Moving Traditional Businesses to the Digital Age

Intro

The world evolves at an extremely fast pace. As new digital platforms and channels become available and the entire world transitions to a digital-first environment, it has been challenging for traditional businesses and industries to shift into the digital age successfully.

From brick-and-mortar shops evolving into e-commerce platforms to the taxi industry changing to digital, app-only interactions with customers, and everything in between, it is a challenging and complex time to make those changes in a way that satisfies the customer and keeps profits in the right areas.

Transforming Gambling: The Rise of Online Casinos

One place where we have seen a dramatic and significant change in fortunes in recent years is within the gambling industry. The switch to online casinos and other forms of online gambling has been a transformative journey that continues to evolve. Just look at the wealth of options available to people playing casino games online.

For instance, if you wish to search for a place where you can play your favourite online slots, a site such as Slotozilla, allows you to search from the best online casinos in Europe, with transparent evaluations and nods towards the latest online casino trends. That way, you can find your new favourite slot online.

Trends in the Digital Age

With the rapid advancement of technology, businesses are adapting to new digital trends to enhance customer experiences and stay competitive. Here are some notable developments in recent years:

1. AI-powered chatbots: Companies are increasingly employing AI-powered chatbots to enhance online shopping experiences. These chatbots provide intuitive and accurate assistance to customers, catering to their individual needs and preferences, thus ensuring a smoother journey and higher customer satisfaction.
2. Augmented reality (AR) trial rooms: Digital products, including apps, are incorporating AR technology to offer customers a more authentic experience. AR trial rooms allow customers to visualise how certain items or services will look and feel in real life, enhancing their decision-making process.
3. Branded live casino games: Online casinos are leveraging advancements in live streaming technology to offer branded, live casino games. These games feature real-life, human croupiers streamed directly from studio floors to players' devices, providing an immersive experience that mirrors the atmosphere of a physical casino.

Tech-Driven Success: Brands and Industries Transforming

As we think about how and why businesses need to embrace change and technology, we should look at cases where companies and brands have made the jump and used tech to great effect. It is never as simple as just saying: “Right, we want to have an online store for our customers!” and it becomes a success overnight.

It takes time to integrate technology at every step of the journey your customers will go on. Below there are just a few examples of this over recent times.

Brand	Description
Shopify	Originally a platform for a small online snowboard business, Shopify has evolved into a global e-commerce powerhouse, supporting a diverse range of businesses worldwide.
Souq	Dubbed the 'Amazon of the Middle East', Souq transformed online shopping in the region before being acquired and rebranded as Amazon.ae. It played a significant role in popularising digital-first commerce across the Middle East.
Netflix	From a DVD-mail service to a leading streaming platform with millions of subscribers globally, Netflix disrupted traditional television networks by producing its content and offering on-demand entertainment.
Amazon	Starting as an online bookstore in a garage, Amazon has grown into the largest convenience store globally, offering a vast array of products from books to fresh food, with fast delivery services setting the standard for online shopping convenience.
Lego	Transitioning from traditional brick-and-mortar operations, Lego revived its brand by embracing digital strategies, including tie-ins with popular franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter, expanding into TV series, movies, and video games to reach new audiences.
Spotify	Emerging in 2008, Spotify has become the leading music streaming service globally, offering an extensive catalogue spanning music history, providing users with instant access to millions of tracks and artists.
Careem	Transforming transportation in the Middle East, Careem localised ride-hailing services, offering a streamlined and convenient solution for customers seeking quick and efficient taxi services in urban areas.
Online Casinos	Revolutionising the gambling industry, online casinos leverage streaming technology to provide live casino experiences with human croupiers. Additionally, they offer a vast selection of animated slots and other casino games, transforming the gambling experience with convenience and accessibility in the digital age.

Impact of Ignoring the Digital World on Businesses

The digital world is not an extension of reality anymore, it is the everyday. We all access the internet daily, for work, social connections, commerce, and pleasure. It is everywhere. Businesses that don’t adopt a digital transformation or digital adoption strategy will struggle to survive.

We’ve already witnessed the end of previously big companies that failed to grasp the change when needed, such as Blockbuster video rentals or Toys “R” Us. The digital landscape is an unforgiving world, and if companies fail to embrace change, or are too slow to do so, it can lead to extinction.

Final Thoughts

It will be interesting to see what the next great leap of innovation in the digital world will be. There cannot be many traditional businesses left that have not embraced the digital age in one form or another. It took a while for every company to get a website, for example, but it soon became weird not to have one.

Similarly, the use of AI will become widespread, and every traditional business will utilise the digital world in a much more effective way in the future, or they risk expiration and extinction.