Small business trends to keep an eye on in 2019

Running a small business can be incredibly challenging; it can be hard to compete with bigger companies and keep up with current trends. But with so many passing trends, it can sometimes be hard to know which ones it is worth paying attention to.

Here are three of the biggest small business trends that you need to keep an eye on throughout 2019.

Changes in banking

The banking and payment sector are set to have some major changes in the later part of 2019. This is something that will have an impact on the way in which people purchase and pay for your goods and services. The most prominent innovations involve allowing customers to pay for their goods however, whenever, and wherever they desire.

Essentially, in order to keep up, small businesses will need to ensure that they accept all forms of modern payment methods. Only accepting traditional payment methods will restrict your customer base and therefore have a negative impact on profits.

Voice search

Utilising voice searches is something that took off in 2018 and was particularly driven by Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Whilst this technology still has a long way to go, by 2020 it is estimated that 35% of searches will be conducted via voice.

Voice search is still primarily informational, but it is never a bad thing to be ahead of the times. Therefore, it is recommended that you begin optimising your website to be voice search friendly.

User reviews

Relationships with customers will always be a brilliant way of generating business. But, with the prominence of social media and the increased user interaction, customer relationships are becoming even more important.

User reviews of your products are undoubtably one of the best ways of encouraging potential customers to purchase from you. Therefore, user reviews will continue to be essential throughout 2019.