth serious consideration. Here are just a few real-world use cases:

• Museums & Galleries: Schedule exhibits, artist talks, and ticketed tours
• Universities: Post recurring lectures, workshops, and department events
• Performing Arts Centers: Showcase shows with multiple ticket types
• Nonprofits: Promote fundraising events and manage RSVPs
• Corporate Teams: Host webinars, training sessions, and all-hands meetings
• Restaurants & Breweries: Promote trivia nights, beer releases, and music events
• Health & Wellness Brands: Offer class schedules and appointment signups

If your goal is to simplify event logistics, own the customer journey, and make smarter marketing moves—Events Calendar Pro is a perfect match.

Why We Recommend Events Calendar Pro

We’ve implemented Events Calendar Pro and its suite of tools for clients across industries—from small community orgs to nationwide brands. It’s a low-friction, high-impact way to streamline your events from promotion to check-in, all while staying in control of your digital brand.

If you’re ready to elevate your event strategy and streamline your systems—let’s talk. We’ll help you get it dialed in and performing like a pro.

In today’s competitive digital marketplace, having a flexible, scalable eCommerce solution is essential for growth. WooCommerce – a customizable open-source plugin built on WordPress, offers a robust foundation for businesses of all sizes.

With over 6.3 million active sites and powering nearly 23% of all online stores globally, WooCommerce is more than a shopping cart—it’s a dynamic business engine. We’re going to explore the diverse capabilities of WooCommerce and how it can transform your business operations.

Beyond Physical Products – Unlocking Versatility with WooCommerce

WooCommerce supports more than just traditional retail. Its flexible architecture allows businesses to expand into digital and experiential markets with ease. From services to virtual products and concerts to online experiences, we can find a solution that suites your business needs without breaking the bank.

Selling Services

Services have a wide range from in-home to virtual consulting – all easily solved by using a tool that allows customers to book your services with ease. Though every job may be different, there is always common denominators. Take an electrician for example – a simple fan installation might be a great loss leader for more work once they are on the job site. A simple service purchase for a $99 fan installation could yield thousands of dollars in revenue over time.

Or, maybe you are consulting and your initial consultation requires a deposit. Enabling tools like Calendly or other various WordPress-friendly scheduling tools allow you to connect calendars and e-commerce without chasing down payment.

Virtual, and Downloadable Products

Digital products represent a fast-growing segment in eCommerce, with the global e-learning market alone projected to reach $457.8 billion by 2026. WooCommerce allows businesses to sell downloadable products such as eBooks, software, music, or design templates with secure, automated delivery.

More on LMS Integrations

The global online learning market continues to expand, and integrating WooCommerce with platforms like Teachable or TalentLMS allows businesses to monetize educational content efficiently. Manage payments, offer bundled courses, and control user access—all from your WooCommerce dashboard.

With simple plugin implementation – we can connect your learning management software and WooCommerce to create purchasable courses (or products) that automate the customer journey from purchase to access of your content platform.

Events and Ticketed Experiences

While event ticketing companies like Eventbrite offer canned pages for you to use on their platforms – your WordPress website has the power to host it’s own events and allow users to purchase tickets. From online ticket purchasing to booking experiences like the infamous HandleBar pedal bike – plugins like WooCommerce Bookings or integrations with event management tools make it easy to handle time slots, attendee tracking, and customer communication.

Enhance Customer Experience and Operational Efficiency

WooCommerce’s extensible ecosystem empowers businesses with advanced tools designed to increase customer satisfaction and streamline backend processes – saving you time and money.

Subscriptions and Recurring Payments

Recurring revenue models are increasingly popular, with the subscription eCommerce market expected to reach $904.2 billion by 2026. WooCommerce Subscriptions enables businesses to offer flexible billing cycles, free trials, and account management features that promote customer retention.

Flexible Payment Solutions

WooCommerce payment supports a wide range of payment methods to accommodate diverse customer needs, including:

• Cash on Delivery: Ideal for local delivery services
• Invoicing and Net-30 Terms: Perfect for B2B transactions and enterprise-level clients
• Credit Cards, PayPal, and Digital Wallets: Seamless checkout experiences

By offering multiple payment options, businesses can reduce cart abandonment and build trust.

Wishlists and Product Favorites

Research shows that personalized shopping experiences increase conversion rates by up to 80%. WooCommerce’s wishlist and favoriting capabilities allow customers to save products for later, creating re-engagement opportunities and encouraging repeat purchases.

Let’s Build a WooCommerce Store That Works for You

At Kicks Digital, we specialize in crafting tailored WooCommerce solutions that align with your business goals. Whether you’re selling physical products, digital downloads, managing event registrations, or offering subscription-based services, our team can help you implement a scalable, professional eCommerce experience.

Ready to transform your online business? Schedule a consultation with our team to explore how WooCommerce can drive your digital growth.

Sources:

1. BuiltWith (2024) – WooCommerce Usage Statistics
   https://trends.builtwith.com/shop/WooCommerce
2. Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (2021) – E-Learning – Global Market Trajectory & Analytics
   https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5139530
3. UnivDatos Market Insights (2022) – Global Subscription E-commerce Market Report
   https://univdatos.com/report/subscription-e-commerce-market/
4. Epsilon (2018) – The Power of Me: The Impact of Personalization on Marketing Performance
   https://www.epsilon.com/us/insights/resources/personalization-consumer-survey

As seasoned marketers we’ve been in our fair share of client relationships, both “celebratory drinks, on me!” good and “is the bar open this early on a Tuesday?” bad. We’re no couples counselors, but we’ve put together a list of red flags for marketers and their clients to look out for at every stage of a project— and what to do about them.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The project feels like more of a priority for one side than the other.

