Wearable technology, the devices that you not only wear on your wrist but that can be embedded in clothes or even in your skin, is looking like it’s on a path to continued growth. So, how can companies ensure they’re capturing that market?
There are opportunities for businesses to leverage the wearable tech trend if they have a coherent strategy in place. The following considerations could help you build one.
Steps to leveraging the wearable tech trend
1. Embed a new culture in your organization
While the wearable technology trend is moving upwards, many people may still be behind the curve, including your staff. Before you embark on incorporating wearable technology in your strategy, educate people with the help of sites like MoneyBrighter in your company on what’s out there and get them familiar with the most popular gadgets – how they work, their benefits, and how they can align with your business model and corporate vision. Pass around one of the products on the market and let your team test it out for a week.
2. Tailor your online and mobile content for wearable devices
Wearable tech is not often a standalone accessory but is part of a smart ecosystem, usually connected to an app. Think about how you can integrate your current digital tools into wearable tech platforms. You will need to integrate your applications and optimize your web pages and icons for tiny screens. Developing your apps in this way will include your product as people synchronize devices.
3. Rethink keywords
Voice search like Siri has been around for a while, but use has gained pace with wearable tech. Verbally delivering instructions to an accessory on your person is more comfortable than typing them. However, language changes between written and spoken form, the latter producing more natural-sounding phrases. This consideration should feature in your keyword strategy, with more long-tail keywords in the mix.
4. Optimize web performance
Research suggests almost half of all internet users leave a website if its loading time is more than a few seconds long. According to Saif Abbas, A faster loader time will also place you higher in search rankings. So, as a general point, fast loading times are essential for businesses, but they’re more crucial if you want to utilize wearable tech. Part of your strategy should, therefore, involve trimming the fat on your web files and optimizing your website’s performance.
5. Incorporate gamification
The accessibility of wearable technology, particularly the gadgets on your wrist, means it’s more likely to grab the user’s attention, which is a prime opportunity to push your business through gamification. Consider offering collectibles like badges or challenges to draw users in and taking full advantage this technique has to offer companies.
6. Use schema markup or structured data
The key to optimizing for wearable tech is to ensure your online presence is found quickly. A structured data map, also known as schema markup, will help make your website easily read by relevant search engines like Google and Bing and easy to find. The data map means the most critical parts of your business are easily identifiable and searchable, such as services, prices, location, or contact information. You can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to get started.
In summary
Wavestone US knows how disruptive IT processes can impact new businesses, and this has shaped the role of technical departments. IT strategies need to develop as emerging technologies come to the fore to keep consumers and service-users engaged, protecting businesses’ bottom line and to keep companies relevant. Embedding an evolving approach that takes into account modernizing technologies will prove more cost-effective in the long run. The world might not be at the point where wearable tech has overtaken mobile devices, desktops, or laptops as a primary point of digital consumption. Still, with more people buying them, you can ensure you have an advantage over your competitors by merely adjusting your strategy with this tech in mind.