Three Tips for Improving Business Operations in 2020

by Daniel Matthews, Guest Contributor

​The beginning of a new year is the perfect time for making changes, and changes can improve and drive your business operations in 2020. Running a business is all about constantly evaluating, trying new strategies, and finding ways to improve your operations. From SEO and content marketing to data management and security, there are nearly countless ways that you can change and improve your business. The following three strategies can have a powerful effect and can position your business for increased success in the coming year.
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Focus on Your Data Management Strategy
An effective data management strategy can improve your business operations, and if you’re looking to make changes in 2020, this is probably the best place to start. Improving your data management is a multi-step process, and you can start by revisiting your current data management practices and focusing on how well that strategy is meeting your goals and business objectives. If there are weak areas or missed opportunities to collect data in your program, identify them now and then focus on creating a strategy to improve those issues. 

If you haven’t done so already, it’s probably worth the investment to hire a data management services industry as well, especially if you’re looking to overhaul your strategy and overall program. A good agency can help to walk you through this plan, and they can also help identify shortcomings in your current strategy. As you improve the quality and consistency of the data you collect, you can apply that data to many business areas, from marketing to product and services development. This valuable information can transform your business capabilities and success in 2020.  

Improve Your Local SEO Strategy
If you’re running a brick-and-mortar business, then focusing on improving your local SEO strategy can result in increased website hits and potentially new customers. According to Search Engine Journal, you should start by researching local SEO keywords to ensure that the keywords you’re focusing on are still relevant, as well as to add in new keywords that you may have previously overlooked. Be sure to communicate these new keywords to your marketing department and ensure that they’re incorporated into your website, blog posts, online profiles, and other relevant areas. 

Don’t overlook the importance of quality regional or location pages. These pages allow you to focus on your business’ presence in a certain town or region, and it’s important that they’re well-developed and that they offer visitors quality information. Strengthening these pages with local client testimonials and photos can make them even more effective. 

Finally, focus on your link building strategy to get links back to your regional pages. There are many ways to do this, from writing guest posts to listing your business in regional directories. With a cohesive, comprehensive approach, you can leverage the power of SEO for your business. 

Consider Using SD-WAN
Technology needs to help, not hinder your business, and if slow internet speeds, potential internet security threats, and challenges in reliably and quickly accessing the cloud are restricting your business, it may be time for a change. Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) offer excellent speed and security, and they can help optimize your business’ productivity. 

SD-WAN networks efficiently and securely connect users to applications. Because these networks can be managed by centralized controllers, IT staff can also work on these networks remotely, saving on required on-site repairs and maintenance and keeping your costs down, in turn. Many businesses prefer SD-WAN for its higher browsing speeds, and it can be tailored to suit your business’ traffic optimization needs. With application-based firewalls, URL filtering, and other important security measures, this is also a safe and wise investment for your business that can help to maximize your productivity in 2020. 

Effective Manage Operational Changes
There are many ways to improve your business operations, but to embrace any of these options you may need to make some changes in your business. Managing operational changes is key in making these changes effective and in helping to ensure that the transition is a smooth one. 

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Before you implement these new techniques and approaches in your business, take a step back and remember that these changes will affect your employees and can evoke feelings of confusion, doubt, and even frustration. Realize that each of your employees may feel these changes differently, with supervisors having a different experience with new approaches than some of your other employees may experience. 

When introducing changes in your business, make sure that you’re clear on the “why” behind the changes, and that you share that with your employees. When your employees understand the motivation behind the changes, they’re often more willing and better able to help implement those changes. 

Improving your business operations is an ongoing process, and it’s one that will require evaluations, adaptations, and future changes. While these tips have the potential to improve your business, you’ll need to monitor the process and probably make some adjustments in finessing and perfecting your new techniques so that they work well for your business. 
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About the author:

Dan Matthews is a writer with a degree in English from Boise State University. He has extensive experience writing online at the intersection of business, finance, marketing, and culture. 

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