The problem: Service-based companies like marketing agencies exchange time for money — no surprises there. Every second spent turning attention to a specific project is time not spent addressing the others you’ve got on your plate. In extreme cases, that can mean a lot of money down the drain.

Marketing relationships really purr when both agency and client are equally committed to hitting the ground running. The moment when one side drops the ball — be it through ignoring emails or procrastinating on deliverables — is when things start to get frustrating and costly.

The underlying factor here is that your project isn’t the only thing on our plate, or on yours. That means it’s mutually beneficial for marketers and clients to set clear expectations to prioritize the project so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

The solution: Everyone’s time is valuable, and that’s true on both the marketer’s side and the client’s. 

Here are some tips so that both sides of the equation can get what they need:

Tips for clients:

When you have a request, come prepared with all the details your marketing partners will need to get the job done. Prepare for a back and forth, and set time on your calendar to provide feedback in a timely manner. Remember: you’re our priority if we’re yours.

What to send over with your request:

• Assets — If we need existing files to do our work, make sure you pass them along. Think logos, fonts, examples, etc.
• Specs — Give us size, dimensions, and any other specifications that we’ll need to give you the exact deliverables you need. “I need an A5 trifold” is a lot more helpful than “I need a brochure.”
• Specifics — Context matters. If you need a blog, does it relate to any social posts or email blasts you’re doing? If it’s a digital file, where will it live and how do you plan to distribute it?

Tips for marketers:

Clients have a hundred different things going on daily that’s outside of this project. It’s on us to set clear expectations every step of the way, so clients know what you’ll need for success. 

At Kicks, we often send out weekly wrap-up emails on Friday that outline every facet of the project. This way, our clients understand what we need from them, and the timeline implications if there are any setbacks.

What to include in a weekly recap:

• A recap of the week / what we accomplished together
• What we owe you / when we anticipate getting it to you
• What you owe us / what we can’t complete until we receive it
• What’s on the horizon / what to block time for in the coming weeks

Timelines and/or project costs feel unrealistic.

The problem: Depending on which side of the marketer/client relationship you’re on, project deadlines can feel way too close for comfort or frustratingly slow. On the other side of the coin, the cost to take your project from concept to completion can either feel like a steal or a total ripoff.

The solution: A lot of the time, this comes down to a lack of open communication about what goes into bringing a project to life. Let’s break it down on the actual cost of marketing timelines:

1. “I want it cheap and fast” —  We can get your project done on the cheap and real quick-like, but it will come at the expense of quality. This approach will cost you in the end when you hire a professional to redo everything from the ground up.
2. “I want it fast and good” — If you come to the table with a looming deadline and can’t sacrifice quality, it’ll cost ya. That “rush fee” is because you’re asking your marketing partners to place more importance on you than any other paying client. Expect a premium price for the exclusive attention. 
3. “I want it good and cheap” — Well, this just isn’t a thing. You pay for experience, you pay for quality. Most will say good and cheap is slow, but a lack of consistent attention means a poor experience on both sides of the relationship.

The time to set expectations about costs and timelines is at the onset of the marketer/client relationship — not when deadlines are breathing down your neck. Pull the hours spent on previous projects and quantify them, so that everyone at the table understands the realistic cost and time associated with particular deliverables.

Adding hours or budget to a retainer can be an awkward situation, but in our experience it’s a lot better to get that tough conversation out of the way instead of bashing your heads against unrealistic expectations every month. Do the hard thing and set yourselves up for success down the road.

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

Major copy changes are still being made once the project is in design.

The problem: In practice, marketing projects can be all-hands-on-deck at any stage of production — but in an ideal world, writers get all the copy 100% squared away before they bundle it up with a bow on top and pass it to design.

Why? Well, here are some reasons for starters:

• It’s easier to change tons of text in a Google Doc than in Photoshop — Google Docs are living, breathing documents. Since changes are made in real time, it’s best to treat these as the gospel on approved copy. If you’re using the Adobe Suite as a word processor, you’re doing it wrong.
• Versioning is a thing — Did that headline change on pharmacy_brochure_final_FINAL_v3.pdf get copied over to pharmacy_brochure_FOR_REAL_FINAL.pdf? Or did it get lost in the shuffle? 
• Designers are super talented… but they’re not spell checkers — No shade, agency designers are paid for their design chops, and not their ability to spot typos. Those last-minute, late-night changes that clients send over aren’t always put through the standard QC process.
• The review process wasn’t definitive — Major changes this late in the game mean one of two things: either the agency writer rushed things to get the project off their plate, or the client failed to get feedback from 100% of stakeholders before giving it their stamp of approval.

The solution: If you’re making huge copy changes late in the game, it’s a sign that you need to Implement an official review process and stick to it. 

It’s on the marketing agency to clearly outline the review process, and what’s needed from the client at each stage. In the image below, you’ll see Kicks’ standard review process for most projects that we paste at the top of all relevant Google Docs. It’s detailed, requires sign-off from both parties in the form of check boxes, and makes sure there’s no room for misinterpretation.

