Dorset it a stunning county with much to attract visitors from around the UK and further afield. But with new high street shops fast becoming a novelty and rarer than an ammonite washed up on the Dorset coast is it time to think a bit more ‘modern and futuristic’?

Automation and tech is taking over the business world, the SoLoMo (Social, Local, Mobile) phenomenon is growing so quickly even the IT world is struggling to keep up. The future looks set to bring retail to the virtual world – shops will become entertainment and be grouped with attractions. 

Shoppers will be arriving in their electric self-drive cars, wearing their smart watches and online glasses, just looking at what they would like to purchase, one click will find the best deal online from the image, one click and it will be purchased.

How do you go about changing rapidly?  Well think about your goals, if it is to sell more of a particular product, brain storm about the things that are important to your customers, if you provide a product for a more mature market – how about a space where people can have a cuppa as well or get assistance with online tasks, how about combining the experience with other products or professionals that provide a service to this demographic?

If you have a young market then giving them the social and gamification aspect to attract them will reap rewards.  Think more on a pleasure scale instead of need, most people shop online for convenience and price savings – you need to give them a reason to abandon the warm sofa and brave the Dorset weather.

Farming is a real life example of diversification, farms in Dorset offer a range of activites from Quad biking and shooting to art courses and baking.  Selling around the UK and at farmers markets also helps them capitalise on a growing demand for quality food and fresh produce.

Diversification is certainly worth considering but it does not work for everyone- Did you know that House of Fraser once ran an undertakers?  It might simply be that your business could do what you are doing better, your marketing might need a bit of spicing up and your campaigns properly targeted and followed up.

Take a look at your market and try to envisage what it will be like in 10 years – start adapting, improving and developing now before you are swept away with the tide of tech….

As Darwin said – it is not the strongest that survive or the most intelligent but those that are most adaptable to change.

Miranda Aldridge

Director

Hook Solutions Ltd

www.hooksolutions.co.uk

Dorset based Hook Solutions provide on and offline marketing and web services to clients with a problem to solve, this could be more clients, more web traffic, marketing to a niche, a new website or data management.

01747 830965

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