5 Technology Trends That Will Dominate 2018

"Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practise" - Peter Drucker

With recent advances in technology it was already possible to ask Siri what the local weather looked like, or to do complex calculations without touching the phone. Now with intelligent personal assistant like Amazon's Echo, Dot or Google Home we are starting to see our gadgets as more of a virtual assistant. 

Cardless transactions, artificial intelligence and frictionless interaction is what 2018 is going to be about for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Being ready and prepared will allow us to deliver seemingly good value to our customers and clients. 

Here are five emerging trends you’ll need to make room for in 2018:

 

1. Frictionless interaction- With Alexa and Google home taking over Siri and Google voice we are quickly moving towards a future which doesn’t involve too much typing. Gone are the days when we had to physically type into Google to get the weather or tap numbers into calculator. Voice commands will be able to do much more in 2018 and at lightning fast speed. At the time of writing I can already ask Siri for complex calculations like (2/2000-345=) and I’ll get an instant response. Whether you’re offering a product or a service voice commands will be something to consider for 2018 to ensure Alexa says exactly what you want her to say when asked for your products. 
2. Small screens big value- Remember the time when everything was optimised for big screens and HD technology? Those days are gone as more and more people are using their smartphones to consume information and entertainment online. It’s ease of use and mobility has won over the crowd in 2017 and it is likely the trend will continue to grow in 2018. Are you making sure your products and services render just as well on small screen? What changes have you brought so far? Comment below to let me know. ​
   
   
3. Data driven economy- With the growth in e-commerce it has become really easy to track almost everything a user does or doesn’t. From touch points to pain points, we can easily track vast array of variables and have access to more data about our customers then ever before possible. In 2018 we're going to see more companies helping their customers make sense of these data and what to do with it. Our biggest challenge isn't collecting data any more, 2018 will be about extracting meaning out of big data and using it to drive change. 
   
   
4. Webinars – Running seminars in a room full of people and workshops was a really effective way to introduce a new product to an audience  However in 2018 we'll see more and more businesses ditching the traditional route of hiring and organising a seminar in a large space and instead opting in for a webinar. With a simple laptop and minimum subscription webinars have the power of reaching out to a wider audience and eliminates almost all the costs linked to organising a real event. My favourite leaders such as Brian Tracy has already made the move to webinars and in 2018 I can see more and more businesses making use of this trend. Are you ready to deliver Webinars? ​
   
   
5. YouTube- Remember seeing funny cat videos and Mans Not Hot video on YouTube and being entertained by it. YouTube is now the 2nd largest search engine in the world after Google of course and  in 2018 YouTube will be seen as almost a calling cards for businesses and entrepreneurs. If you're not seen on YouTube you're missing an opportunity to tell your audience what it is you do in a matter of minutes.  I recently learned that people were attending Brian Tracy's seminar just because they watched a video on YouTube.​​
   ​

Are you looking forward to 2018? What are some of your predictions for 2018? Are you making use of any of these emerging trends?