Kicks Review Process

This document will go through two rounds of edits before it is considered Final. Kicks and the Client will check the appropriate box below when this document is ready for the other party’s review.

• Kicks: This document is Version 1, and is ready for client review.
  • Client: All stakeholders have seen this document, and we have submitted all feedback for Version 1. Once those edits have been made, this document will be considered Version 2. We understand that this is the time for major revisions, including missing content, factual inconsistencies, tonal changes, etc.
• Kicks: This document is Version 2, and is ready for client review.
  • Client: All stakeholders have seen this document, and we have submitted all feedback for Version 2. Once those edits have been made, this document will be considered Final. We understand that this is the time for minor tweaks, including word choice, slight expansions on existing content, minor redactions, etc.
• Kicks: This document is Final.
  • Client: We have additional feedback and understand that these additional edits may be invoiced at an hourly rate.

Design has gone through an unreasonable amount of revisions.

The problem: Sometimes marketers nail design in one fell swoop, and other times we have to go back to the drawing board. Revisions are part of life in any marketing relationship, but when design gets stalled it’s often the sign that direction isn’t as clear as it could be.

When a client isn’t sure about where they want to go visually or feels an immediate negative response to the work they’re being shown, feedback usually sounds something like “I don’t like this one” or “I hate red.”

While that’s valuable feedback on some level, the more specific a client is with their feedback on design, the quicker we can hit the nail on the head and make progress toward our mutual goal.

The solution: Visualizing what design changes you want can be difficult at times, especially if you’re not the most creative person — that’s okay, that’s why you hired us! The important thing is that we build a collaborative client/designer relationship that allows us both to discuss what’s working and what’s not. 

Here are some tips on how to give actionable feedback to your designer, so you’ll never have to say “I’ll know what I like when I see it” ever again:

1. Be as specific as possible — If you need an element replaced — like an image, color, font, or otherwise — try to relay what you’d like to see more of in addition to what you’d like to see less of. You could offer a suggestion as “could we try brown or blue instead?” or “I’m not sure that image of the kid is working, could you find a photo with a more excited expression?” If you’re able to give one or two possible alternatives in your feedback, it’s super actionable for the designer to switch it out quickly. 
2. Feel free to ask questions — Not sure if you like a design element but don’t know what to say about it? Feel free to ask the designer why they chose it or if they could push further in a certain direction: “I want our brand to feel family-oriented, could we add more images like that?”
3. Focus on the strategic goal of the design work — Beyond personal design preferences, we have to remember the strategic angle of the project. Who is the target audience? Do the visuals follow the company brand? Is the design work communicating the desired outcome? Coming at feedback through the lens of the strategic goal can help you articulate why something isn’t working for you.
4. Share what’s good about it — We’re definitely not fishing for compliments here, but make sure you add in what you really like about the work! While it’s easy to forget the positives at times, sharing what you like helps us design in the right direction. You can always add “This section is great” or “This image is perfect, could you add a similar one on the next page?” At the end of the day, sharing positive feedback shares the positive vibes. In the trenches of every design project, we need to be reminded that we’re just humans trying to make something good together.

WEB DEVELOPMENT

There’s tension between the marketing agency and internal/external IT teams.

The problem: Great news — you hired a marketing agency to build your website! Bad news — that move raised the hackles of the people you’ve previously hired to manage IT for you, whether they’re a full-time staff member or a third-party vendor.

To build and launch a successful website, it takes your agency, your internal IT department, and your other tech partners working together in lock step. Nine times out of ten people are great to work with, but if someone throws a monkey wrench in the process to justify their position or value to your organization, it’s going to have lasting repercussions for your site.

The solution: The solution here is always to rope in the decision maker or point person and work through the issue together. Without one person calling the shots, it’s easy for the web build to devolve into he-said-she-said nonsense that delays your launch time and creates problems on your back end.

At Kicks we often talk directly with IT folks and vendors to get to the bottom of tech issues. Sometimes those calls go super smoothly, but other times we’re left more confused than before we picked up the phone. In our experience, looping the head honcho in on those calls makes direction a lot clearer.

Not only do our client decision makers have the historical knowledge and a knack for sticking to the process — they also have a knack for cutting through egos and getting everyone back on the same page. In short, when in doubt, toss one more person on that meeting invite and you’ll be golden.

Outside of the typical daily stress of work, employee evaluations drive anxiety. We go home and talk about it with family or friends. We let it fester and keep us up at night. We slowly collapse like a dying star. The outcome? Potentially our worst interaction with our employers. 

An employee should not have to hold their breath and breath a giant sigh of relief once it’s over. So, how can you do better?

Reduce Employee Review Stress

Let’s be honest. There are companies that have the mentality that YOU should be happy to be employed by THEM. You are replaceable. You are expendable and not in a cool way like Arnold or Stalone. You should be glad to get your paycheck, and you should be hopeful it comes with benefits like a matching 401k, dental, and health insurance. If you are one of those who work in such a place, I feel for you. I’ve been there, and luckily, I work with a team that values each team member as an intricate piece of a machine. This looming feeling has been evermore present during this pandemic. With no way to predict the future, employees’ stress has been at an all-time high. When introducing your employee evaluations simple steps to mitigate undue stress will allow you to have a stronger gauge of your employees’ performance. 

