Why should you adopt a mobile-first mentality? The answer’s simple – Millennials prefer their smartphones. Born between 1980 and 2000, Millennials are the largest generation in the world right now. With the majority of baby boomers set to retire over the next ten years Millennials will make up 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025. They’ll also be ready to spend that hard-earned money. So whether hiring or selling, savvy business owners need to appeal to Millennials’ unique preferences:
- As the first generation to grow up in the age of digital technology, Millennials are used to instant access to practically everything, and their phone is their preferred method. According to a 2014 study by Mitek and Zobgy Analytics, a whopping 80 percent of Millennials say the first thing they do each morning is reach for their smartphone, with 87 percent revealing that their phone never leaves their side.
- More than any other generation, Millennials are also striving for a work-life balance. A recent survey from Ernst & Young Global Generation Research found they want more flexibility and are even willing to take a pay cut to get it.
As we learn more about Millennials, it’s easy to understand why it’s so crucial for businesses to adopt a mobile-first mentality in order to survive in today’s technologically advanced world.
Here are three simple steps to make your business mobile-first:
- The first thing you need to do is get rid of the traditional copper wires your current analog system uses and switch to an advanced IP-enabled phone system, which transmits your telephone calls over the Internet. Unlike analog, the software-based system offers advanced features so that you can customize your phone system for your unique business needs. IP systems also give you the flexibility to change the location of your phone without the costly expense of calling in a vendor for rewiring.
- The advanced features referred to above include:
- Softphones – an application program that enables voice telephone calls from your desktop, laptop or mobile device.
- Presence – the ability to view the status of other colleagues you may need to get in contact with.
- WebRTC – technology that enables audio/video streaming and data sharing between browser clients, eliminating the need to download clients or plugins.
- Cloud PBX – an advanced phone system that is affordable, easy to use and accessible from anywhere via a web portal.
- Now that you’ve installed your IP-enabled phone system with your customized features you can take your office anywhere. With your softphone you can leverage one phone number to forward calls to your smartphone, and stay connected even when you’re on-the-go. Employees working remotely from home can stay in the loop.
Giving employees the flexibility to work anywhere at any time is part of an evolving future companies should look to use as a tool to increase productivity and promote communication in the workplace.
Learn more about adopting a mobile-first mentality by clicking here.
