The COVID-19 pandemic has been very transformative for many businesses throughout 2020 and 2021. Those that are still operating today have managed to stay afloat (and even grow) by quickly adapting to the new rules of the game, and by acting on the new trends imposed by the pandemic.
Growing a startup consistently, for example, demanded that leaders retain an agile business model and adopt the new trends as they appeared.
Others, however, have been forced to close their doors for good. Now that the pandemic seems to be subsiding and that life seems to be returning to normal, you need to start planning for 2022 and the trends that will shape the year and the business world.
Whether your goal is to increase Ecommerce sales or drive more quality traffic to your blog, or achieve any other business goal over the long term, now is the time to start acting on the 2022 predictions. With all of that in mind, here are the key predictions you should take to heart in order to plan ahead safely and achieve consistently better results throughout the following year.
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The greater push towards contactless payment
The COVID-19 crisis has affected the modern consumer in a big way, and it has brought many uncertainties into their lives. Simply put, people are scared of the virus, and rightfully so, and that is affecting their shopping habits and payment preferences in the new normal. Even though we expect little to no restrictions to remain in 2022, consumers will still retain some self-imposed restrictions in order to elevate their health and safety.
For example, they will continue to use contactless payment systems more and more as time goes by. During the pandemic, contactless payment skyrocketed 40% due to fear of germs on cash and credit cards – a time when the US saw unprecedented levels of contactless payment adoption. In 2022 and beyond, contactless payment will continue to thrive around the world, with consumers increasingly using these systems to stay safe but also elevate their overall experience.
Contactless payment is easy and convenient for everyone, so make sure to introduce it into your business as soon as possible.
Delivering personalized omni-channel experiences
Personalization has been one of the foundational pillars of sales, marketing, and customer support success throughout the years. However, in 2022 and beyond, your focus should be on weaving personalization into an omni-channel strategy. Your marketing, sales, and support departments need to be able to engage users and customers across a variety of online and offline channels to achieve their goals. This means engaging with people across all customer touchpoints.
The key here is not only to further personalize their experience, but to also create a seamless and consistent brand experience as well. People want you to know them, acknowledge them, and interact with them on all channels that they use, so for your 2022 strategy, you want to delve deep into customer research.
Make it your goal to identify all the relevant customer touchpoints for your business, and start building a plan right now to centralize all your customer data for seamless engagement between channels. This will also empower your marketing, sales, and support departments to collaborate more efficiently and push your business further.
Build branded apps to capitalize on the mobile demographic
The on-demand economy is on the rise across the globe, meaning that mobile and desktop apps are dominating the consumer market. People want immediate solutions to their problems, and in 2022 and beyond, the need for functional apps and hybrid app development services will continue to rise among businesses in Ecommerce, SaaS, retail, and many other industries. Hybrid apps in particular will help reduce customer effort and create a seamless user experience across channels and platforms.
That said, the emphasis in app development should also be on better branding, because launching your own app is an opportunity to weave your brand into the consumer mindset. Combining a brand dissemination strategy with hybrid app development will help you capitalize on the growing mobile demographic, which will continue to rise throughout 2022 and the years to come.
Facilitating and enabling efficient remote work
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a rapid shift towards remote work. Regardless of the industry or the size of their company, business leaders have been forced to adopt certain Ecommerce processes, shift their operations into the online realm, and somehow adapt to leading a remote workforce. This was the prerequisite for business continuity during the height of the pandemic, but it’s interesting to note that in the new normal, remote work will continue to dominate the business realm.
This should come as no surprise, though, as remote work brings numerous benefits to a growth-oriented business. While it does require strong leadership on your part, you will also need to promote leadership within your remote employees to achieve efficiency and higher productivity.
To facilitate collaboration and efficient communication, you need to invest in a better conferencing solution, and a comprehensive collaboration platform for your remote employees. These technologies will help them work together seamlessly no matter where they are located around the world.
Employee happiness will dictate business growth
Last but not least, in 2022 you’ll want to focus heavily on employee retention. Why? Simply because when the pandemic ends, job security will no longer be a pressing issue for talented employees, and the job market will once again begin to flourish as companies stabilize their finances.
To keep the best of the best at your side as new career opportunities come to light, you will need to invest in employee happiness and advancement programs. Higher salaries and financial incentives coupled with a positive company culture and positive leadership will be the pillars of employee retention. What’s more, focusing on automation will empower your employees to do better work, and shift their focus from repetitive tasks to complex problems.
Throughout 2022, you should also look into kickstarting several career-advancement programs that will provide education and training for your employees so that they continue to thrive professionally.
Over to you
The next year is going to be challenging in many ways for business leaders, and now is the time to start addressing these challenges before they turn into risks. Use these predictions and insights to plan ahead and achieve better results in 2022, setting the stage for continued growth and success.
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Related posts:
- Corporate Logo Design Trends for 2022 - October 14, 2021
- 5 Business Predictions for 2022 to Help You Plan Ahead and Achieve Success - August 3, 2021
One of the most fascinating aspects of life on planet earth now is how finally, in 2020 and 2021, humanity has been forced to face fears head on. All of our problems are fears resisted in mind that we cling to, join with and co-create on a global scale. Businesses will continue to grow because all those biz and life related fears sitting in our collective consciousness seem to have been triggered. This is great news because as we feel and release these fears our businesses will continue to grow.
Ryan
Dear Ryan,
Thank you for the comment. I believe it’s in our nature to adjust and develop continuously.
Best,
Marie
Very true, Marie. Whether for business or personal, we always need to be looking for ways to improve and we need to be flexible to adjust to the different situations thrown our way.
Hi Marie,
How the world does business has definitely changed this last year. I just hope that going forward people start prioritizing savings and financial stability and their HEALTH. People going back to the work place need to be in a better position so the “if I don’t work, I can’t pay rent” mentality isn’t forcing them into the work place when they should be staying home. On the other side employers need to put in place better policies regarding sick leave. I have seen too many examples of people who either can’t afford to take time off when they are sick or are being made to feel guilty if they need time off. Basically being bullied to put work before their health. This issue really needs to be addressed.
SharlaAnn
Hi SharlaAnn,
You are absolutely right – health issues are definitely something I should include in some of my next articles. Thank you so much for pointing it out.
Best,
Marie
All three of those are so important. And you can’t put a price on your health. We stay busy with our little ones, but we’ve made a point of walking as well in addition to all the activities we do with them, just to bring in that extra level of exercise and well-being.
Lots of organizations have that type of culture where the team members actually feel bad if they take off, or worse, they’re afraid they’ll lose their job if they miss a day here and there. That’s not a healthy environment. As a business owner or someone in a authoritative role, you need to set a tone where your team understands you value them and actually want them to take time to focus on their own health, financial stability, etc.
Thanks for reaching, SharlaAnn!