Be Frequent

Inconsistent evaluation cadence can be a trigger for employees. When an employee goes extended periods of time with no interaction from upper management, the likelihood of a hostile response will take place. In a survey conducted of 1,500 employees, 46% of employees claimed the more frequent and positive their interactions were, the more engaged they were in their work and organization. The same study found that the same employees were more enthusiastic about company-wide goals versus the segment that was only focused on their own work. 

Employee evaluations take time and people-power. Unless you are equipped to have formal sit-downs with each individual, frequent and informal interactions or check-ins can go a long way to promoting employee satisfaction..

Set Expectations

Dropping a bomb on someone’s calendar is just rude. Sure, as management you’ve maybe earned the right but be sure to back it up with context. I promise you, we significant others will appreciate actual conversations NOT about work. This is why Google and the link gave you the handy notes section of the invitation. Be clear and let your employee know what to expect. Something to the effect of…

“This is your employee review. Breath. Everything will be okay. Breath. We are just going to talk. Breath. Please do not spin out when you get home and ruin dinner thinking about this calendar invite.”

Most of the time, it’s something like…

Nope, didn’t forget the content. Just a keen observation of the many invites I’ve received over the years. 

In our organization, we provide a series of questions to review prior to the meeting in order to drive conversation rather than the “Uhm… well, I uh….” which wastes everyone’s time and achieves nothing. Employee review is critical. 

Don’t Seek Input From Others Before the Interview

Much like that of the world we live in, knowing something prior usually paints your view of the object or the person before you actually interact. If Employee A is a great employee and Employee B is upset because of Employee A’s success and productivity, why would Employee B’s input hold any weight? Unfortunately, I’ve watched this first hand. The exercise of the coward is to deflect attention and divert accountability away from themselves. 

When seeking input from colleagues or managers, make sure you seek information at a deeper level. If the input comes back positive, ask for specific examples and data. If the input comes back negative, what did their manager do to fix the issue? If they cannot back up their claim, then this claim is irrelevant to their review. While we like to assume we are all business, we are humans who let emotion take over, sometimes at the expense of others well being. 

Provide Outcomes and Support

If the review is not ideal and the outcome warrants follow-up on performance, then you should be willing to provide support and resources for this employee. Simply put, if you are not removing them from the team, then you are saying that they are worth investing time into. But, this also comes with an expectation that you understand WHY their performance is lacking. This can be due to outside issues, lack of try, or lack of belief in you as a leader. More of than the last one in a second.

At Kicks, we know that there are skills that you cannot teach. This usually comes in the form of carrying an intelligent conversation and being able to move through like a ninja while commanding the room. If I don’t take you seriously, our clients won’t either. What can be taught is a basic digital marketing implementation and we are willing to teach to an extent. I can teach you how to use Illustrator, but are you artistic? There is the line.

Eyes Open and Wake Up

As the marketing team leader, I am not so dense to believe I am the ultimate Marketing Director. I work in many areas of our company and lead all projects outside of monthly marketing deliverables. I will be the first to say to my team, “give me the rundown; I’ve been busy." I will never take the route of the many in this industry that wants to flex their inferiority masked as superiority in an attempt to hide that they’ve been checked out. I see often. I hear it often. 

Your job as a leader is to lead. If you can’t, move aside and let the ones who can, do. Management tends to be a stale position unless they are tied to a sales quota. Once promoted, senior-level management feels a sense of relief that it’s not their job, not their prob, so they hand the reins over, hopeful that the same tenacity and drive that they promoted them for remains constant. What seems to happen is that focus is shifted away from management and accountability, and often blame for lack of production/quality, downshifts to the peasants. 

Be Accountable as an Employer

Let’s be honest. As an employee, I want to know what you are doing as an advocate of your team. How are you spending your time? Where were you when you decided to skip our team meeting and tell us five minutes before? As a leader, you should hold yourself to the same standard that you have for your employees. No one wants to work for an aloof boss, and no one respects them. If this were me, I would be embarrassed. What I love about my team is each of us, at some point, is involved and in the weeds. We are in-tune, and if you don’t feel like you are, you are about to be clued in. No one gets in the van unless they know where we’re going (also, this is a life lesson. Be wary of vans).

Let’s call it “culture."

It’s one thing to use the world culture on your website. It’s another thing to embed it in your company. At Kicks, we say, and we live it. Our culture is like the SNL writer’s room. This is very true. We are brutally honest, value all ideas, invest in our people, and don’t place seniority of skill. We don’t write something sexy for our about page so you think we are good people. This is why we call ourselves “The Anti-Agency." This concept is not born from superiority or the notion that agencies are wrong. We simply leave out the bits that waste time on internal employee struggles and ego handling.

When we say we invest in people, I mean that in the most vital sense. If I met you on the street and your ability to shuck and jive in our conversation is outstanding, you have a soft skill that is hard to teach. Inversely, you can learn about the digital marketing world through experience. My fiance taught herself PPC advertising to get a foot in the door and is now a Senior Art Director. She only got there by teaching herself skills she did not have. 

When I say we value ideas, we genuinely have a standing Wednesday meeting called the SNL Writer’s Room, where we pitch ideas between the entire department. We don’t silo creativity and leave it to one person to make the call. This usually fails. However, we also know when an idea is terrible and trust when someone with a keen eye says so (even if this person is NOT the Creative Director).

When I say we place skill over seniority, the world changes. Just like politics, we have a demographic of politicians that still carry the ways of old in a world that changes at the drop of a hat. What worked in the 1990s for Pepsi probably doesn’t work for them in the 2020s. When a company defaults to promotion based on “time due," be prepared to sacrifice talent that is overlooked. Kids these days, if Fortnite didn’t swallow them whole, can likely run laps around senior-level management. 

One could argue that “kids these days" lack management experience. Newsflash pop pop, how do you get management experience if you never get a chance to be a manager? Too often, great employees are overlooked by the ones that should be leading.

Employer Evaluations

If you can subject your employees to critical review that their job depends on, the traffic should flow both ways. Unless you sign a contract of immunity punishable by lawsuits in court for breach of contract, you will likely never hear the truth (Indiana is an employed-at-will state). This is usually reserved for employees who’ve left or were fired that left reviews on Glassdoor.com. Sadly, employers will say, “they were disgruntled." My god, how some people can be so sensitive to honesty.  

Saying “we’re listening" is just like talking about company culture. You can listen, but will you do anything? In a survey of 675 workers, 64% responded that workplace issues were directly correlated to leadership making decisions without consulting their workforce. When organizational changes impact the ones that make the world turn, you should value their input. Failure to do so will keep employees from becoming evangelists for your company. Effectively, you’ve turned their career into a job based on their lack of belief in you. 

How can you do better as a company?

1. Implement more frequent check-ins and not pose ambiguous meetings without reason or expectation. 
2. Use tools like Tiny Pulse or internal survey programs to gauge anonymous feedback from your employees.
3. Place more importance on auditing your management-level employees.
4. Revisit your employee growth strategy and gather feedback from employees who voluntarily leave.
5. Conduct stronger exit-interview for employees who are being let go. Sometimes you’ll find their lack of output may be tied directly to your lack of inspiration. 

For everything else, there’s Mastercard.

Often, where team selling can be most impactful, the salesperson asks for team resources that don’t have a selling background. This approach can be fraught with challenges and can lead to setbacks and significant frustrations in the sales process if there isn’t an appropriate plan in place. 

Leverage team selling in these instances: 

• Complex sales situations 

Some purchases can seem simple on the surface. Still, when purchasing decisions impact foundational brand principles, modes of operations, or are so costly that budgets get sacrificed elsewhere to make space for purchase, it’s a complex sales situation. Typically, these situations require multiple subject matter experts (SME’s) approval, input, or understanding. In this instance, you’re using team selling to create alignment, reduce friction and get in front of objections around implementation concerns. 

• Strategic account-based implementation 

If policies, process or set-up is required; leverage a team selling approach. For organizations with advanced role-specialization, it is crucial to bring these key team members together. Team members can ask questions and address concerns on the front-end rather than bumbling the onboarding process. Team selling can help create and uncover possible modifications to a plan that can make a more seamless customer experience. 

• Demonstrate breadth or security of a relationship 

Even if a sale isn’t overly complex, sometimes it’s beneficial to leverage a team’s depth. If the deal involves a long-term relationship, it can soothe a prospect to engage with other team members. It gives them a sense of what type of engagement to expect once they’re on the other side of a sale. 

If you’ve opted that a team sales approach is most appropriate, be sure to cover these steps to avoid issues: 

1. Establish roles and responsibilities before the meeting. Understand who is there for what purpose. 
2. Make proportionate recommendations. If an organization has 1-2 key players at the table, there is no reason to bring five or more players together from your team. Think of this just like pickup basketball. Make it as ‘fair’ and proportionate as possible. Psychologically, this is a much more imaginative play. 
3. Maintain a single point of contact from each organization.  A single point of contact should be the ‘spokesperson’ on behalf of the group. Groupthink can cause delays, create confusion and ultimately be unproductive for all parties. 
   • For example, for Kicks, I run point on all of our accounts pre-sell. I’m calling the shots on who is pulled in from our team and determining the extent to which they play pre-sale. Post-sale, however, our Marketing Director or one of our Marketing Managers runs point on the account. Post-sale is the point at which that other team member ‘owns’ the relationship. To be clear, a single person should ‘own’ an external relationship at a given point. That doesn’t mean that other parties don’t contribute to that relationship. It means that the buck must stop with a single point of contact for productivity and clarity sake. 
4. For non-salespeople on the call or meeting, be sure to establish social queues, and the lead salesperson on the account should prompt participants specifically for input. Communicate that pre-call plan. 
5. Set a time limit, schedule, clear objectives at the onset of the meeting, and state next steps for the whole group or specific individuals at the close of a call or meeting. 

In effect, team ‘selling’ is misleading as your team planning. The process allows expertise and multi-channel touchpoints an opportunity to come together before the onboarding process takes place, creating opportunities for you and your clients. 

(Important for later: $32,000 list price > $24,250 with discount > $19,750 with another specific discount – “High pressured sale close")

Onto, Company B

The doorbell rings and the salesman introduces himself. I run through where we are, why he is there, and what I am NOT looking to do. Reassurances of no gimmicks or pressured sales tactics and a light banter about why the previous company wasn’t a good one ensues. From go, I felt I am just a human with a laser pointer toying with an unknowing cat. Since the empathetic side of me overrides my aggressive, short nature, I let him continue. Since my fiance was not there for the beginning, here are the quick notes: 

1. “You need wood doors and windows in this house."
2. “I would never sell you vinyl anything for this type of home."

After she shows up, we recap, but suddenly the pitch turns. Vinyl is on the table, the benefits of why we should buy vinyl, and explaining why we should buy what he had just pitched. Odd. So, why are you reading this? Simply put, as a company that sells a product or service, conviction, transparency, and consistency are essential to building and maintaining every customer relationship.

Conviction

As a representative for a company, you should have a strong belief in what you are selling. Let me be clear on one thing—conviction in your product, not lack thereof in a competitor. You should know your product inside and out, what makes it unique, and know specifically what the advantages are that aren’t found on your website. For a buyer like me, I don’t need a scripted “off-the-page" reading. I do my research. Now, wow me or don’t, the sale is up to you. 

Too often, the default for a salesperson is to speak to why their competitor’s product lacks in quality and why their warranty is lacking. Still, most, if not all, companies hold similar guarantees and promises in their sector to remain competitive. So, why do you really sell your product? As an aside, I quit Angie’s List for this reason. I knew I could make a sweet, sweet commission off my clients who were sold overpriced advertising, and I was to renew it with a premium every year, or I would lose my job. I knew it didn’t work and their dollars were better spent on direct to consumer advertising. When I realized I didn’t believe in it, I quit. 

(Note: I left for Kick’s Digital Marketing (then Fight For Small), and I’ve been here for seven years. I might believe in what we’re doing here .)

Transparency

Those long-winded details of the second company serve a purpose, I promise. In the beginning, I mentioned that each room in our home is unique, and I couldn’t put vinyl windows in our den or bar, which prompted his declaration of “I would never sell you vinyl for this home." Fast forward to the end of the conversation, where we are being steered toward Simonton by Ply Gem. I get it now. Working at Angie’s List, Ply Gem was a significant player in advertising, offering vendors incentives to push their product. 

As it turns out, Ply Gem is exclusive to this vendor, and further research after our consultation produced evidence that their sales team receives incentives to sell their product. I wouldn’t say his pitch was tactical, but he did something I often see in the marketplace. If a buyer looks for quality, most of the time, they have a hard time choking down the price point. So, when a prominent manufacturer provides incentives to sell inferior products, they can swoop in to entice the sale with a lower price. In the end, the salesperson gains more commission by selling a product that costs less at the expense of quality for the buyer.

The same lack of transparency was also present in our first consultation. Remember the price note at the beginning of this article? Well, my sister had the same company come and quote their home — eight windows and two doors for $14,000 flat. When I analyzed my interaction with my sister on the phone later, she brought up my home. Compared to her house, ours is triple the size, twice the cost, and sits at the front of a “prestigious" neighborhood. I quote this because foolish developers throw fancy brick pillars on each side of the street, and suddenly, their homes are exclusive when in fact they’ve simply made the homes targets for predatory salespeople.  

When challenged on the “why," the salesman defaulted to, “you’re getting a better product." False, it’s the same product. To combat this, “she didn’t get a warranty." False. Same warranty. Keep digging the hole, buddy. “She didn’t use our installers." Wrong again. By the end of his visit in my home, he tried to pull his mistakes back by matching and mirroring anything and everything he could to become the friendly salesman. My cameras, my guitars, down to the Phillips Hue lights in my home, all in an attempt to make it seem like I was more than a quota filler. In the end, predatory selling like this will make your company known for deceptive sales and disingenuous salespeople.

Consistency

In a world where we pivot on a whim, finding those who remain consistent is a challenge. I am speaking not only of quality or service, but in personality and brand. What does this mean? Let’s use  Indigofera Jeans as an example. After being introduced to them at James Dant in Irvington, I learned about the brand. What makes their company unique? Their commitment to quality. Sure, many companies can say this, but to stand behind it is a different trait altogether. 

When I buy clothes, I opt for high-quality products because mass-produced clothing is a big issue for the world. Why buy a throwaway Hanes when I can buy a thicker, quality-made white shirt that will last more than two washes? When it comes to denim, I buy selvage. It lasts longer, takes on unique traits, and each pair is unique to how you wear them. I don’t bat an eye at a $200 pair of jeans because I know this is equivalent to four-to-five Levi’s that last a fraction of the lifespan. I digress. 

I walked into the closet to grab my trusty Indigiofera Nash. Low and behold, a split seam where the waistline meets the pant. I thought, “f^&k, really? What a waste." Except, knowing Indigofera is about quality, I slid in their DM and let them know this happened. Within an hour, one of their makers messaged back, telling me, “I will check to see if we have your size in stock and if not, take them back to Tommy, and we will credit him for the swap." I was stunned. Not only were they taking a loss on their bottom line, but it was over a year since I purchased them.

If you open my closet, you will see ten or so Indigofera shirts and a few jeans pairs. Their commitment to a consistent quality product made me a lifetime subscriber to their brand. When a new release of their always limited run hits the social feed, I don’t bat an eye deciding if “the price is worth the product." Nope, they’ve removed the concern. If the quality and consistency are there, you train your customer never to question or think. 

Roll it into one

I know it is tough to be all things to everyone. As a company, the bigger you get, the more you sacrifice quality control. You could see this in McDonald’s rapid expansion. It was their heart and soul for the McDonald’s brothers, their processes, and their product that meant everything to them. Now, despite optimization, McDonald’s is known for poor-quality food with an expectation of fudged orders, but damnit if their service ain’t fast. 

I don’t blame companies like Home Depot, Andersen, or the like. I don’t frown on McDonald’s for its high output of garbage food. I blame us. As the world grows in population, so does demand. Food shortage requires cheaper, faster delivery. Growing housing demands faster builds with cheaper, inferior quality products. 

For a business owner, it often comes down to dollars and ‘sense’. Yes, sense. Does it make sense to take a hit on quantity for the sake of maintaining quality? Does it make sense to forego why you started your journey to watch it take on a new skin in an evolving market? Or, do you accept that you cannot be everything to everyone, but you can be what your company set out to be when you check your ego and leave traditional corporate greed off the table. 

You know where you want to take your business this year—where you want it to grow, where you see it going, and what your overarching goals are. (If you don’t have that, figure that out first, and then move on to the next paragraph.)

Once your business goals are established, the next step is to decide on a purpose for your marketing efforts. A big, overarching goal you want your marketing to achieve. These can be goals you set per campaign, per quarter, whatever you like. BUT having a goal will help you stay on track and make sure you’re working to further your business’s larger goals. This marketing goal can be, but is not limited to:

• Increase awareness of your brand
• Gather customer feedback and reviews
• Promote a new product or service
• Increase client engagement
• Advertise events
• (Insert your goal here)

These goals are great (and we’re here to help you with these if you need), but let’s break them down further into SMART goals so that they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. This is how your big picture goals become actionable. Once you map out the SMART part of your goals, you have tasks, timelines, and details. And once your results come, you will have what you need to assess its success. This is the fastest path to marketing growth.

SPECIFIC – What is the goal?

• Take your general goal and hone in on the specifics

MEASURABLE – How will you track progress and know when you’ve reached success?

• Figure out what metrics you will use to track progress
• Set key performance indicators (KPIs) so that you have benchmarks

ATTAINABLE – Is your goal realistic? And do you have the tools you need?

• Make sure your goal is practical
• Assess you and your team’s skills and tools, make sure they align with the goal
• If you need to amplify your team’s capabilities and resources, how will you do this?
• Decide on a budget 

RELEVANT – Does this goal align with your company vision?

• Make sure your goals reflect how marketing can best help your company’s goals
• Marketing goals should be directly reflective of the company’s larger mission

TIMELY – What is your deadline?

• Talk with your team and decide on something doable. Getting buy-in drives transparency and accountability in the process
• Take vacation time, workable hours, etc into account

Let’s take a general goal example and turn it into a SMART goal:

Goal: To gather customer feedback

SMART Goal: To gather 100 new Google reviews (specific & measurable) by December 31, 2021 (timely), by using an email campaign (attainable) to new and former customers (relevant)

Once you’ve got your SMART goal mapped out, it’s time to make a plan. Outline and assign tasks, set dates, get your tools and software ready to go, and you’re rolling!

Tips to make this go as smoothly as possible:

• Get your team involved
  • If they have a voice, they will feel more invested in making it happen
  • Open and clear communication about what is expected helps mitigate problems that may arise 
• Tools and software are your best friend
  • Excel has its purpose but think about utilizing project management software to help keep you moving toward your goals.
  • There are lots of software tools out there to help you with marketing (and just your business in general). Investigate those if you haven’t used them before for your specific goal. Here’s a list of some we find helpful.
• All of this sound like a lot? An agency might be the move for you.
  • There’s a lot that goes into each and every marketing goal, and if you’re a one-person show, there are things you won’t be able to do. 
  • Working with an agency doesn’t have to be all-encompassing. Choosing to offload certain aspects of your marketing efforts can free up your employees/teammates to do more effective work.
• If you work with an agency, make sure they know your goals
  • This sounds like it should go without saying, but sometimes those goals change and there is a communication blip. It never hurts to make sure everyone is on the same page.
• Roadblocks will occur
  • Keep an eye on your KPIs frequently so you can catch problems in their infancy.
  • Know that things don’t always go according to plan, and be prepared for that. Goals are adjustable! 

Best of luck with your 2021 marketing and business goals! Thinking you may need some help making your’s happen? We’re always here to help.

In fact, even when they fail, there is something gained from these types of intelligent risks. But how can you tell the difference? Who’s to say one action is more or less risky than another and how can you lead your business to jump into the latter? It’s not exactly simple, but with some info and understanding, you can begin to develop your strategies to include smart risks that could lead to incredible outcomes. 

via GIPHY

What is a smart risk? 

Let’s start with what is not. An unintelligent risk would be swimming in water when there is a sign that clearly states DO NOT SWIM. You’re risking your safety and wellbeing for taking a dip—the negatives of this risk don’t outweigh the positives. It’s a dumb risk becuse there is no reward worthy of the bad that can occur.

via GIPHY

However, a smart risk is considered an opportunity where the potential gain surpasses the potential loss. A smart risk would be noticing that natural deodorants and toiletries are on the rise, so you take the risk and open a virtual marketplace where people can purchase these products at wholesale prices, eliminating the need to go through many overpriced, expensive suppliers and companies. 

Would you lose money initially? Yes. Would it be difficult to build the brand and figure out how to provide cost savings for customers? Yes. Would knowing your market, investing in research, strategy, brand, and digital marketing help you succeed? Yes. Sometimes, you have to weigh the risks versus the rewards and determine which you can live with and which you can’t live without. If you can’t live without trying to achieve the reward, your risk is likely smart and worth pursuing—your opportunity to succeed makes this a smart risk. 

But how do you know it’s worth pursuing? 

You will never be 100% certain the risk you want to take is going to work out—that’s why even smart ones are still risks. The ones worth pursuing are done with intention, research, and a serious processing of the endeavour in which you’re about to begin. First, if your risk is something that will completely bankrupt you if you fail, ruin the lives of your employees, or set a building on fire, it is not a smart risk. 

If the risk you want to take is based on market and industry trends and research, produces excitement within your workplace and leadership team, or—if you fail—will create a safe environment to support healthy risks (while also not completely destroying your office ecosystem), it’s an intelligent risk, and one that could positively impact your workforce even if it fails. 

via GIPHY

Why failure is more than okay 

Without taking risks we remain stagnant, and stagnance doesn’t foster growth, change, or progress. Even when smart risks fail, they provide the ability for leadership and employees to feel safe sharing, developing, and proposing new ideas. Think of it this way: they make movies about Stephen Hawkings, Steve Jobs, Nicola Tesla, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg because they endured failures to achieve their success If they simply succeeded without learning from failure, their stories wouldn’t hold the same value, and would be boring at best. 

If you’ve evaluated what will happen if your risk fails, and you know you will survive it, even if it’s difficult, that failure isn’t going to define you. Some of our most treasured minds were failures long before they were icons. 

How can smart risks build culture 

There’s a reason why the phrase “no risk, no reward” exists: it’s true. To truly excel and achieve maximum growth within your brand, you’re going to have to roll the dice at some point. Whether it’s a new marketing strategy, campaign, or total rebrand, shaking things up and trying something new, even if it feels scary, is necessary—not only for results, but to build your culture. 

A business where employees feel stifled, nervous, or silenced is one with an absence of culture. One of your employees may hold the golden idea that could skyrocket your brand—but if you’ve created a culture where no one feels comfortable risking their opinions, ideas, and thoughts, that growth is dead in the water. 

The more your teams feel they can express their creativity, the more likely they are to brainstorm and strategize how to create new impact within your brand, the more likely smart risks will develop and new leads, revenue, and growth opportunities will occur. 

To avoid having people taking risks that are the polar opposite of smart, set boundaries, goals, and outlines for what a smart risk means to your company. Encourage others to follow these guidelines so risk management is easier for leadership and of course, never force people to take risks they aren’t comfortable with—this only leads to a culture of fear, and as we’ve learned from horror movies: no one makes smart decisions under the influence of fear. 

via GIPHY

Feel like getting risky? We’re here to help you make smart risks when it comes to your brand with a range of services that can boost your business and create a serious impact. Reach out — it just may be the smartest risk you ever take. 

Wait, what’s digital transformation? 

Digital transformation is the adoption of technology that replaces non-digital or manual processes with digital ones or upgrading older tech with newer tech. This transformation involves people, models, processes, and tools; companies of all shapes and sizes combat different levels of digital efficiency. It’s not the easiest to keep up on, because we’re also in the age of optimization. So, the more you lag, the larger the leap. 

What are the four main types of digital transformation? 

1. Business Process
2. Business Model
3. Domain
4. Cultural or Organizational

Why is digital transformation so important?

In a nutshell, you’re able to make better decisions, faster. When data drives strategy, you can take advantage of the access to information. Today, companies have access to more information than ever, meaning if your company isn’t leveraging information, the leap to catch up to the competition is more of a challenge than it previously was. 

Why the sudden urgency? 

Simply put, if you’re working in a field that’s considered non-essential, then chances are you’re working remotely, or not working at all. Companies and processes that weren’t able to function remotely are quickly scrambling to make it possible. Traditionally, urgency in implementation can lead to poor vetting solutions. When technology is selected haphazardly, inevitably there will be necessary intricacies overlooked. Don’t worry—that can happen even with the best-laid plans, and that’s why there has to be a cultural commitment to iterate and improve. But, if you’re new to all of it, these major shifts can seem like impossible tasks. 

Operationally, each function of a business may have different technology needs. Globally, however, the most important thing is each of your business divisions don’t become too siloed that they’re unable to communicate cross-functionally or that data cannot be exchanged. Evolving helps you meet the growing demands of your customer and employee targets. 

What’s the best approach to digital transformation in each of these four areas of focus? 

• Establish priorities and solve the biggest problem first. Identify problems by frequency, intensity, and potential fall out. 
• Collaborate to gain influence and encourage adoption. Team members with the most direct access and impact should be part of the vetting, selection, and implementation process. This can ensure long-term viability. It’s not uncommon for companies to invest in technology only to have it be misused. 
• Keep up with information flows. Note: if you’ve selected platforms that cannot cross-function and operate exclusively in closed systems, you’ve limited your ability to fully automate. 

Your ability to adapt and adopt smart, user-friendly, intuitive technology both internally and externally within your company is now more than ever directly correlated to your ability to survive and succeed. Competition on the rise. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly one in three (31%) small businesses report facing more competition from smaller or local companies compared to six months ago—a 10 point increase from late May. 

Ready or not, the digital transformation has been here, and now it’s demanding that you pay keen attention.